They were probably funny but rebellious. David Hummel Collection This list of famous drag queens will introduce you (or reacquaint you) with some of the top female impersonators ever. Meet the RuPaul's Drag Race UK star with absurd comedy timing", "Sky Gilbert plans new Hamilton Theatre project", "The raw, unfiltered life story of Serbia's new queer icon", "Can Palmerston North drag queen keep RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under title in NZ? They were an instant hit. A critically acclaimed and award-winning actress, Thandie Newton is also an activistshe led a flash mob in 2013 for gender equality and justice. She was charged with adultery, incest, and treason and was executed by beheading in 1536. Doll: Female Impersonators of England, 1972, The The club queen ended up making the biggest splash in the mainstream world in the daytime persona of Rory O'Neill during an interview on RTE's Saturday Night Show when he accused a number of Irish journalists of homophobia. The daughter of lawyers, she was determined to go to college despite her busy acting career and graduated from Brown University. Best British Drag Act, Female Impersonator & Panto Dame Ceri Dupree - YouTube As far as Celebrity Radio is concerned, Ceri Dupree is the UK's best Panto Dame and one of the worlds greatest. She has also worked in various stage and radio productions. Click Here for more Paris "Drag Kings", Cigar Jack NicholsonChristopher WalkenWalter Cronkite, George H.W. the College Boys Imitate the Fair Sex. Coming to more recent times, the feisty Margaret Thatcher upholds the same ideals her fiery ancient counterpart stood for. Boudicca, a warrior queen of the ancient Iceni tribe led a war against the Romans who had dared to violate her family proving how fierce British women can become when the need arises. While other drag queens found a way to attract a mainstream audience, likely none before Divine brought queer culture so aggressively to the wider world. March 2006 - Those Singing Drag Queens, Part He has been nicknamed "The Man of a Thousand Voices". As a princess, she became known for her unconventional approach to charity work. Rowling supports many charities and has founded Lumos, an international NGO, working for children. Cicely Courtneidge was also a humanitarian as she raised funds and entertained the armed forces during the Second World War. for his personal Jewel Box Club and Revue Clippings, 1934-1944, Femme Mimics! Her television appearances include miniseries Angels in America. Brevard, who starred at Finocchio's from 1959 to 1962, using dave davies wife. and Earl 'Father' Hines, jazz pianist; someone behind Tallulah; Jackie Phillips; Kara Montez; and Tanya de Malina. She is known for shows such as 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown and Twenty Twelve. ", "Summit Strength: Advocate Christopher Dyer gets the conversation started ahead of the Gay Men's Health Summit plus a peek at what's in store: Feature Story section: Metro Weekly magazine", "Cristal Snow: "It's an ultimate song of an empowerment", "Gay-Listers Guide: Crystal Methyd On The True/False Film Festival", "Austin Drag Queen Cynthia Lee Fontaine on RuPaul, Her Famous Catchphrase, and Beating Cancer", "Caiga quien caiga volver con Manel Fuentes el da 28", "Adele Brought Her Drag Queen Impersonator on Stage With Her", "Tall price for lot near future Transbay Terminal", "La modelo, al centro, celebr sus 30 aos de edad junto a familiares y amigos", "Torino, drag queen aggredita dopo una serata in un locale mette in fuga i due assalitori", "RuPaul's Drag Race UK's Ellie Diamond still works at McDonalds ahead of series 2 debut", "After Dark: Erickatoure Aviance, Artist And Nightlife Personality", "Jack Plotnick Is More Than "That Guy From Ellen", "Farrah Moan Opens Up About 'RuPaul's Drag Race', "Meet Makeup Artist Tajh Jordan From 'Painted With Raven', "Drag Race's Gottmik Launches YouTube Channel, Spills a Little Tea", "Remembering Guilda: Trailblazing Montreal drag queen dies at 88", "Miss'd America to crown fiercest of them all tonight", "Will Honey Mahogany Become America's Next Drag Superstar? She says that