Willam Belli is 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.
Season Competed:
Season 4
Ranking:
7th (Disqualified)
Mini-Challenges Won:
3 (ep. 2, 4, 6)
Times as Team Captain:
2 (ep. 2, 4)
Main Challenges Won:
2 (ep. 6, 8)
Times in Bottom Two:
1 (ep. 7)
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 his 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. He 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.
Despite being the first and only contestant to be disqualified from the competition, he has gained widespread notoriety and is widely regarded as one of the most successful contestants in the history of Drag Race. Since his disqualification, Willam has released an album, toured around the world with his music groups DWV and the AAAGirls, received endorsement deals from Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics, American Apparel and Magnum Ice Cream, and has over 840,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel as of May 2017.
Unlike many other queens from the show, Willam performs under his real name. He has stated that this is because he 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
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 she 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 his 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 her 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 her actions and was informed on the morning of her final day that she would be disqualified following the lip-sync.
However, due to a request by Leslie Jones on Twitter, Willam revealed the real reasons why she was disqualified. She was disqualified because she spoke out against various things that were going on the set of Drag Race. [1]
After Drag Race
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 her 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, he 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 her first album; The Wreckoning.
Willam was part of the YouTube channel The Stylish where he hosted a show called Willam's Beatdown where he would 'beatdown' other YouTubers. Since The Stylish shut down he has continued the show on his 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 his 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 videoclip 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'.
Memorable Quotes
"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."
"Her chest looks like a Muppet." (regarding Alisa Summers)
"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."
"You don't eat in drag, duh."
"I tend to think emotions are for ugly people."
"You shut your ugly boat mouth!"
"I'm the prettiest one... Now that Kenya's gone!"
"Nurse! Oh, Nurse!"
"You fucking cross-dressers made me cry."
"Indifference is worse than hate."
"I'm not gonna RuPaulogize for anything that I'm doing now."
"Ooh, a 26. Damn, we got some big girls. I hope none of them have diabetes."
"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're all bottoms."
*vomiting sound*
Trivia
Her mentor is the Los Angeles drag queen named Momma.
Willam was supposed to be in All Stars 1, but was removed at the last minute.
Willam is the first queen to be sent home by RuPaul without lip-syncing. The second is Eureka O'Hara of Season 9
Unlike Willam, Eureka was sent home because of medical reasons.
Adore Delano also went home in All Stars 2 without being in the bottom, but she quit the show instead.
Willam can play the saxophone.
Willam is one of the four queens so far that has never lost a lip-sync (not counting winners).
She now has a podcast with Alaska called Race Chaser
