Maddy reflects on her participation in the show.
Looking back on RuPaul’s Drag Race season 14, fans agree that it broke the mold by casting Maddy Morphosis. Maddy is the franchise’s first-ever cisgender straight male queen.
Hailing from Fayetteville, Arkansas, Maddy is no stranger to face, fashion, and shade. That said, she didn’t expect people to react the way they did to her casting.
“I had been doing drag for about four years by the time I joined the show. Some people said, ‘Oh, this is amazing! You’re exactly what we needed.’ Other people were like, ‘I wish you didn’t exist! You should leave and never come back!’ I’ve always felt welcome in the scene, so I didn’t think my casting would be that polarizing,” Maddy told the press.
Challenges
On the show, Maddy started out strong. Unfortunately, she couldn’t sustain her momentum. She went home after botching her second sewing challenge.
“I made a fun outfit–something I would throw together to do a dumb number in. But I’ve never been a high-fashion person. So making something Project Runway-worthy was a little too daunting for me. I need a little more work behind the sewing machine,” Maddy admitted.
READ RuPaul’s Drag Race Welcomes Its First-Ever Straight Male Drag Queen
If she could go back and change one thing about her time on the show, Maddy said she would have let loose a little more.
“It’s one thing to act stupid at your home bar in front of 40 people, but another to do it on national television. I spent a lot of time wondering how people would perceive me. I was too in my head and hyper-aware of everything I did and said.”
Maddy Morphosis and her inner circle
Maddy’s family and friends remain supportive. “My grandmother always asks me when I’m going to perform and if I can do her makeup. It’s sweet. I don’t remember if I told her, but she found out about Drag Race before it aired.”
For those who don’t believe she’s straight, she said drag doesn’t take away from her masculinity. After all, drag is an art form. Anyone can do drag, but you need to know its history first. Finally, if you’re prejudiced in any way, you shouldn’t be doing drag.
She and her girlfriend are still very much in love. But the latter is having some trouble adjusting to Maddy’s newfound fame. “I used to do local shows where no one cared. Now everybody’s watching me and weighing in on what I do. It’s very overwhelming, especially for someone on the periphery of it all.”
Not that Maddy herself is immune to feeling that way. “It still feels weird. When I watch the show back, it’s surreal that I was there experiencing it all. Like, I know it’s me, but it doesn’t feel like me. It’s like someone cloned me and put him there.”
Wanderlust
These days, Maddy is looking forward to the future. She’s very eager to travel. “My worldview has been very homogenized since I’m from Arkansas. I’ve never left my little corner of the world. I haven’t had a chance to see more of the world. I want to check out different drag scenes and meet different people.”
We hope to see Maddy Morphosis again soon. Maybe on RuPaul’s Drag Race All-Stars? Anything’s possible, henny!
Featured Image Daniella Sison