Tallulah's visit happened on her night The Best Shows That Star Stand-Up Comedians. . Argentine-British actress, Anya Taylor-Joy, first gained international fame with her role in the period horror film,The Witch. Click the graphic above Since 1985, she has been serving as the president of Questors Theatre. She has also said that she is a naturist at heart and was named by British Naturism as Naturist of the Year in 2004. During the 2019 New Year Honours, she was appointed OBE for services to charity and film. Crazy Horse, NYC International, 1962, Baby Her writing was set among the British landed gentry and dealt with ordinary people in everyday ordinary situation. concluding that boys can "masquerade" as a girl better than in Skirts Elizabeth Fry. Perhaps you're a big fan of blonde drag queens like Alaska or Katya fromRuPaul's Drag Race. She also hosted The Advocate's 50th-anniversary gala and published a style guide in 2017. A performer for decades in Irish clubs, sometimes as Panti or Panti Bliss. Her rivalry with her sister and the court battle against a powerful studio also made headlines. It's more than just scrunching up your face and saying "Come on, make my day" and then passing it off as Clint Eastwood. Cabaret Pointe, Hamburg, Germany an extensive article by Carlson Wade, author of "She-Male," The purple-haired Melbourne queen made her debut in 1955 and brought an accessible version of drag to TV sets and even movie theaters around the globe. Followinga string of country and soft-rock hits, Newton-John starredoppositeJohn Travoltain the 1978 blockbuster Grease, considered as one the most popular movie musicals of all time. 82 The best celebrity impressionists ever include some legendary comics and impersonators like Rich Little, Will Jordan, and Will Jordan, along with some modern-day comedians like Jim Carrey, Dana Carvey and, more recently, Jay Pharoah. After establishing herself on TV, she moved to films. An Army veteran of World War II, Jose Sarria -- also known as Empress Jose I, The Widow Norton -- became a drag performer at the Black Cat Cafe. On top of that, you've got to be funny. He also founded the Queens Liberation Army in the 1970s and began publishing Drag magazine in the 1970s, as noted by a New York Times obituary written upon his death in 2000. She shone in movies like A Place in the Sun, Giant, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Cleopatra, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf and Butterfield 8 in the 1950s and 60s. Madame Arthur's, Amsterdam Watch on. Sarah Millican is an English comedian who is credited with founding an online magazine for women named Standard Issue. Francis Leon Miss Shangay Lily John Epperson RuPaul Pabllo Vittar Zsa Zsa Shakespeer (1976) Performers [ edit] See also [ edit] List of RuPaul's Drag Race contestants List of exticos References [ edit] ^ Parker, Lyndsey (April 16, 2014). Make sure to vote for your favorite drag queen legends below! A lifelong socialist, she performed many benefit concerts to support various causes. Fast-forward through more albums and a stream of talk shows and reality shows until 2009, when the now world-renowned drag queen debuted RuPaul's Drag Race on Logo. She had been declared illegitimate after her mothers execution. var sc_partition=60; BushRoss PerotDennis MillerJohnny Carson, Vincent PriceJames CarvilleAlan AldaAl Pacino, Frankenstein's MonsterCharlton HestenPhil DonahueBill Clinton, The 100 Best Jobs Homer Simpson Has Worked on The Simpsons, Comedies That Are Funny But Only If You Have A Morbid Sense Of Humor. You might have seen many of these comedian impersonators on TV or in film. She has also released a music album, been part of a fashion reality show, started a web series, and founded charitable organizations such as. The Queen of the United Kingdom and 15 other Commonwealth realms, Queen Elizabeth II was the longest-reigning British monarch in history. This list of famous drag queens will introduce you (or reacquaint you) with some of the top female impersonators ever. Cicely Courtneidge was an Australian-born British comedian, actress, and singer. Ball '78 (Los Angeles), The But the