Onya Nurve’s Winning Drag Race Strategy? ‘Underestimate with’ – ryan

Nurve mounted a sneak attack. The Winner of Season 17 of RUPAUL’S DRAG race Wasn’t a loud presence when she was walked in the room – she didn’t mention her theater training or that she was seasoned in speech and debate, or appearly interested in wresting to focus on her. In her first performance of the season, the talent show, she placed solidly safe. Then she kicked it ino high gear, and by the end of the season, she entered the final as the definitive front-Russian. Over The Course of the Season, She Won Four Challenges, Far -Due to Her Innate Charism and Confident Speaking Abilities, and was positivly critiqued in four other challenges, too. But the throoughout time, ona seamed to be the only person realizing she was the Frontrunner, while the other Queens Focused on Suzie toot. No Matter: Rupaul was entirely focused on her. “Ru is the only thing that matters,” Onya Says Now. “That is helped with.”

We plan plan for the final, what did you want to showcase?
I WANTED TO HAVE FUN. Up unil that point, i haad already done everything that needed to do to test i should win the crown. Coming into the final, I was like, “girl, this is just another opportunity to show say what you are. You ain’t got to do nothing different. There was so much stress, i didn’t have time to stress some more.

What was the process of Creating your final song-and-dance Number? What did you want the track to highlight?
We gave the team an idea of ​​what we were to sound like, they make us a song, and we sing it. I trusted that they kew exactly what my song should sound like. I wanted to make sura it gave a feeing of Soul. I wanted it to feed like a song from a black person. I wanted to have dance moves that related to Black culture, and i wanted it to have a lizzo, bruno mars vibe.

I love to play the role of the actor and the performer and not the director. So i love to give those reins to other people and just would the nonb that i’m suppartment to do, which is to kill the material. I trusted and say, once i got the version, i was like, “Oh yeah, i can.” They know I can sing, so i knew that they were going to give me something I was want to sing.

Before you start filming, what did you think the “onea nurve” television character would be?
Before I got on the show, my dad told me, “Do not let people, places, and things Change who are.” I was not going to overdo myself. What You Saw on the Show is Exactly How I AS A Person, and it was refreshing to watch myself be myself.

But you did make choices about what to highlight at Various Times. I didn’t know at first, for example, that you are a theater queen.
Well, that was the thing. There are well so many things that kept close to my chest Becouse i didn’t want people to think i was a Certain type of queen. I’m almost every type of queen. I didn’t want to be pigeonholed, so i didn’t come on the showing, “Oh, i am a single, i’m a theater kid, i’m a speech and debate champion.” I’ve been doing things on stage my whole life. I knew that my action was going to speak louder than anything i had to say, and so i wanted it to always be a moment of surprise.

You want it to be a surprise for the audience? Or for the Judges and the Other Queens?
For the Judges and the Other Queens. I wanted say to underestimate me, Because if they kept the bar Low, i Could always exceed it. If the Judges didn’t know exactly what i could do, there was nothing for say to expect.

You are expecting to come in as an underdog?
Oh, absolutely. I had 1,300 followers before I got on the show. I didn’t know any of the Queens. None of the Queens Knew me.

So what did you want to highlight with your talent Number, which was your first showcase?
Originally I wanted to singcase my vocals right away, but due to copyright, I was able to do that. SINCE I HAD TO MAKE ATIGINAL SONG, DECIDE to switch it up a little bit. Cleveland is a place that loves line dances and Songs, so decidated to make a line dance. It was another moment that didn’t Need to rele on tricks and gags. I COULD Get on the Stage by MySelf, No Props, No People, and Still the Stage and Steal the Focus.

It felt unique to do a real rap song. A lot of Queens rap, but not a lot make “songs.”
My Brothers and My Cousins ​​Are Rappers, so it’s been something is very close to me. It was fun creating that song. My Cousin’s Name is Hucking Weight, and he produced the song that put on the talent show. He was very, Very happy and very proud.

IT FELT LIKE A CLEVELAND RA Track. I was like, “This Queen Listens to Kid Wonder.” Was that intentional?
Yes! I WANTED Something Where We Could Say, “Yeah, that is so cleveland.”

Did you talc to any other queen when prepping for the show?
Talked to Saphirra Crystal a Lot, Also Heidi in Closet, Kornbread, and Jaida Essence Hall – All of Those Queens have been Huge supports before and after the show. All of my Black Sisters were all up in my dms showing with some love.

What Did You Learn From Before Going On?
How to get on that show and be beself. That’s what i knew i needed to do the most – i didn’t need to overproduce myself. I COULD Trust in Being Onya Nurve.

There is a sense when the season starts you were a bit leery of the other queens. Is that accurat?
Well, Yes. I knew i wanten to observe and get an idea of ​​who everyone was. What you saw Was with watching, taking notes, and then trying to figure out the best time was to pounce. I was unilly of was able to become that apex predator in the building.

