Top 10 Most Iconic Shangela Moments

"A Star Is Born" (2018)

While Shangela has been a celebrity in the world of drag for some time, she landed her most high-profile acting role in the 2018 version of “A Star Is Born.” She appeared early in the film as a bubbly emcee at the bar where Lady Gaga's character Ally sings. Shangela was able to inject her eccentric drag persona into the role, creating a character that was entertaining to fans and unfamiliar viewers alike. After she first connected with Gaga in a lyric video for 'Applause,' (xref) Shangela was allegedly requested for the film by Gaga's team. Given how well the role fit with her over-the-top energy, it was a promising moment in Shangela's film career.

"91st Academy Awards" (2019)

When she strolled the Oscars red carpet in 2019 for her role in “A Star Is Born,” Shangela's appearance had a special historical significance. She became the first drag queen to ever walk the red carpet in drag, which she did with her friend and fellow actress Jenifer Lewis. Shangela's dress was a luxurious purple and gold design by Diego Montoya, which helped her look fittingly glamorous for the moment. She also used the publicity to highlight how far members of the LGBT community could go in Hollywood. Shangela even proposed a silly drag parody of the film called “A Star Is Living.” Hilarious jokes aside, her walk down the red carpet showed that drag was really becoming an important part of our culture and society.

"RuPaul's Drag Race" (2009- )

By the time Shangela returned for the third season of “RuPaul's Drag Race,” she had learned enough new skills to survive past the first episode. The main challenge for the third week saw her acting in a space opera, as Alexis Mateo's twin. Shangela's dialogue was hilariously synchronized to Mateo's, and she played up the slapstick humor of their shared wig. The judges praised them for standing out from the other queens, and the pair were crowned as the top contestants for the episode. Given how many acting roles Shangela got after “Drag Race,” the space challenge was a great first look at how entertaining she could be with a script.

"RuPaul's Drag Race" (2009- )

Shangela was eliminated on her first episode of “Drag Race,” so it was a total surprise when she came back in season three. (xref) Though this initial comeback was taken seriously by the other competitors, her returns became a running gag on the show. So when they rolled Shangela out on the fourth season, Ru hysterically yelled to take her box out and burn it. Jujubee's guest spot on “All Stars” 2 was later comically revealed to be Shangela in disguise as well. While these jokes weren't as important as her additional chances to compete, they were great surprises that played on Shangela's self-deprecating comedy.

"34th Film Independent Spirit Awards" (2019)

When film legend John Waters “directed” the 2019 Spirit Awards, Aubrey Plaza was laughably replaced in her own musical showcase by none other than Shangela. This turned out to be a medley that parodied the nominated movies with a category they called “ Best Original Songs That Are Not Actually Even in These Films. Shangela's absurd and sassy interpretation of “If Beale Street Could Talk” had director Barry Jenkins in stitches. Absurdly specific jokes about “Eighth Grade” and “First Reformed” were also surprisingly funny given the mostly dramatic tones of both films. Shangela's ability to tie lyrics about each movie together while dancing was pretty impressive as well.

"RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked!" (2010- )

After RuPaul's hair outfit challenge in season three, Yara Sofia claimed that Raja secretly used tulle fabric in her costume. As the other queens made similar claims, Shangela jumped on the case and proclaimed herself the Nancy Drew of drag. She lived up to her name as well, and volunteered to help Raja fix her dress just to feel the fabric. The smiles on Shangela and Alexis' faces in the moment are priceless, and it was hard not to laugh when she revealed her findings. She praised Raja on every detail of her dress like a sneaky detective, until Raja admitted about using tulle too. All the covert shade towards Raja was hysterical, and it was too satisfying seeing Shangela find the answers she wanted.

"RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars" (2012- )

“All Stars” was Shangela's third season competing on 'Drag Race,' and her experience shined through in the challenges. Her comedy kept people laughing, whether it was her sickening Actavia skit, or her savage reads in the werkroom. Shangela would slay her lip syncs too, and left Ru shrieking at her hysterically upbeat fat-suit routine to 'Freaky Money.' With more wins than any other queen that season, her jury-based elimination arguably robbed her of the crown. The loss seemed so unfair that even Michelle Visage claimed it was a mistake. By proving to fans that she had improved on her runway looks as much as her performances, Shangela's “All Stars” run was constantly impressive.

"RuPaul's Drag Race" (2009- )

In her first episode of “Drag Race,” Shangela was up for elimination in a lip sync battle. She quickly tore off her skirt and danced wildly, as she noticed the judges' attention was split between her and Sahara Davenport. Since Sahara started doing flips, splits and kicks, Shangela fell to the floor with a gag-worthy death drop. Though her debut of the move looked painful, the judges acted more concerned when she tried it during her 'Believe' lip sync. The death drop ultimately showed how far she was willing to go, while it also highlighted her goofy performance style. Though it wasn't enough to save her from elimination, Shangela's death drop became a go-to trick for other queens in subsequent seasons.

"30th GLAAD Media Awards" (2019)

When Beyoncé Knowles and JAY-Z were being honored with GLAAD's Vanguard award, Shangela was there to pay homage to Knowles' entire career. Her high-energy lip sync covered material from the Destiny's Child era to her self-titled album, all with back-up dancers. Though Shangela's majestic rendition of 'I Was Here' started things slow, she became excitingly animated during 'Partition.' While her triumphant hair whipping got the audience screaming, her chants for 'Independent Women' showed she could easily command a crowd. Though Beyoncé could be seen smiling during the dance, it was Shangela's climactic death drop that prompted Knowles to give her the standing ovation this lip sync deserved.




Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:

"WERQIN' GIRL" Music Video



"Dollhairs” by Todrick Hall feat. Shangela



Halleloo!



Trying to Keep Up with a Professional Chef


The Intro to Ariana Grande's 'NASA'

"RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked!" (2010- )

Following their science fiction runway critiques, Shangela slammed Mimi Imfurst for doing campy drag when she was supposed to do glamor. Mimi crossed the line however, when she claimed that Shangela was just bougie because of her sugar daddy. Though the Oooooos from other contestants were hilariously childish, the ensuing reality check was far more entertaining. Shangela's fierce rant vindicated her status and celebrated her hard work, while she hilariously threw shade at Mimi's sloppy costume design. Plus she capped it off dramatically by actually throwing a drink at Mimi. Given how nice and funny Shangela generally was on 'Drag Race,' watching her get vicious left us gagging.