You know you’ve made it in the realm of daytime talk when your last name becomes irrelevant.
“I grew up watching Johnny Carson, and Merv Griffin, Dinah Shore, Mike Douglas….
The major difference here is that my point of view is broader, with less margins.
Nicole Wilder/Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution
And I have emerged as the queen of motherfing drag!
The voice of our talk show has that same, broad aesthetic!”
Read on for EW’s full Q&A preview of the show’s first 15 episodes.
Nicole Wilder/Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution
Why is 2019 the right time for you to revisit this territory?
RUPAUL: I’ve always wanted to go back to it.
In fact, I feel like I never left it.
Nicole Wilder/Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution
We’ve also done a podcast [What’s the Tee?]
for several years now.
As a kid, I used to watch talk shows and I loved them so much.
Johnny Carson, and Merv Griffin, Dinah Shore, Mike Douglas…
I feel like this is a job I’ve been rehearsing for the past 50 years.
How does this new show embody the person you’ve become over the years?
It’s changed as I’ve changed.
I always follow my heart when I interview someone and go with the rhythm of the conversation.
The conversation today is different.
We’re at an interesting place in history.
How will this particular show help them do that?
Drag Raceis about the tenacity of the human spirit.
That’s why it connects with people, and that’s what I’m interested in.
The same goes for the talk show.
What are some specific examples of guests or topics you’ll cover that reflect that?
Every interview is about that: All roads led to that same topic.
That’s been a survival technique for outsiders sweet, sensitive souls since the beginning of time.
Judging by the previews, you make quite a few people cry on this show.
Why do you think people open up to you so easily?
I remember thinkingwhy do I feel so out of the loop?
Everybody’s faking it!
Most people are hurting, depressed, or suffering with addiction, a symptom of a much deeper issue.
We get to those deeper issues.
Having said that, we also laugh!
So, yeah, there are tears on our show, but there’s mostly laughter.
We’re shedding light in the dark places of the human experience….
It’s how I’ve been able to manage a career in show business since 1982.
I’ve been doing this for a long time.
Are we going to see you in drag on this talk show?
Bitch, you are thirsty!
You see my black ass in drag every week onDrag Race[Laughs].
We’re just starting out.
I’ll never say no, but, s, haven’t I given you motherfers enough!?
We just want what we love from you!
Why do you think it’s taken this long to happen, and does that intimidate or invigorate you?
I don’t know why it has taken so long.
It’s happening now, maybe.
This is a summer test run, and America will decide whether they want to see this show continue.
It may not be the time.
I’ve had so much fun doing this.
It’s a blast, and I was honestly born to do this show.
Whether it takes off with an audience, that’s a different subject.
In America, there’s an emerging voice that hasn’t had the chance to flex its muscles.
I think that the face of America has changed, especially with so much divisiveness out there.
That’s where our show comes in.
Listen, we’re not trying to reinvent the wheel The wheel is fine as it is.
I grew up watching talk shows.
The major difference here is that my point of view is broader, with less margins.
And I have emerged as the queen of motherfing drag!
The voice of our talk show has that same, broad aesthetic!
I also saw that you’re bringing Michelle Visage back.
Does she have a larger role here like she did onThe RuPaul Show?
Will you bring back the skits you guys used to do?
We’re still shaping our show.
Michelle is a big part of it, and Ross Mathews is a big part of it, too.
I wanted to convey the concept of having a tribe and an open conversation.
It has to do with the community.
There’s so much divisiveness in the world right now, and I wanted a sense of that.
We’re laughing, there are going to be skits, everything!
