Stage persona of American drag queen and actor from Boston, Massachusetts, Brian Joseph McCook wants to keep all limbs intact to continue performing. Yekaterina Petrovna Zamolodchikova, or just Katya for short, does her best to tell us about her performance while not really saying anything that might result in heavy crippling blood loss on her end.
GC: This is Jason with Gay Calgary and I’m here with Katya from RuPaul’s Drag Race season one thousand, one hundred and seventy-two?
Katya: one thousand, one hundred and seventy-three.
GC: Okay. ... But the fact it’s at eight seasons and we’re about to have our second All Stars so what does it mean to you to see this grow so much?
Katya: Well it’s like you go to the family reunion and you see Drunk on Debbie for the 50th time and you think "How the hell is she still alive?" I’m glad it’s going into its 25th season. But at a point you start to wonder about the mortality of the show. What is its staying power? Are we all gonna die? How painful is it going to be? All these questions swirl in my mind at least 2-3 times a day; often more. But I’m happy to see it—I cannot wait—it feels like forever! We filmed All Stars last year—a full year. That’s a longer waiting period than a normal season so I don’t even remember what happened!!!
GC: I know RuPaul will remove a hand if you say much. Is there anything you can tell us about All Stars season 2?
Katya: Just to be clear she’ll remove much more than just a hand. You will be de-armed and de-legged. That’s in the NDA contract. What can I tell you? Other than "It’s gonna be fierce!" ... God, the threat of litigation is very real. I know so much but they don’t let me say one damn thing. I’ll give you a hint. I will have a major fashion breakthrough and/or a major fashion disaster!
GC: So, since you’ve gone through it once with the original season, going back to it, how is it different?
Katya: That I can talk about! I was much less nervous and I was determined to play any cards I could for whatever reason I hadn’t played in the previous time because life doesn’t give you second chances very often, Deb, you gotta take advantage before you’re dead! Splat on the floor! So know what? I’ve done this before; I know RuPaul actually likes me and doesn’t want to kill me or at least she’s a very good actress, so either way it’s a win for me or for her, so I was like you know what? I should be able to do this. Some of the girls, "did [their] best," and that’s tough because if you had a good edit and had a favorable reception then you risk having an unfavorable one but that’s the chance you take when you go on the show. The benefits far outweigh the risks, I think. You get to show the world your stupid drag! That’s awesome!
GC: So, 10 queens, probably like an 8-week season; we’re going into October so almost a year and a half ... If someone wants to hear from the recording of the original season... How hard was it for you, with that possibility of losing a hand, to keep your mouth shut for that long?
Katya: Oh it’s really really hard. So I immediately.... It’s unrealistic too. So this is what you do. This is what I did—what every drag race girl does but doesn’t say. You immediately go home and you tell three people. I mean you just HAVE TO. You have to get it out of your system and then you have to kill them so I spent a month trying to kill them very discreetly—painlessly—you have to get all the drugs from Mexico, there are a lot of hoops to jump through... But yeah so you get it out and put them to rest and then you can move on!
GC: Then you eat them, right? Did you mention before you’re going to be talking about the cannibalism?
Katya: No, I’m not a monster.
GC: Of course. This is happening less in a week after a pretty big happening in the LGBT community so tonight and during the tour a whole bunch of LGBTQ people have been gathering every night and it’s gotta weigh on your mind and certainly it’s on mine and on the audiences’, but we’re also here to have a good time and enjoy ourselves and enjoy the battle of the season so what does it mean to you to be able to come out and entertain for people who still in the back of their mind may still be thinking about the tragedy in Orlando?
Katya: Well I mean for me, honestly, it’s actually easy because I can’t think of anything better to be doing. There was an attack in a queer space on a Saturday night where people were either trying to have fun, trying to get laid, trying to party, trying to watch a drag show, any of those or all of those, and I don’t believe it was a declaration of war so there’s no need to feel unsafe, so more than ever it’s good to just do exactly what we set out to do which is do an awesome drag show for queer people and allies, or whoever really. People are affected in different ways. Ginger is from fucking Orlando. That is her community and she knows so many of the people who died. So we’ve been talking about how the grieving process differs. For me it’s not grief; it’s shock. It’s processing feelings of "here’s another vivid example of how the world is fucked!" But I’m not grieving because I don’t know anyone [personally]... So yeah I think we’re doing the best thing we can do. I wish the ticket prices weren’t so high though. Sorry David.
GC: If hypothetically you were to have won a Drag Race All Stars—
Katya: Let me stop you there because you know in the show they don’t do that anymore. It’s open-ended when filming ends.
GC: Is this true for All Stars too?
Katya: Absolutely! Yeah! I think to say the determination of the winner is an open-ended book with no pages is pretty fair and they won’t sue me.
GC: Yeah, I guess a lot has changed since the first one.
Katya: The All Stars one came after season 4.
GC: Yes.
Katya: But they did choose a winner right then and there.
GC: I believe they did. Absolutely yeah.
Katya: How did that not get leaked?
GC: Magic!
Katya: Serious magic! People love to chit chat and you know... Jibber-jabber.
GC: So, is it a live finale?
Katya: I don’t believe so. I’m advocating for a housewife-style reunion show where there’s no audience, just claws out, paws out and any other aw sounds you want to think about.
GC: So, in October you’ll be finding out the same time we do, who won All Stars?
Katya: I will and no matter who wins, I’m sure that she deserves it! Oh and last thing! My favourite pageant thing—apparently this is what you say ironically and sarcastically to someone you don’t like is— "Love your hair, hope you win!" That’s the BEST!
GC: Ha ha!
Katya: *laughs* That’s the best mean girls pageant thing. I love that.
GC: Thank you so much for taking a few minutes to talk to us tonight.
Katya: It was my pleasure and I would do it again but maybe for a little money next time? *giggle* Thank you!
GC: Thank you!
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