Fans of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 17 probably weren’t expecting Lucky Starzzz., the inventive and colorful queen, to be the first eliminated contestant of the season, aka the “porkchop” queen.

Starzzz spoke with Blavity’s Shadow and Act about what it was like to leave the competition so early. They compared their elimination to the dramatic twist of an early death in a horror film.

“Who doesn’t love a shocking first death scene in a scary movie?” they said

Lucky Starzzz’s elimination on ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Season 17

The challenge that led to Starzzz’s elimination was to create a look from various materials to convey a “rich b***h.” Starzzz decided their approach would be to demonstrate the ever-looming expectation in Drag Race—versatility. However, their decision to showcase their ability to present as a conventional queen backfired, landing them in the bottom two.

Starzzz explained that versatility critiques have consistently been a challenge for them throughout their drag career.

“The idea around what the show considers versatility has always been a challenge in my drag journey,” they said, adding that they “expected” to face the critique at some point.

“I’ve always had to challenge myself with that. But at this point, I just want to be an artist. I just want to be creative. I want to express myself,” they said. “…I always tell [myself and] my art to always be authentic. But [at] that moment, I didn’t really feel like the prompt called for any wild, crazy, expressive ideas. I think the prompt was very much ‘be a beautiful, glamorous woman.’ I kind of felt cornered, and I just didn’t know what to do. I wasn’t really practiced in that specific type of drag, and it was just a lot, you know what I mean? It was a recipe for disaster. I wanted to serve versatility, but, I mean, at the end of the day, just be yourself.”

Lucky Starzzz’s drag journey and inspiration

Starzzz shared that their drag style is deeply influenced by their love of cartoons and everything they adored as a child.

“It comes from my love for art, it comes from my love for colors, it comes from just the beauty of inanimate objects,” they said. “I love the kitschy, I love the campy, I love the classic cartoons. I see it as a letter to my childhood, basically.”

For Starzzz, drag is about innovation, and they hope all performers strive to push the art form forward.

“As drag artists, it’s our job to kind of bring something new to the world and innovate, and I feel like as long as we’re innovating, we’re doing the right thing,” they said. “I feel like drag queens—and artists in general—need to always try to innovate and expand the art form. Drag is the most limitless art form in the world to me, so I feel like use that. You know, you have all this space to be limitless. Do it. You know, be iconic.”

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Support from fellow queens and fans

In Episode 3, Starzzz was touched by the kindness and encouragement of their fellow queens as they faced elimination.

“It was so sweet. I love all of them. Honestly, I couldn’t have asked for a better cast,” they said. “I just never felt so loved by a group of drag queens before.”

The support extended beyond the competition to fans, who connected with Starzzz’s story. They shared their ongoing journey of supporting their family after an unexpected accident left them facing hardship.

“I am trying to just thrive as opposed to survive,” they said. “I’ve been in survival mode for so long that I’m still trying to get out of that little by little with the money that I’m making. I’m still pushing forward.”

What’s next for Lucky Starzzz?

Despite their early elimination, Starzzz is committed to continuing their artistic journey. With tour dates starting today, merchandise for fans, and direct ways to support their career via Venmo and CashApp, Starzzz is determined to leave a lasting legacy.

“I want my career to be everlasting for eternity. I would love to do it all,” they said. “…I am going to continue to create and innovate and expand.”

Lucky Starzzz

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