RuPaul will kick off 2020 with a starring role in “AJ and the Queen,” a new road trip dramedy about chosen family.
Netflix unveiled the first trailer for the new series on Tuesday, in which viewers are introduced to Robert Lee (played by RuPaul), who performs as a drag queen named Ruby Red and dreams of one day opening his own nightclub.
After being swindled out of his life savings, Robert hits the road on a cross-country Ruby Red tour and, along the way, joins forces with AJ (Izzy G.), an 11-year-old vagabond.
“AJ and the Queen” was created by Michael Patrick King, best known for his work on HBO’s “Sex and the City,” and also stars Michael-Leon Wooley and Katerina Tannenbaum. Numerous “RuPaul’s Drag Race” veterans are also slated to appear, including Jinkx Monsoon, Ginger Minj and Bianca Del Rio.
RuPaul is, of course, no novice thespian, with acting credits that include “The Brady Bunch Movie,” “But I’m a Cheerleader” and, most recently, “Grace and Frankie.”
Still, he saw “AJ and the Queen” as a step up. The role, he told Vanity Fair, afforded him the opportunity to portray a fully developed character, rather than relying solely on camp humor.
“This show isn’t about a drag queen in a kids show,” he said. “This is about a kid in a drag queen’s show. It’s edgy, and it has some dark themes in there. It was something I was eager to explore. To prove to myself that I’m not dead inside.”
“I proved to myself that I could pull those emotions up,” he continued. “It’s intoxicating.”
“AJ and the Queen” hits Netflix on Jan. 10. Watch the full trailer below.