Shangela

Chantaize Darius Jeremy Pierce, known as Shangela Laquifa Wadley, was born on November 22, 1981, in Lamar County, Texas. Growing up in Paris, Texas, as the only child of Debra Sue Pierce, a U.S. Army worker, Pierce was raised primarily by his single mother and her Southern Baptist family. Early exposure to creative projects in high school, where he was a cheerleader and began experimenting with drag for English classes, laid the groundwork for his future career. His drag persona, Shangela, first emerged in January 2009 after he stepped in for a performer at a charity event in Los Angeles. This initial performance led to regular bookings and, in 2010, Shangela was crowned in the first California Entertainer of the Year pageant, demonstrating early recognition of his talent and stage presence.

Shangela gained widespread recognition through her appearances on RuPaul’s Drag Race. She was initially eliminated in the first episode of season two but returned for season three, where she placed sixth. Her return for the third season of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, where she finished in joint-third/fourth place, solidified her status as a fan favorite and a prominent figure in the drag community. Post-Drag Race, Shangela expanded her acting career, appearing in television series such as ‘Community’ (2011), ‘2 Broke Girls’ (2012), ‘Glee’ (2012), ‘Bones’ (2014), ‘The X-Files’ (2016), and ‘Broad City’ (2019). Key film roles include ‘A Star Is Born’ (2018), where she played a drag bar emcee alongside Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, and ‘Hurricane Bianca’ (2016) and its sequel ‘Hurricane Bianca: From Russia with Hate’ (2018). Representing ‘A Star Is Born’ at the 91st Academy Awards in 2019, Shangela made history as the first drag queen to walk the Oscars red carpet in drag.

Further career milestones include co-hosting the HBO reality series ‘We’re Here’ from 2020 to 2022, which received critical acclaim for its transformative impact on small towns. In this series, Shangela, alongside Bob the Drag Queen and Eureka O’Hara, traveled across the U.S. to help local residents participate in drag shows. In 2022, Shangela competed on ‘Dancing with the Stars’ (season 31), partnered with Gleb Savchenko, reaching fourth place and making history as the first drag artist on the show. She also launched “Say What Entertainment,” a talent and management agency, in 2014, and has been involved in AIDS awareness and activism, partnering with Gilead Sciences and Actors Fund of America for initiatives like “Feed the Queens” in 2020. Her musical endeavors include singles like “Call Me Laquifa” (2011) and “Werqin’ Girl” (2012), and a guest appearance on Ariana Grande’s 2019 album ‘Thank U, Next’.