Plastique Tiara Werqs the World

Plastique Tiara and several other Drag Race favorites will be making their way to Denver for the 2019 RuPaul’s Drag Race Werq the World tour. Produced by Voss Events in collaboration with VH1 and World of Wonder, this one-night-only event full of sickening performances will be at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House on Saturday, September 14.

Asia O’Hara, the host, is on a journey to save the universe with the help of her intergalactic gal pals, and Plastique is one of them. OUT FRONT had the pleasure of chatting more with Plastique about her upcoming visit and time on Drag Race. Born and raised in Vietnam, Plastique is an Asian Barbie who showcases her roots derived from Asian culture. Her unclockable beauty and show-stopping performances never fail to mesmerize audiences. For more information and tickets, visit vossevents.com or axs.com.

Hi, Plastique! Thank you so much for chatting with me today! How has everything been going for you?

It’s been life-changing! I am still learning to adapt, but it’s been great so far!

Good! Now, you are coming to Denver for the Werq the World tour. What can audiences expect? Tell me more about it.

Oh my gosh. Well, I don’t know if I can say too much about it yet, but the production is off the chain. I have never been in a drag show that has this high of a production. It’s like the biggest level. It’s spectacular. Like, I am so excited to be a part of it, because everyone kind of has their own schtick, you know? Some people have theatre backgrounds, and some people are more like voguing. So, everyone brings their own thing to the table. I think it’s going to be a good time.

It looks like this year’s production has an intergalactic theme going on. What planet would you be the queen on? [Laughs] I mean, I guess I already said it. So, my planet is Neptune, and I’m the ice queen. Just like my personality on Drag Race.

You are also touring with several other big name Drag Race girls and Michelle Visage. How has that been? Is the bus full of love or drama?

I have worked with all the girls before, but this is my first time doing Werq the World, and we will start traveling at the beginning of September, so I will catch you up on that! But everyone has been lovely so far.

Let’s chat about Drag Race. How has the show changed your life?

Like you said, it has literally changed my life. Nothing is the same anymore. I have never gotten recognized in the street before, and now I do almost every day. So, yeah, it has been life-changing. That pretty much sums it up.

Unfortunately, you did not win, but if asked to come back for an All Stars season, would you?

When I’m ready, for sure.

Was being on the show everything you imagined, or the complete opposite?

It’s a lot harder. It’s really cliché to say, but I think watching it from a view standpoint and doing it as a competitor, it’s two totally different things. There’s so much more going on when you’re in the moment. When I’m at home, I was like, oh yeah, I can do that easily, but it’s a 15-hour shoot day every day. Like, the five minutes you see on TV is like five hours we film in real life. So, there’s a lot more work put into it. You are under constant stress, but it was worth it.

Did your drag mother Alyssa Edwards or sisters Shangela and Laganja give you any advice beforehand?

Yeah! Alyssa let me borrow a lot of stuff. She was like,’Just come over girl, and I’ll get you together for Drag Race.’ So, I borrowed a lot of stuff from her. She also told me to, you know, have fun and enjoy myself. Which I forgot to do [laughs]. Up until when she came in, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, she told me to have fun.’ And that’s when I really shined.

You talked a lot about your biological family on the show and how they didn’t know that you did drag. I am assuming they now know?

Yes [laughs].

How has that been going? Are they supportive?

I never thought that we would get to this point, but it’s so crazy, because now everyone in my family knows about it. Like, every distant relative. My uncle and family in Vietnam, they know about it. I’m apparently, like, big over there. My grandparents here didn’t know about it, but a friend from Vietnam told them. Now, it’s like, ‘Oh, you make money.’ So, it’s fine. I didn’t think they would be supportive, but now, it’s kind of like, they just see it as a job. I’m traveling all the time, so it’s like I’m traveling for work. They said as long as I’m happy, it’s okay.

That’s great to hear. And you even received a hug from Mama Ru when you were talking about this subject. I bet you will never forget that moment.

Oh, no, of course not. She’s an amazing hugger. I was very surprised. It was just what I needed during that moment.

It seemed like you got along well with your fellow competitors, but a few did have some beef with you, primarily Ra’Jah O’Hara. Have you two made peace, or is there still some negative energy?

We totally made peace. I mean, it happened over a year ago now. At this point, we’re both just like, ‘Girl, we made it on the show; we had a good time; we met each other, and we made good TV.’ So, we just hashed it out at that point, and we’re good now.

Looking back at this past season, is there anything you wish you could have done differently?

Oh my gosh. If I were to go back now, it would be completely different. When I got on Drag Race, I just turned 21 a month beforehand, and I did drag on and off. So, I never got to interact with such big personalities before. If I were to go back, it would be a different experience, but I wouldn’t say I regret anything, because if I didn’t go through it, then I wouldn’t be the person I am now.

Do you feel like you were accurately portrayed? I have interviewed many other queens before who have said they were given the “bitch” or “dumb” edit.

I mean, they can’t edit you if you didn’t say the things that you said. That’s kind of my take on everything, so that’s why I tried to be very cordial with everyone. I think I was correctly portrayed, but there are other people who are, like, complaining, and I’m like, ‘Girl, if you didn’t say that, they wouldn’t edit it.’

Exactly! Now, you were kind of read for your lack of pop culture knowledge. Have you brushed up on your lessons?

I hope so! I know Mariah Carey’s “Obsessed” now. It’s really good! So, I hope. We’ll see [laughs].

Which challenge was your favorite and why?

I loved the Halloween ball. There was so much work to be done in such a short amount of time, and I love being in that crazy work mode when I have to get things and put things together and make it look beautiful. I love stuff like that. I also love the challenge that I won, when we had to make unconventional material work. I loved that one. It really got our creative thinking going. We worked all day and night on that, so I was very happy.

After the tour, what can we expect next from you? Any upcoming projects we should be on the lookout for?

I am starting to utilize more of my YouTube channel, and I am trying to explore other platforms than Instagram. I am just trying to explore more options, and you will just have to keep a lookout on what’s next. I will be working until the day I die. I am going to squeeze in as many projects as I can!