Rock M. Sakura, a San Francisco-based drag queen, is about to shake things up in “RuPaul’s Drag Race” season 12. The Vietnamese-Filipino queen is the first San Francisco contestant to compete in the show in seven years.
After Honey Mahogany and Vivienne Pinay appeared and got eliminated at the same time in season five, the show hasn’t casted another queen from the bay area due to “lack of talent.” This is why many called it the “San Francisco curse.”
Heavily influenced by her early exposure to anime and manga, Sakura’s white-painted eyes are inspired by the “sympathetic eyes of anime characters”—not by fellow drag queen Trixie Mattel.
“In anime, the main character usually has colored, vibrant hair,” she says in an interview with Datebook. “I wanted to become the main character in the anime that was my life.”
It’s not a shock to those that already know her that Sakura got in the show. More than just a pretty face, she is known for her comedic antics and high-energy performances.
She also believes that her positivity was what got her into the show, dismissing the idea that she’d be rejected because she came from San Francisco. “I knew that if ‘Drag Race’ had wanted me, they’d find me regardless of where I live,” she said. “If I lived in Alaska in an igloo or in Florida in a gator’s belly, they were going to find me if I sent in an audition tape.”
Preparing for the competition required a lot of money. After being cast in season 12 (despite originally auditioning for the 11th), Sakura spent around $6,000 on her looks.
Sakura is set for her first appearance on the show this week on its second episode. Do you think she has what it takes to win?
Photo courtesy of Rock M. Sakura’s Instagram account
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