This was not our first visit to the set of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” We initially trekked to the Emmy-winning program when season 10 was filming on the historic “Gunsmoke” lot in neighboring Simi Valley. A year later, with Peak TV claiming almost every soundstage in Los Angeles, the production moved to nondescript stages in the northeast corner of the San Fernando Valley where we caught up with none other than the legendary RuPaul Charles himself. Five years later, the MTV and Paramount production is still in the far reaches of the Valley, but times have changed. The reigning Reality Competition Emmy Award winner recently moved into gorgeous new soundstages allowing the infamous main stage and werk room to be in the same building for the first time in years. It’s almost as though they knew the Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris, would soon be stopping by.
In a massive surprise to viewers, Harris filmed a segment alongside “Drag Race” judge Michelle Visage, resident show choreographer Jamal Sims, and memorable guest judges Chynee Jackson, Leslie Jones, and Lance Bass. At the time it was filmed, Harris was running for re-election as Vice President alongside President Joe Biden. The appearance was meant as a general reminder to viewers to visit vote.gov to make sure they were registered to vote. It was scheduled to run at the beginning of the season finale of “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars” on July 26. What Paramount and production company World of Wonder could never have dreamed of (let alone most of the free world) is that Harris would have become the presumptive Democratic nominee just five days earlier. And yes, executive producer Tom Campbell couldn’t believe it either. Especially since its inclusion was, technically, a last-minute addition to the episode.
“We shot that about a month ago,” Campbell explains during an interview on the “Untucked” set of “Drag Race” at the end of July. “Her people reached out to us, and you know, we’ve been doing the vote.gov thing and we had Nancy Pelosi on. And we’ve had A.O.C. on, and Cory Booker has been part of our finales. So, D.C. is definitely fans of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race.’ A lot of the staff of a lot of the members of Congress and the Senate, they see the love and the joy, I think that comes outta ‘Drag Race.’ And they know that it’s an enthusiastic place to reach, you know, our collective. We are their constituents.”
Campbell continues, “But we heard from the Vice President’s office in the spring. They were just like, ‘Well, let’s do something together.’ And because we do shoot a year out, we’re like, ‘Well, let’s encourage people to vote. Let’s have Kamala come on and do that.’ And, so we decided to do it as this cold open for the season [finale]. So, the queens weren’t in the building, unfortunately, they had wrapped, but we had that. So, we sort of had a viewing party with, the good folks, including Jamal, who were in the video.”
Simms, already riding high off his first Emmy nomination for “Drag Race,” said he was “honored” to sit with the VP for the segment.
“It’s just all of the things that ‘Drag Race’ has brought me. It just seems like a gift on a gift, on a gift,” Sims says. “But to be sitting in the room with Kamala, like when she walked in, it felt like an Auntie. It was so chill and so cool. And she was so sweet and so kind and talked to everybody, took photos with everybody. Like, she was in there with everyone. And, I just think it was just a big moment for not only me but for everyone that was able to be there that day.”
The flagship series, “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” landed eight Emmy nominations last month (the after-show, “Untucked,” was nominated for two additional Emmys), and this year’s crowned queen, Nymphia Wind, coincidentally met Harris during a Pride celebration in June. But that wasn’t the only famous politician she’s met over the past four months. Following her win, Nymphia made history by performing for Tsai Ing-wen, who recently ended her term as the president of Taiwan.
“I performed and met the former president of Taiwan, who was also a female president. And the first president to legalize same-sex marriage in Asia,” Nymphia says. “So, she’s my favorite kind of president, and being able to meet Kamala Harris in her home too, was…as a Taiwanese person, you know, we don’t get a lot of international opportunities. So, being able to meet such a great figure in America was an honor to be able to do that for Taiwan”
Season 16 of “Drag Race” ended up being something of a ratings smash for MTV with the season finale being the most watched episode of the series in 13 years (that’s the Obama administration for those paying attention at home). This installment of the franchise featured a notoriously shady “sister” in Plane Jane, Oscar winner and massive drag fan Charlize Theron as a guest judge, and a “Lip Sync LaLaPaRuza Smackdown” that had fans screaming at watch parties all across the country. For Campbell, the episodes that stood out the most were the Rusical, which this year spoofed “The Sound of Music,” and the venerable “Girl Groups” challenge.