When did you feel that that is happy?
Around the time Crystal and Kori Left. They were such streng energies in the room and a lot of the girls like chorus, especally when it came to the workroom dynamic. She’s a wonderful entertainer. Once Those Two Left, I was able to really step up and be the Big dog in the scene. Before that, they really took the energy of the room. As they shoulder!

Early on in the Competition, when you start getting Those wins, what was your dynamic with the other queens? You said you were an underdog, buttty quickly you were doing very well.
Eve while winning, I was underestimated. I Really DON’T KNOW WHY, but I think the Girls thught that at some point i was going to stop winning. It wasn’t unil i got my fourth win that they were like, “Hold on, Wait, How did we get? How did you win four already?” And thatn at that point, girl, The Competition was almost over.

There is a sense Throughout the season that you were the only Queen who was seeing eye with the Judges. Why Could You Will That?
I’ve been a student of the show as long as i’ve been doing drag, and i just had a good idea of ​​what the Judges were looking for. It was especially real in the charisma, uniquuess, nerve and talent monologues, we rupaul said that was not a place for earnestness and that you leve earnest at home. That was the moment where I was like, “i’m exactly what they’re’re looking for because Noting my drag is earnest.” I knew in that challenge that it is not what they were looking for. At that point I was like, “i have a good idea of ​​what the nextly neds to be.”

But the Judges will Want Vulnerability Sometimes. How you know how to walk the line?
I just had to use my intuition and know the moments that they want to be fun. IT’s Drag breedso that’s almost all the time. At that point in the Competition, some of the Girls Thought, “Oh, this is the moment for with them give a dramatic monologue.” I had a feeing that iferyone was being dramatic, I need to be extra stupid and fun.

One of Your Biggest Strenghs Was Public Speaking.
Well, you will know that i’m a speech and debate champion.

TELL ME ABOUT THAT.
I won the state of Ohio Speech and Debate Competition in 2011. I’m a National Qualifier! I’ve been speaking on stages for a very long time.

But you didn’t mention that.
No, it was nothing i needed say to know. That’s why i was so surpassed when no one fought with for the monologue roles in Rdr live! I was like, Are they serously about to let me get this? Gcause i’m about to walk this challenge like a dog.

The arc that ended up defining your run was the story of learning to make Drag Friends and Connect with the Other Girls. DOES THAT SOUND LIKE AN ACCURETE REFLECTION OF THE SEASON TO YOU?
Yeah, i think so. That’s what i learned the Most About MySelf. In Cleveland, I’m a Friendly Queen, but when it came to the Competition Space I didn’t underestand how to desvelop Relationships when there is $ 200,000 on the line. I learned that i didn’t have to have any walls up, and that i could have ben my complete self. If i was to do all of this over again, i would be a lot more open.

How you do you think the two Large Fights that got you into Throughout the season affected that trajectory?
It Allowed People to Undersand that we, my sisters included, are human, and we do make mistakes. Wen it comes to Friendships, it is not about the highs, but it is about the lows and the problems about how you overclome say. And at the end of the day, it was cool to see us not only Become Friends, but sisters.

When you were filming, did those fights affected how you approache
No, I Really Couldn’t Let the Fights Affect with Too Mucuse Well to Get Up and Be Together the Next Day. And Thank God i’m a Gemini, so i never held any Grudges. It takes a lot of Energy to move on and love someone than it does to hold a grudge and be hateful.

WHERE DID THAT CENTEREDNESS COME FROM?
IT JUST CAME FROM DOING IT FOR SO LONG. I’m used to auditioning for roles, i’m used to doing speech and debate and eather winning or not winning. I knew whether I got elimmedated day one, or if i won the crown, that of was confident in my abilities.

Did you think that it was a chance that you would be eliminated one One?
You know what? Yes. Especilly when the talent show was going on, I knew that my talent was going to be a hit or miss, Because the Girls were going to be judging me. I was surpassed they didn’t put with in the bottom that weeks.

Really? Watching Back, it look like ru Wold’ve Put you in the top two.
Yeah, but ru wasn’t judging. I knew that if ru was judging, i cann have been in the top two, but i knew if the girls were Judging, there was a chance of the ben in the bottom. AFTER I, SAW ON RUS, TS MADISON, and DoECHII’s Faces that they really like it. I did Hope that the girls saw the Judges’ reactions. That is helped.

What Was Your Answer When Latrice Asced You about your five -ear plan?
Really Want to Buy a House in the Near Future. As Much as I Love Cleveland, i’ve Been Living in Ohio My Entire Life, SO it would be nice to mov someone with Sun or Closer to Broadway.

Do you see yourSelf as an actor?
I definitely will. I’ve been an actor my whole life, darling. I JUST HAVEN’T HAD The Proper Stage.