The inaugural cast of RuPaul’s Drag Race Global All Stars is stacked with talent from around the world. Direct from Drag Race Belgique, Athena Likis brought her authentic Belgium flavor and stunning talent to the Global All Stars runway. While she departed after the ball challenge, this Belgium bombshell has established strong ties with her Global All Stars sisters. I sat down to chat with Athena about her Global All Stars run, her elimination, and what she is taking away from this once in a lifetime experience.
Michael Cook: What was it like to see your fully assembled cast of RuPaul’s Drag Race Global All Stars and see the true powerhouses that you were going to be competing against?
Athena Likes: It was truly amazing. There are other franchises that were already amazing, but “Global” to be was on another level. Okay, it’s going to be all finalists for sure, it’s going to be the cream of the cream. Of course when I was there it was a bit scary. but I felt that I had my place for sure. I was the one to represent Belgium for sure; I am the ambassador of Belgium!
MC: Did you find that when you were all together, that you had the same kind of passion and love for drag?
AL: Yeah I think we are all here for a reason. If we made it to the finals in our country, its because we are good at it. We love drag and we love art and we are performers and that is why we get along; we all have different backgrounds and different stories but we all have the same purpose
MC: You don’t have a typical drag family yourself, so you are able to truly learn from so many different types of drag performers. Who from your original season of Drag Race Belgique did you take the most lessons from?
AL: Of course Drag Couenne because she is my friend. She is such an amazing artist, her vision is extraordinary and she really pushed Belgium drag and drag in general to another level. Of course Drag Couenne, one hundred percent.
MC: Global All Stars is giving you all an opportunity to see how the drag from your corner of the world stacks up against so many other countries. What is it about drag from Belgium that really stacks up against other countries?
AL : For Drag Race, Belgium drag is political and we try to incorporate that into the look and the performances. Belgium drag is experimental. We don’t have a background in pageants or strict areas with rules; we can do whatever we want. We can create, we can redo, we can express our sensibility and our heart. That is what I like, it’s very punk.
MC: During your runway looks I felt that we truly got a taste of not just Belgium drag as a whole, but we could sense the pride in your country as well!
AL: Thank you! Im really trying to show the world that Belgium drag is excellence and I am really trying to stay true to myself. Everywhere I go, every different type of area and people, I always stay true to myself. As a queer person and a queer artist, I had been hiding myself for so many years. Now, never again. I will stay true to myself and see how it goes.
MC: What do you think the rose and thorn are of your Global All Stars experience?
AL: My favorite part was meeting amazing queer artists, thats for sure. My least favorite part was me landing in the bottom.
MC: Fans were surprised you landed in the bottom as well; do you think it was fair or it was the way it went?
AL: I don’t think it was fair. I don’t think my dress was the best constructed, but when you look at my three looks and the last one that was giving spy energy, others were not. I think I would either be low or safe. I think maybe others though, should have been in the bottom…
MC: Now that you have a global platform, what do you want to do with the platform that you have?
AL: I want to do a solo show maybe, and a tour with it, just to see how it goes. I want to travel around the world, different countries, different artists, different queer stories, different culture and I want to share that with people.
MC: Who do you think you have become the closest with from the Global All Stars cast that you will continue a friendship with?
AL: We have a small group, I think Pythia, Soa (de Muse), Miranda (Lebrão), Eva (Le Queen) , Gala (Varo) and myself, the six of us. We really get along and we really understand each other. We are here to support each other…yeah, those girls are amazing!
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