- Season 12 of the "RuPaul's Drag Race" drag queens competition begins this Friday on the American channel VH1.
- Nicky Doll, 28, is the show's first French candidate.
- Nicky Doll describes himself as "a high fashion but also very lively bondage doll"
“Nicky Doll is a bondage doll somewhere between the Shibuya district in Tokyo and the red light district in Amsterdam. She is haute couture but also very lively ”This is how Karl Sanchez, 28, describes his stage character, who was born a decade ago. Nicky Doll is in the cast of season 12 of RuPaul's Drag Race launched this Friday evening on the American channel VH1. She is also the first French candidate of this drag-queens competition. Presentations.
When did you start dragging?
In 2009. I needed to find a way to embrace my femininity. When I relocated to Paris after having lived in Morocco for seven years [Karl Sanchez was born in Marseille and also lived in Saint-Martin], I went to my first Pride March and a lot of people were dressed sexy or so to attract attention. I just decided to “transform” myself into a woman because I needed to feel a new form of pride. I was harassed and bullied a lot when I was younger because people thought I was too effeminate. So it was like giving them a finger of honor, telling them, not only am I effeminate but I am also a drag queen. It was a way to give me strength, power, and I saw that it was fun. So I decided to continue after this Walk, to work on performances. I moved to the United States four and a half years ago because I was a big fish in a small pond and I needed new challenges, to try new things.
How does it feel to compete in "RuPaul's Drag Race"?
It's a great way to challenge myself and assess my level. But it is also an opportunity to focus on the drag community in France. By being the first French drag to compete in RPDR, you receive a lot of attention and you try to show what is done differently in Europe compared to the United States.
That is to say ?
The French drag scene is very different from the American one. We are more like queens looks , which make visual performances. The drag culture is gradually arriving in France. When I started to drag, I wanted to be glamorous, I was in the galore drag in the nightclubs. It was a question of designing looks very quickly because each evening had a scene. In the United States, aesthetics are also important, of course, but in New York, for example, there is no obligation to change outfits for each performance. You can only wear one and do an hour and a half show. RuPaul's Drag Race is huge in France [the first eleven seasons are available on Netflix], the industry changes and gives opportunities for French queens to perform in the same way as in the United States, in bars.
Being French, in "RuPaul's Drag Race", is it an asset?
It was a blessing and a burden. Being French and my aesthetic were assets, I would say. But doing all the competition in a language other than French was not always easy. Your sense of humor, your mentality, your way of thinking is different. If I can speak English without too much emphasis, my brain thinks in French. It was sometimes complicated. Drag and humor are a matter of spontaneity. When it comes to translating your sense of humor you are 90% less spontaneous than if you did it in your language.
What was the hardest part for you in the competition?
I would say that, even if I like to compete against myself, being in competition against other very talented queens that I respect a lot, it is very complicated. But in the end, there should only be one winner, so ...
Which of the previous RuPaul's Drag Race winners is your favorite?
Bianca del Rio, because she is one of the rare winners whose victory is indisputable. From the start of her season, we knew that no one was able to beat her.
Bianca del Rio made a date of her show in Paris last year. When will the French public be able to applaud you?
There are projects that I cannot yet talk about because it is not confirmed. But I should be around very soon. I will keep you informed on social networks.
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20 seconds of context
The interview took place by telephone and had to be carried out in English at the request of production. The majority of the responses were transcribed in the feminine because it is a question of Nicky Doll. The answer to the first question has been transcribed in masculine form because it is the story of Karl Sanchez's experience and lived experience.
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- LGBT
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- RuPaul's Drag Race