gutsy British woman is not someone who would give up her freedom so easily! . There are many reasons for impersonating someone: Entertainment: An entertainer impersonates a celebrity, generally for entertainment, and makes fun of their personal lives, recent scandals and known behavior patterns. This is a list of drag queens, sometimes known as female impersonators, drag performers, or drag artists. She has worked towards raising awareness about issues like sex trafficking and Alzheimer's. The veteran actress of Hollywoods Golden Age, Olivia de Havilland shot to fame with Gone With the Wind and later established her cinematic career with movies like To Each His Own and The Heiress. And even today, at 70, there is much more to her than meets the eye. At fourteen, singer Dua Lipa began her career by posting covers of famous songs on YouTube. circa 1963, And Beaux Arts Halloween ", "Son dakika haberler: Seyfi Dursunolu (Huysuz Virjin) 87 yanda hayatn kaybetti", "Aboriginal music awards host two-spirited performer", "How This Drag Queen Ignited a Global U=U Conversation", "Lip Sync Herstory: 5 Things You Didn't Know About Destiny's Child's 'Survivor', "RuPaul fights back after death threats are sent to Drag Race queen", Gay New York: Gender, Urban Culture, and the Making of the Gay Male World, 18901940, "Meet the Pinoy plus size 'Barbie of New York', "Victoria's Jimbo seeks drag-queen crown", "Q&A: Jinkx Monsoon from 'RuPaul's Drag Race', "Portsmouth's joe Black on life as star of RuPaul's Drag Race UK season 2", "The Daring Young Man Off the Flying Trapeze", "Nashville contestant to compete on 'RuPaul's Drag Race', "Gender-Fluid Actor Kelly Mantle Makes Oscar History", "Shangela, Latrice Royale, Kasha Davis Raise The Roof To Save Kennedy Davenport's Home", "Drag queen Kim Chi hopes to spread Korean culture to world", "The Lady Bunny at the forefront of Wigstock Flamboyant? A self-described radical and revolutionary, she later founded the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaires with Johnson, and she pushed for the mainstreaming of trans people. The top drag queens in the United States hail from NYC, Las Vegas, LA, Chicago, and New Orleans (not surprisingly, these are also some of the most gay friendly cities in the US) with popular drag queens coming from as far as Australia, India, and the UK. Great Female Mimics, 1973, Michelle The intent is certainly NOT to represent all, and this 1960, or download It's from the San Francisco paper Upon his departure, Kathryn McKinnon Berthold (born January 6, 1984) is an American actress, comedian, and musician widely known as a regular cast member on The Big Gay Sketch Show (20072010) and Saturday Night Live, John William Ferrell (; born July 16, 1967) is an American actor, comedian, producer, writer and businessman. Pages in category "British impressionists (entertainers)" The following 7 pages are in this category, out of 7 total. The first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, Princess Diana was a member of the British royal family. She was behind the major driving force that created laws that encouraged more humane treatment for prisoners. Julie Newmar, List of people executed for homosexuality in Europe, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_drag_queens&oldid=1133513888, Articles with dead external links from October 2010, Articles with dead external links from December 2017, Articles with permanently dead external links, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 14 January 2023, at 04:56. After Stonewall, Johnson -- who identified as gay and a "transvestite" during her lifetime but is considered a mother of the trans rights movement -- helped found the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries to advocate for trans people years before other organizations did. and established herself as one of Britain's greatest stand-up comedians. A hun A Perfect Classic Female Impersonator: 34 Amazing Pictures of Jimmy Slater During His Career, Mihailo Tolotos, the Greek Orthodox Monk Who Lived 82 Years Without Ever Seeing a Woman, 30 Cool Pics That Capture Naughty Ladies of the 1950s, Victorian Postmortem