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Willam

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Willam Belli is the stage name of Willam Bart Belli,[4] known simply as Willam, a drag queen, actor, and recording artist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania who was a contestant on the Season 4 of RuPaul's Drag Race. She is known for being the first queen in the show to ever be disqualified for breaking the rules.

In 2017, she was a guest judge on the first episode of the second season of The Boulet Brothers' Dragula.

Track Records[]

Statistics: USA Season 4
Ranking: 7th Place
(Disqualified)
Maxi Challenges Won: 2 (Eps. 6, 8)
Mini Challenges Won: 3 (Eps. 2, 4, 6)
Times as Team Captain: 2 (Eps. 2, 4)
Times in Bottom: 1 (Ep. 7)
Episode Eliminated: Episode 8

Biography[]

Unlike many of the queens who have appeared on Drag Race, Willam had very little experience as a club performer prior to the show, as her main career focus had been on television acting. While Willam was best known for playing transsexual "Cherry Peck" on FX's Nip/Tuck, he also played many roles on various crime television shows including Southland, CSI: NY, Cold Case, Criminal Minds, and Boston Public. She also has appeared in numerous feature films including American Wedding, Because I Said So, Tower Heist, and Cinema Verite.

In addition to his acting career, Willam also had a musical background prior to his appearance on Drag Race. Willam was part of the band Tranzkuntinental along with fellow drag queens Rhea Litré, Vicky Vox, Detox, and Kelly Mantle. The band would go on to receive a residency at House of Blues on the Sunset Strip before disbanding; Willam would later go on to form the supergroup DWV along with Vicky and Detox, as well as collaborate with Rhea on "Let's Have A Ki Ki." Willam also made an appearance in Rihanna's music video for her single "S&M" alongside Detox and Morgan McMichaels.

In spite of his disqualification, Willam is widely regarded as one of the most successful alumni in the history of Drag Race. Since Drag Race, she's released an album, toured around the world with she music groups DWV and the AAAGirls, received endorsement deals from Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics, American Apparel and Magnum Ice Cream, and has over 932,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel as of December 2020.

Unlike many other queens from the show, Willam performs under his real name. She has stated that this is because she works in the film and television industry; it is difficult to obtain work if you go by more than one name. Other contestants who do not use a drag name include Alexis Mateo, Chad Michaels, Kelly Mantle, Max, Derrick Barry and Charlie Hides.

Disqualification and Controversy[]

In Frenemies, Willam won the main challenge along with partner Latrice Royale. While Sharon Needles and Phi Phi O'Hara lost the challenge and were still required to lip-sync for their lives, Willam was called back to the stage after the performance and was told that she was in violation of her contract and that she must leave immediately. As a result, both Sharon and Phi Phi remained on the show.

While Willam still appeared on the reunion special, she was absent from the opening performances and did not appear until being interviewed by RuPaul. During the interview, it was confirmed that Willam was removed from the show after he repeatedly met with her spouse in her hotel room. These actions were considered a contract violation as contestants are not allowed to reveal their involvement on the show until the cast is announced. Despite the claims made on the show, it has been reported by multiple sources, including Willam, that the details of her disqualification were fabricated by the producers in an attempt to conceal the truth behind her time on Drag Race. While details differ between accounts, it is known that Willam had been cast in an L.A. theater production called The Jersey Shoresical and would be unable to appear in the musical if he were to continue his time on Drag Race. In an attempt to be fired from the show, Willam began committing a series of rule violations, including smoking weed, entering restricted areas of the film lot, and stealing props. Willam told the producers his actions and was informed on the morning of his final day that he would be disqualified following the lip sync.

When Leslie Jones reacted to the episode on X in 2018, Willam revealed a more detailed account on various things that were going on on the set of Drag Race leading to his disqualification.[5]

Since appearing on Drag Race, Willam has been vocal about not being on good terms with the production team of Drag Race. She has openly declared no interest in going on an All Stars season, and, after her appearance on Drag Me To Dinner, said that she would have to appear on 10 episodes of Drag Race to make the same amount that she did for one episode of DMTD. She clarified that on her season, the contestants were paid $400 per episode and not paid at all for Untucked, adding that the contestants now make $500 per episode.[6]

Legacy[]

Following Drag Race, Willam has continued to work and tour with fellow contestants, including ALandCHUCK.travel's Drag Stars at Sea cruise and RuPaul's Drag Race Battle of the Seasons tour; however, after the first year of Battle of the Seasons, Willam and Carmen Carrera were both asked to refrain from participating in the tour citing behavioral issues. In response, Willam went on his tour dubbed "The Shafterparty," in which he visited all of BOTS' locations immediately after they finished performing at each location. Willam also made a guest appearance on episode one of RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars, and was also featured on RuPaul's Drag U as a professor. In 2012, she was nominated for the NewNowNext Award for Most Addictive Reality Star. She also has launched a music career and released over six singles to date, including "Trouble", "Chow Down", "The Vagina Song", "Let's Have a Kai Kai", "RuPaulogize", and "Boy Is a Bottom". In addition, she's also has appeared as a guest commentator on newnownext.com.

