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Jayson Albano

Filipino-American drag queen Manila Luzon did not think her career would last this long.
She gained international attention in 2011 for finishing as the runner-up on the third season of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Unbeknown to her, the show would become a cultural juggernaut, bringing drag to mainstream attention and spawning over 100 seasons across its spin-offs globally.
“We were the pioneers of the sisterhood. So all of my future sisters got to have an idea of what to expect,” Luzon says.
“I did not know how long the show would go for, but I definitely did not expect that my career would be able to survive, or thrive, for this long.”


Manila Luzon grew up as Karl Westerberg in the US state of Minnesota. Her stage name pays tribute to the Philippine capital and its largest, most populous island.
Fifteen years after first competing on Drag Race, she has come to be revered in the fandom as an “OG”, putting her in the realm of drag royalty.
On her recent Asia tour, Luzon performed two sold-out shows in Hong Kong’s Fa Gai, a bar and entertainment venue that has hosted the likes of Laganja Estranja and Trinity the Tuck, while Jessica Wild is set to perform there in May.
“Before [Drag Race], I didn’t really have many friends who were drag queens,” Luzon says. “It introduced me to a lot of drag queens from around the country. And I’m still friends with so many of them.”

The rise of Asian drag queens
Luzon has competed three times on Drag Race and Drag Race All Stars. While she has never won, she came closest in her first season, losing to the winner, Raja, a queen of Indonesian heritage. It was a notable feat for the season’s final to feature two queens of Asian descent, as Asian contestants have remained a minority in subsequent seasons.
Yet recent years have signalled a shift in visibility for Asian drag queens. During Taiwan Pride in 2024, Luzon was part of a line-up for a show that brought together some of the Drag Race franchise’s most iconic Asian queens, including then-reigning US winner Nymphia Wind, who hails from Taipei.
“Ever since [2018 film] Crazy Rich Asians, I think we’ve proven to the entertainment world that we make money,” Luzon says. “I’m really happy we have enough Asian drag queens being celebrated. The Asian community, especially in the US, is having their moment.”
Riding the wave of Asian celebration in the media, Luzon became the executive producer, head judge and host of Filipino reality competition Drag Den for Amazon Prime Video, which premiered in 2021. She spent an extended period in the Philippines to film the show.
“Seeing drag queens with so much talent and creativity, especially working with very little, it was inspiring,” Luzon says. “They truly embody the fantasy, and the audience was there, living the fantasy with them. And I was really excited to have a platform to give these drag queens, to show off what they have.”
Luzon was named best entertainment host at the Asian Academy Creative Awards for Drag Den in 2025. But her time in the Philippines has also given her more insight into her own upbringing, having been born to a Filipino mother and an American father.
“I grew up in Minnesota, and everything was just told to me,” Luzon says. “Going to the Philippines made me understand my mother’s and my family’s journey. And it really helps make these connections with my heritage.”
She adds: “And to do it in drag was even more special.”












View this post on Instagram























A post shared by Manila Luzon (@manilaluzon)



Pushing boundaries
Among its many powers, drag is used to challenge cultural taboos. One queen Luzon says deserves more attention is Pura Luka Vega, a contestant on the inaugural season of Drag Den, who uses they/them pronouns.
In 2023, the Filipino queen performed as Jesus Christ to a remix of the Lord’s Prayer, which drew immense controversy in the Catholic-majority Philippines. While Pura Luka Vega said it was to challenge the notion of praise and worship, the act was condemned by religious leaders, politicians and LGBTQ activists alike.
“They’re very controversial because they use drag to make some amazing political statements. It gets them in trouble a lot, but they’re pushing culture to be better and more open,” Luzon says. “Drag is a fun way to look at things, especially things that are uncomfortable for people.”
Luzon herself is no stranger to controversy in attempting to push boundaries.
Before competing on Drag Race, contestants are given prompts for outfits they must prepare for the themed runway portion of every episode. One such theme during Luzon’s All Stars season four run was “Curves and Swerves: Padded for the Gods”. Luzon designed a maxi-pad-inspired dress that producers ultimately prohibited her from wearing.
“Just the word ‘pad’ in the prompt – there’s nothing more feminine than a feminine napkin. So, I thought I would glamorise something that a lot of people think negatively about,” Luzon says. “It’s something 50 per cent of the population has to deal with. And I wanted to embody that as a woman. Look at how gorgeous I am, even if I’m on my period.”

