Courtney Act ruffled a few feathers while soaring to the Top 3 on the sixth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race. The wonder from down under consistently delivered some of the most iconic looks in Drag Race herstory. She also produced stellar performances that never saw her have to lipsync for her life. The blonde bombshell’s blunt Aussie honesty, coupled with that side-eye slurp from a straw, proved to be a brutal combo! Courtney Act now aims to poke fun at her Drag Race reputation with this summer’s sure-fire dance floor craze, “Mean Gays”, releasing Thursday, May 14th.
“Reality TV is as real as I am a woman,” confirms the seasoned television star. Before starring on RuPaul’s Drag Race, Act competed on Australian Idol, the down under version of the Idol franchise. “The character that made up 90% of Courtney on Drag Race is probably less than 10% of who I am in real life. Did I say the things the cameras caught me saying? Absolutely. Was that all I said? Definitely not.”
“Mean Gays”, her brand new anthemic electo-gospel club track, pokes fun at stereotypes, but the song and video were inspired by Act’s own struggles fitting in with the LGBT community.
“I had a difficult time balancing my work and play lives,” she admits. “On the one hand, I loved drag and performing as Courtney. On the other hand, I felt an immense pressure to go to the gym and get the right body so I could fit in with the West Hollywood boys.
“It’s fun to be a part of a clique but when the group starts to influence how you feel about yourself, or how you act towards other people, it is time to reevaluate the situation. It’s important to be in touch with what feels right for you, surround yourself with people who respect the way you choose to live and always be an individual.”
Courtney counts her Drag Race cohorts Bianca Del Rio and Adore Delano as dear friends. Both make cameos in the “Mean Gays” music video. “I wanted the video to be fun and playful,” Act continues. “It’s packed with all the gay video essentials: hot boys in designer underwear, handbags, unicorns, injectable tans and protein shakes. So I certainly couldn’t leave out my girls.”
Produced by Chrome Canyon, “Mean Gays” is Courtney Act’s third dance floor release. It follows “To Russia With Love”, her pop record released earlier this year and “Welcome to Disgraceland”, a song that sparked a frenzy in dance clubs around the world in 2010.
In addition to her work in reality TV, Courtney Act has made television appearances on Good Day LA, Are You There Chelsea? (NBC) and I Will Survive. She has appeared on stage, playing the role of Angel in RENT the musical and as the opening act of Lady Gaga’s Australian club tour. Act was the face of Sheer Cover makeup and was named among the World’s Top 100 Sexiest Women by FHM Magazine.
Later this month, she will be make her debut appearance at the Life Ball in Austria.
“At the end of the day, RuPaul’s Drag Race was just twelve fabulous and tumultuous weeks of my life,” reflects Act. “I have been performing as Courtney for fourteen years and I am sure I will continue for many more years to come. I will let my reputation and body of work speak for itself…unedited.”
“Mean Gays” by Courtney Act is available May 14th on iTunes and all major online retailers. For more information, visit www.courtneyact.com.
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For more information, please contact Len Evans at Project Publicity:
Len.Evans@ProjectPublicity.com; (212) 445-0066