Photography: The Myth of the Stand Alone Corpse, The Lost Janis Joplin Topless Photos in Copacabana, Rio De Janeiro in the Summer of 1970, 40 Vintage Photos Show What Living Rooms Looked Like in the 1960s, 40 Amazing Kodachrome Snaps Show What Life Looked Like in the Late 1950s, Incredible Then and Now Pictures That Show What Popular Dog Breeds Looked Like Before And After 100 Years of Breeding, Jimmy in Splinters, 1920s (signed to mum), Modelling a divine lace gown, 1920s (Dedicated to my mum in 1987, when she became good friends with Jimmy and his sister Annie, and a regular visitor for tea, cakes and haggling over prices! That's a tall order, but several great comedians have found the perfect formula. Bob Anderson is a celebrity impersonator that has been in the business for literal decades. Club Flamingo, Los Angeles a telling full-page article from the Washington Post, 1924, American Public Figures Who Are National Treasures, All The Things You Might Remember Troy McClure From, The Best TV Actors And Actresses Of All Time. The people on this list are from different countries, but what they all have in common is that they're all renowned impersonators. Shes also known for doing period roles in films like Sense and Sensibility, Jude and Hamlet. Featuring Female & Male Michelle Show, It's Me Again, 1969 British-American actor Tracey Ullman began her career with sketch-comedy shows such as Three of a Kind and later had her own Fox show, The Tracey Ullman Show, which featured 30-second segments of The Simpsons in between, making the latter a hit, too. Rising to prominence in the 1950s, she became one of the few people to win Academy, Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Awards. Bob worked for hours working on his impersonation of the singer and even got his own one-man show in Las Vegas called Frank. R&B artist", "Britney Houston Recruits 'Britney Cat Dolls' For Pussycat Dolls Parody", "Untucked with Brian: Interview with Chad Michaels of RuPaul's Drag Race, Season Four " Seattle Gay Scene", "From Boy to Diva: An Interview with Charlie Hides", "A Fiendish Conversation with Jody Kuehner (Cherdonna Shinatra)", "Drag Race UK: Cherry Valentine tells of 'rollercoaster' year", "Chi Chi Devayne, drag queen hero to the American south", "One on One with RuPaul's Drag Race All Star Coco Montrese! Initially a tour guide, she later stepped into comedy and never looked back. Veteran English actress, Maggie Smith, has an extensive career spanning almost seven decades. Program, 1969 English actress, Lily James, was born into a family of prominent actors and developed an early interest in performing. Earning herself the title of Britain's highest paid female entertainer in 1941, Adelaide was entered into the 2003 Guinness Book of Records and referred to as "the world's most enduring . Paris Meghan. Helena Bonham Carter is an English actress who is known for her performancesin independent films and huge blockbusters. filter list by All Voters rank it your way 1 Bianca Del Rio 9,389 votes 2 RuPaul 14,648 votes The Best Adore Delano Catch Phrases #476 of 545 2002 - Gender Benders, Part 1 In 2011, she also received the British Comedy Award. Below, Heres a newspaper clipping from the Edinburg Daily Courier, and is dated October 29, 1938. One of the most beautiful actresses, she has been featured on several magazine covers. A muse to movie director John Waters, the Baltimore performer starred in early Waters filmsMondo Trasho,Multiple Maniacs, and, most notably, cult classic Pink Flamingos. July 10, 2014. Little Parrot, Puerto Rico, 60s She died of ovarian cancer, at the age of 48. She began hosting her own show, The Emily Atack Show, in 2020. Jenna Coleman is an English actress who played Queen Victoria in the historical TV drama series Victoria. He hit it big in 1993 with the release of the house album Supermodel of the World and its hit single "Supermodel." He began his career in the 1980s, working as a voice artist on the satirical puppet show Spitting Image and. Doing a truly great impression of someone else takes great skill. When it comes to compassion, who can beat the British women like Elizabeth Fry