Four of these songs are parodies of well-known songs, with "Boy is a Bottom" being a parody of "Girl is on Fire" by Alicia Keys, "The Vagina Song" being a parody of "Billionaire" by Travie McCoy and Bruno Mars, "Chow Down" a parody of "Hold On" by Wilson Phillips, and "Let's Have a Kai Kai" being a parody of the Scissor Sisters' "Let's Have a Kiki". In November 2012 she released his first album; The Wreckoning.

Willam was part of the YouTube channel The Stylish where she hosted a show called Willam's Beatdown where she would 'beatdown' other YouTubers. The Stylish shut down she has continued the show on her own Youtube Channel.

She also released "Love You Like a Big Schlong", a parody of "Love You Like A Love Song" by Selena Gomez. Several of her fellow queens have appeared with him and sung in her videos, including Detox and Vicky in "Chow Down" and Rhea Litre in "Let's Have a Kai Kai". After DWV's breakup due to conflict within members, she began working with Alaska and Courtney Act as the AAA Girls and released the songs "American Apparel Ad Girls" and "Dear Santa, Bring me a Man". In 2015, she released her debut album, "Shartistry In Motion".

Recently, she starred in the film Hurricane Bianca, along with Bianca Del Rio, Shangela, and Joslyn Fox. She played Bianca's character's friend, Bailey.

She also appears on the video clip of the song "Power" by Little Mix with Alaska and Courtney Act.

She has written a book called 'Suck Less: Where There's a Willam, There's a Way'.

In 2017, along with Alaska, Willam also appeared on The Boulet Brothers' Dragula Season 2 as a guest judge.

Memorable Quotes[]

RuPaul's Drag Race Season 4[]

  • "Your tone seems very pointed right now." (to Phi Phi O'Hara during Untucked in Season 4 episode Frenemies)
  • "Is the carpet comfortable?" (to Milan during Untucked in Glamazons vs. Champions)
  • "I won, you know it's kind of a hobby of mine. Thank you, God, for all this bod."
  • "Oh my God, I want her to play with matches."
  • "Ding ding ding points for everybody." (to Phi Phi O'Hara during their fight in untucked)
  • "Her chest looks like a Muppet." (regarding Alisa Summers)
  • "GO HOME!...GO HOME!"
  • "I'm just trying to get a window seat on the way to hell."
  • "I'm trying to bring attention to one of my favorite causes. Which is me."
  • "I need a nap and some dick."
  • "Goddammit!"
  • "I want guys with big dicks to call me."
  • "Like a butt plug that you pulled out of a unicorn and you've just been whacking me with it. That's how gay I feel just by watching this video. And I'm already in a dress."
  • "I'll just have a good report with my shoes, they're Yves Saint Laurent."
  • "You don't eat in drag, duh."
  • "I tend to think emotions are for ugly people."
  • "Thank you, God, for all this bod."
  • "I've never had like 'girlfriends', I've never really been friends with other drag queens, I've always been an actor, on TV, I was on Boston Public with you [Loretta Devine], and um, I'm getting to know these girls and they're awesome, and it sucks to know that one of them is gonna have to go home so I can win. It's hard. So yeah, that's it, and I'm not acting... swear to god!" (to RuPaul on the mainstage during deliberation)
  • "You shut your ugly boat mouth!"
  • "I'm the prettiest one... Now that Kenya's gone!"
  • "He's got a 100.000$ check" (when Max Mutchnik asked why she doesn't get mad when Ru miscorrects her name)
  • "Nurse! Oh, Nurse!"
  • "Who's credit card?"
  • "I'm a trouble maker and a shit-stirrer."
  • "Plus-sized Jujubee!" (referring to Jiggly Caliente in the wrestling challenge)
  • "You fucking cross-dressers made me cry."
  • "Madame LaQueer wasn't doing much and I was like, girl, Milan just danced circles around you and swiffered the floor with his taint." (referring to Milan and Madame LaQueer's lip-sync)
  • "Ooh, a 26. Damn, we got some big girls. I hope none of them have diabetes."
  • "I'm a big boy dressed in big girl's clothes."
  • "I'm gonna learn Spanish by the time I win."
  • "Bar Queen! Bar Queen!" (during Untucked)
  • "It feels correct to win. When it's right, it's right."
  • "I brought stickers, it's scented. They smell like a sticker."
  • "My boat is the best! My boat is pretty! I won some breasts!"
  • [coughing] "BULLSHIT!" (to Phi Phi O'hara at the reunion)
  • "She should be studied down there, I don't understand it. It's almost sociopathic the way she'll tell people, uhm it was just a character, I was just playing it up and then she'll sign autographs, Fuck Willam, Fuck Sharon. I never retaliated on the show, because I didn't care and indifference is worse than hate, and im not gonna Rupologize for anything im doing now." (about Phi Phi O'hara's behaviour throughout the show, said at the reunion)

Trivia[]

Gallery[]

RuPaul's Drag Race Season 4[]

RuPaul's Drag Race Season 4 Looks[]

The Boulet Brothers' Dragula Season 2[]

The Boulet Brothers' Dragula Season 2 Looks[]

Filmography[]

TV[]

  • RuPaul's Drag Race, on Season 4 as contestant. (2012)

Bibliography[]

Title Release Date Cover
Suck Less: Where There's A Willam, There's A Way October 18th 2016
Suck Less

External Links[]

References[]

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