“We love doing musical numbers and girl groups and we have this dream factory where different composers, whether it’s Leland or David Steinberg, come together and we turn this stuff out so quickly,” Campbell says. “And Jamal is a huge part of that too. So, we’re proud of that work and what the queens bring to it. And it’s nice that the Television Academy sees that dimension and recognizes that from the show too.”
Simms, who was previously nominated for his choreography on three different programs in 2023, was cleaning his pool when he found out about his first nomination for “Drag Race.” A nom that was the series’ first choreography nod in nine years of Emmy recognition. And the “Footloose,” live-action “Aladdin” and “Encanto” veteran has been contributing to the mothership series since 2015.
“A friend texted me and was like, ‘B**ch.’ And then he called me and he was like, ‘Congratulations.’ I was like, ‘I had no idea.’ You know, it’s one of those things,” Simms says. “Because I’ve done this show for so many years. I just counted that maybe this wasn’t the show that was gonna get nominated for an Emmy, only because we’re up against other shows that [have] professional dancers, you know what I mean? [On ‘Drag Race’] you have a cast of different levels of dancers. So, I kind of have to pick and choose what I do. And I just can’t put, full out amazing flips ’cause everybody can’t do choreography that well. So, it’s the hard part about doing the show is you kinda have to cater to each queen individually, but then make ’em look good as a collective. So, it’s a challenge.”
Simms adds, “I feel like I’m always in the competition with myself, but it is so amazing. Just the fact that there is an Emmy nomination for choreography for the show is truly an honor. That’s why it means so much to me.”
Simms soon discovered that Nymphia was not as skilled at choreography as her fellow contestants were led to believe. However, the current New York City resident decidedly disputes that framing.
“I just never disclosed this information. There’s a difference. I just never told anyone,” Nymphia says with a sight smile. “And no, no one ever asked. But to add on what Jamal was saying about like having different levels of dancing abilities, like with Jamal, I remember for [the dance number] ‘Power’, there was this step that was really, really hard for some reason just to [match it] with the rhythm. But with Jamal, ’cause there’s so many different levels, he would like really cater it to every Queen’s ability and really try to find a middle ground where everyone could learn it flawlessly and still look good. Because, you know, at the end of the day, even though it’s a competition, you still want everyone to do well. And to do their best and to present their best.”
Outside of contributions to the television program, Sims is also the co-director of “RuPaul’s Drag Race Live!” which recently celebrated 800 shows on the Las Vegas Strip. The show has had a rotating number of “Drag Race” veterans cycle through including as recently as season 15. We asked Sims if he’s always looking out for potential cast members for the live show when coaching the new contestants. He remarked, “In my mind just ’cause I love that show so much I’m always thinking like, ‘Ooh, I wonder who else is gonna be able to come up and do it.’ And because a lot of the time, the queens go on [tour after their seasons] and they’re so busy, their schedule doesn’t allow them to do it. But when their schedules do make them available, I’m so excited to see who wants to come. Absolutely.”
And for those who think a winner as in demand as Nymphia Wind wouldn’t find her way to Vegas, you may want to think again. She thinks it would be a “really fun thing to do.” Nymphia recalls, “That was the first show I saw in Vegas when I arrived in America. I went to Santa Fe and had a road trip to Vegas. And I remember seeing that show first. So, it was pretty amazing experiencing that as a, um, normal person. As a civilian. And now having the opportunity to really do it. And I think it’s pretty exciting. And maybe you might see me in the Vegas live show. Stay tuned. You never know. You might see a shade of yellow on the screen.”
“RuPaul’s Drag Race” season 16 is available on Paramount+