and Florence Nightingale? Casino de Paris, 1983 But in 1958 she became a media sensation, according to historian Joanne Meyerowitz, after undergoing gender-confirmation surgery and returning to the stage. Marsha P. Johnson. The Dolly Sisters had recently retired from the stage, and it was a combination of perfect timing and perfect talent that got The Rocky Twins noticed. Some of the best impressionists ever are (or were) cast members on 'Saturday Night Live' or other sketch comedy shows. The Also known for her charity work, Jenna Coleman serves as an ambassador for a charity organization called Place2Be, which provides therapeutic and emotional services in schools. She studied acting and made her debut as a TV actress in the early 2010s. The episode later led The Independent to label Panti as "Ireland's high queen of LGBT activism. miscellaneous artists, page 6 Click for more on Neil Burgess, Sepia (Queen of the United Kingdom from 1952 to 2022), (Actress and Activist Best Known for Her Role of 'Hermione Granger' in the 'Harry Potter' Film Series), (One of the Best-Selling Music Artists Known for Her Multi-Platinum Certified Albums '19' and '21'), (Queen of the United Kingdom (1837-1901)), (One of the Highest-Paid Actresses in the World in 2020), Often featured among the Sexiest and Most Desirable women in the world, this British-born actress is a Hollywood A-lister and sex-symbol who first captured everyones attention with her scene-stealing appearance in the Meryl Streep starrer, (British Actress Who was Famous as a Film and Fashion Icon), (English Actress Known for Her Work in Independent Films and Period Dramas), (Author of Children's Fantasy Series, 'Harry Potter'), (Known for Her Deep, Expressive Contralto Vocals and Her Eclectic Mix of Musical Genres), Soul and jazz singer Amy Winehouse is best remembered for her tracks, (English Actress Who is Known for Her Roles in Period Dramas), (British Actress Known for Her Films: 'The Mummy', 'The Constant Gardener' and 'The Favourite'), (One of the Best Actresses of Classic Hollywood Cinema), (One of the Best-selling Artists, Who Starred in the Musical 'Grease'), (British Actress, Screenwriter and the Only Person to Win Academy Awards for Both Acting & Writing), (Portrayed Cersei Lannister in HBO Series 'Game of Thrones' ), (One of Britain's Most Recognizable & Prolific Actresses), (English Author Known for Her Detective Novels and Short Stories), (Actress and Singer Whose Career Spanned Over 80 Years), (The Only Performer to Have Achieved the 'Triple Crown of Acting' in Both the US and the UK), Elizabeth I, daughter of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, ruled as the Queen of England and Ireland from 1558 to 1603. Left 88 Pins 6y J Collection by Justin Eva-James Similar ideas popular now Drag Queen Danny La Rue Queen Hair White Image Hairspray Silhouette Colorful Fashion Costume Design Crossdressers Short Film British actress Audrey Hepburn is counted among the greatest female screen legends in Golden Age Hollywood. artists, page 1 Japan's most famous female impersonator, Miwa can nowadays be heard here in the non-dubbed versions of Hiyao Miyazaki films. The British Heart Foundation is one of the charities that she promotes. Diplomat Revue (Detroit) https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Category:British_impressionists_(entertainers)&oldid=483443368, Impressionists (entertainers) by nationality, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 22 March 2012, at 23:09. He is known for his energetic slapstick performances.Carrey first gained recognition, Stephen John Coogan (born 14 October 1965) is an English actor, comedian, and producer. Vote up your all-time favorite drag queens. info source is Aleshia The award winning actress is also an author, activist and comedian. Before the term drag queen could be coined, out British actor Douglas Byng honed the female impersonation craft back in the World War I era. This list of notable impersonators is ordered by their level of prominence, and can be sorted for various bits of information, such as where these historic impersonators were born and what their nationality