Pandora Boxx: Miss Popular

    Each man on the Queer Eye team brought his own individual expertise to the mix. What does Pandora bring to the table on Drag U?
I brought the ability to laugh at yourself and to laugh in general because I find the humor in everything. I also feel fabulous in drag and out of drag, but that self-confidence is something I was lacking, so I really understood where these ladies were coming from. I’ve definitely been there.

What was it like to be back with Ru and some of the other girls without element of competition?

I was friends will all of the girls from Drag Race season 2 that were on Drag U, but there was an even bigger bond because there wasn’t that competition element. I felt like we could be more ourselves on this show. It was also great to connect with the season 1 girls, people I had really liked and admired. And it was even better to work with Ru this time because he could actually hang out and talk to us backstage. We were kind of ostracized from the world on Drag Race.

Did you, Jujubee, Raven, and Morgan McMichaels also bond over the shared bitterness that none of you had won?

[Laughs] We were kind of over it by that point because we were on this new show, and I don’t think you can get any better than that. We shot Drag U while Drag Race was airing, so my elimination actually played while I was taping the new show. I would get asked in interviews how I felt about being kicked off, but I couldn’t say, “Well, I’m already on a new show, so I don’t care.”

Considering your very controversial elimination from Drag Race, did you have any hesitations about joining another Logo show with RuPaul?
Yes, I did, because I wanted to know how much drama they were going to try to get out of it. But I found out from the producers that it was really more about helping these women, so that’s what made me want to jump on board. I also knew that I couldn’t be eliminated again, so I was like, “OK, I’m in!”

Aside from winning Miss Congeniality on season 2, you have the distinction of being, at 37, the oldest drag queen on the competition so far. Do you hope an older queen steals that crown in season 3, or do you wear it with pride?

Ugh. No, I don’t wear it with pride, to be honest. I don’t know if anyone wants to be the oldest person in the room and have it pointed out. But everybody gets older, so you just have to accept it and move on. And I certainly didn’t feel like the oldest one there — well, no, there were a couple times that I did because of some of their shenanigans. Sometimes I wanted to be like, “You guys know you’re on TV, right?” In that respect, I was glad I’d been around and had more experience, because I was very aware of how I was being portrayed.