‘No fear of being and representing myself’
Today, Luzon continues to represent drag through other television shows. Most recently, she was on a celebrity edition of the Food Network’s Worst Cooks in America, where contestants compete to win money for a charity of their choice.
Contestants start the show not knowing how to cook, but are mentored throughout the season. The kitchen often gets frantic as contestants race to execute their dishes. Luzon was asked to stay in drag.
“Cooking over a hot stove with synthetic hair is quite dangerous. But I’m up for a challenge,” Luzon says. “I had absolutely no fear of being and representing myself in front of a brand new audience, people that might not know of drag or Drag Race.”
Luzon avoided elimination until the very last episode, where she was cut before the final cook-off. But unlike her run on Drag Race, her loss here was not nearly as controversial.
“I learned really quickly on the first day that I didn’t have any idea how to cook,” she said. “But now I’ve learned some amazing skills I use every day. So it was fantastic.”
Looking to the future, Luzon is not discounting a potential appearance on other game shows, like reality competition The Traitors or Survivor, the long-running series best known for stranding people on an island and forcing them to vote each other out, all while living together.
“I’m Filipino, so I probably would thrive on an island,” she jokes.


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American drag queen Manila Luzon performs at Fa Gai in Central, Hong Kong. She reflects on her career, Asian representation in drag, pushing boundaries on television, and giving others a platform through the reality TV show Drag Den. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Manila Luzon performs at Fa Gai in Central. She gained international attention in 2011 for finishing as the runner-up on the third season of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Luzon performs at Fa Gai in Central. Photo: Jonathan Wong

He swore he wouldn’t be a chef. Now he owns a 2-Michelin-starred restaurant in Manila

Chef Josh Boutwood at Salisterra at The Upper House in Hong Kong. Once a reluctant cook, he now helms Manila’s  two-Michelin-starred restaurant Helm. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Helm is the only restaurant in the Philippines to earn two Michelin stars. Photo: Instagram/helmmnl

An image shot by Josh Boutwood. Photography is one of Boutwood’s passions. Photo: Instagram/joshuaboutwood 

The Star Wars-themed menu series at Helm in 2024. Photo: Instagram/chefjoshboutwood

Boutwood was in Hong Kong for a brief residency at the Salisterra in The Upper House on April 17 and 18. Photo: Instagram/upperhouse_hkg 

Helm by Josh Boutwood is announced as the sole two-Michelin-starred restaurant in the Philippines. Photo: Jocelyn Tam

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Drag queen La Chiquitta, real name Rye Bautista, poses in Hong Kong in 2013. Photo: Antony Dickson

Hong Kong-based drag queen La Chiquitta, real name Rye Bautista, poses at Varga Lounge in SoHo, in 2013. Bautista has died at the age of 48. Photo: Antony Dickson

La Chiquitta in costume outside Varga Lounge in SoHo in 2013. Photo: Antony Dickson

La Chiquitta with Crystal director Dino Mahoney (right) and the show’s songwriter Jonathan Douglas during rehearsal at the Black Box Theatre at the University of Hong Kong on November 13, 2016. Photo: Edward Wong

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Entertainment

The RuPaul’s Drag Race ‘OG’ opens up on representing Filipino drag, hosting reality show Drag Den, and appearing on Worst Cooks in America


The RuPaul’s Drag Race ‘OG’ opens up on representing Filipino drag, hosting reality show Drag Den, and appearing on Worst Cooks in America.


World of performing arts

The Philippines

Performing arts in Hong Kong

Reality TV

Drag Race royalty Manila Luzon on Asian representation and providing a platform for others

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The RuPaul’s Drag Race ‘OG’ opens up on representing Filipino drag, hosting reality show Drag Den, and appearing on Worst Cooks in America

The RuPaul’s Drag Race ‘OG’ opens up on representing Filipino drag, hosting reality show Drag Den, and appearing on Worst Cooks in America