is. In 2014, Queen Elizabeth II appointed her a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire. She is best remembered for her partnership with her husband Jack Hulbert as they performed together on stage and screen for over six decades. Certainly, From Head to Heels", "Opening for "Bright Lights Queer City" at Leslie Lohman Gay Art Foundation", "Last Words With RuPaul's Drag Race's Laganja Estranja", "Two local female impersonators compete on", "Who is Lawrence Chaney, the Glasgow queen on RuPaul's Drag Race UK series 2", "Brighton Pride veteran Maisie Trollette, 84, set for parade", "Mario Montez, a Warhol Glamour Avatar, Dies at 78", "How Maya the Drag Queen is using Drag to Educate and Empower Indian Audiences", "Gay rights pioneer who blazed a trail in Jozi leaves SA richer", "Toronto's oldest drag queen takes world record", "A Toronto drag queen who 'wowed audiences' has died and people are paying tribute", "Milk Is The New Face Of Madonna's MDNA Skincare Line", "RuPaul's Drag Race star Mimi Imfurst makes history in Cuba - BBC Newsbeat", "Miss Coco Peru Reflects on Her Recent Conversation With Jane Fonda", "This RuPaul's Drag Race Contestant Is Also A YouTube Makeup STAR", "Monica Beverly Hillz, 'RuPaul's Drag Race' Contestant, Discusses Coming Out As Transgender", "Pars Galn: 'Soy una drag queen boliviana', "How a Violent Attack Unexpectedly Helped Transgender RuPaul's Drag Race Queen Peppermint Realize 'I Was Loved', "PHOTOS: Phi Phi O'Hara successfully completed her #365DaysOfDrag project", "The Life and Times of the Divine Miss P (review)", "Interview: Drag Queen Raja Talks About His Start In Drag, Coming Out To His Family and His Favorite Beauty Tip", "7 personalities who are helping us evolve our conversations around gender identities", "Delete Your Account: RuPaul's Shade Queens And The Real Petty Housewives", "AMBIENTE MAGAZINE | REVISTA | LGBT | LATINO | HISPANIC", "The Upper Valley Has Launched a Drag Star", "Meet The Amazing Queens Competing On Season 11 Of RuPaul's Drag Race", "Chicago drag queen gets chance at being 'RuPaul' royalty", "Who is Sister Sister? Michelle Born to musician Derek Pascoe, comedian Sara Pascoe was raised by her mother amid poverty after her parents divorce. He is a writer and producer, known for TV Burp (2001), The Harry Hill Movie (2013) and Harry Hill's Lonely Island (2021). the Masculinized Woman Come to Stay? Transgender singer Ava strikes a more melancholic note with her number 'Strictly a He-male Female' providing a sharp reminder that the outlook for trans women was far from rosy in 1969. Adele is one of the most successful female music artists from England. '), (Actor, Comedian, Screenwriter, Film producer, Author, Novelist, Writer), (Actress, Singer who was highest paid film star in the world in 1937), (Australian-born British Comedian, Actress, and Singer), (Writer, Comedian, Television presenter, Actor). RuPaul Charles first gained a following dancing in the Atlanta drag scene (you can see him in the B-52s' "Love Shack" video among everybody movin' around and around). The Rocky Twins, Leif and Paal Roschberg, made their debut performance as The Dolly Sisters in 1928 in the Casino de Paris show Les Ailes de Paris. By. She devoted much of her time in her later life to UNICEF and was actively involved in humanitarian work. Matilda Alice Powles (1864-1952) was an English performer who went by the stage name of Vesta Tilley. Who are the best female impersonators ever? Phil Starr First performance: The City Arms, Millwall - 1953 Phil Starr left the RAF in 1953, after he answered an advertisement for a female impersonator. (1909) var sc_click_stat=1; In 2010, Rachel Weisz was named the global ambassador for L'Oral. Meet the RuPaul's Drag Race UK "queen of Clapham", "Tyra Sanchez: Tiara Snatch, RuPaul's Drag Race", "How Vanessa Vanjie Mateo's Drag Mom Came To Her Rescue After That 'RuPaul' Elimination", "Varla Jean's a New Gal, But Life's Still a Drag", "RuPaul's Drag Race UK: The Story Behind Veronica Green Not Coming Back", "Violet Chachki has advice for other would-be drag performers: 'Do it now', "Willam Belli Stops By Jonny McGovern's 'Hey Qween!