Jinkx Monsoon
The Out100 award, received by Jinkx Monsoon, marks a notable point in the career of a performer who works as a drag queen, actor, singer, and voice actor.
Born on September 18, 1987, in Portland, Monsoon attended Grant High School before going on to study at Cornish College of the Arts. Those years of formal training preceded a professional life conducted across multiple disciplines, with Monsoon working in drag performance, acting, singing, and voice work. Monsoon is transfeminine and non-binary, and is an American citizen who performs in English.
The Out100 recognition situates Monsoon among a group of named honorees. As a performer whose occupations span drag, acting, singing, and voice acting, Monsoon continues to work across those overlapping fields, with an education at Cornish College of the Arts among the documented facts of a life that began in Portland in the autumn of 1987.
Quotes by Jinkx Monsoon
It used to be that I'd do drag, then get out of drag, and try and be as much of a boy as possible. That didn't feel entirely authentic for me, but it felt like what I had to do at the time.
I really like women who are able to be classy and poised and really well put together when the time is right, but also be complete clowns.
Ever since I was a kid I just thought that women had the better outfits, women had the better hair, women got to wear makeup. I just got jealous of what women got to do onstage. You dress up a man and ultimately it's just a different variation on the same kind of suit. There's a whole wide world of what women wear onstage.
It's not just putting on a little bit of makeup and putting on a dress. Some drag queens duct tape their heads, some drag queens are bound and strapped and pulled in every which direction. To be in drag is no small endeavor.
With Jinkx Monsoon, I strive to make her pretty and likable and have this bubbly, lovely personality. But then she can also be the most crass, out of the blue, kooky character.
I was always ready to submit my life to my career - but I don't think anything could have truly prepared me for the reality of that.
Don't be afraid of wearing a lot of makeup. Like, a lot. Your eyes deserve to be showcased. I think it's important to just remember that whatever you think you hate about yourself, there's a way to counter that with makeup and make that part of you beautiful.
I guess it wasn't really part of my story on 'Drag Race' but I'm a trained actor and singer.