Long known as a performer who truly sets the standard, Kennedy Davenport’s inclusion on Canada’s Drag Race: Canada vs. The World 2 truly excited longtime RuPaul’s Drag Race fans. After rising to the Top Four, Davenport departed without the crown, but not without showcasing some of the best runway looks Drag Race has ever seen and elevating the game for her competitors. I sat down for a post-game wrap-up of sorts with Davenport to dish about her Canada vs. The World 2 experience, her brand new life changes (Davenport is about to become a parent!), and whether the dolls of the North even compare to the experiences she has backstage in Sin City on RuPaul’s Drag Race Live!
Michael Cook: What has it been like being part of Canada’s Drag Race: Canada vs. The World 2 all the way around?
Kennedy Davenport: It’s been a wild journey. A lot has been going on in my career and personal life since the show has been airing. So it’s always strange watching things back because it feels like so long ago. But I’m very proud of what I presented and how I represented myself. The show just keeps evolving and I’m glad they asked me to participate again.
MC: The bond between some of the United Stated RuPaul’s Drag Race girls seemed to splinter pretty quickly during the first episode. Were you surprised to see your Drag Race sisters fighting in Untucked so quickly?
Kennedy Davenport: To be clear, there was no fighting. Maybe there was a disagreement, and a difference of opinion, but no fighting. But we are ALL sisters, no matter what country we represent. And we know each other enough that we can have disagreements and still be sisters.
MC: You were a bit of a mama bear this season, both letting some queens like Miss Fiercealicious know when they needed to be more professional and then cheering them on very quickly afterward in Untucked. What was it like being a bit of an unofficial mentor for your Canada vs The World sisters?
KD: Honestly, you’re just describing how I usually am in my life. I spend so much time backstage with “the girls.” We get to see each other through all our ups and downs, and we have to acknowledge that we are all just human beings doing our best. We can’t be “on” all the time. But when somebody is not living up to their best, or crosses a boundary, you have to be strong enough to tell them. Hopefully it can come across in a positive way, but not always. It’s just how I was raised. I can cuss you out and then give you a hug right after, because what might seem like anger is passion, and love for you. So it’s all cheering them on, even when I’m fussing at them LOL!
MC: Your runways this season were arguably some of the best ever seen on a Drag Race runway. What were some of your inspirations for some of these runways that were truly one of a kind!?
KD: Well, thank you! I’m so happy you liked them. I had shared on Instagram that I struggled to put everything together because some of my costume items didn’t arrive and had to be redone or replaced. I was really lucky to have everything come together. The categories for the runway were very new and different than what I’ve done before. So I just tried to meet the challenge in a new, fresh way; I guess it worked!!!
MC: What do you think your rose and thorn are of your Canada vs The World 2 experience?
KD: The thorn would definitely be not winning LOL! I’m very happy for Lemon and excited to see what she does with her reign, but obviously we all want the crown and those coins!!! My rose was the respect I got not only from the cast, but from production behind the scenes. They all treated me like a legend, and I really appreciated it so much.
MC: What is more wild backstage; RuPaul’s Drag Race Live! or Untucked on Canada vs. The World 2 and why?
KD: Baby, the way we carry on backstage in Vegas is like nothing else. Because we work together so closely and so much, the girls know each other very well. We love picking at each other and hollering at each other across the dressing room when we are getting ready. And the dancers are even shadier than we are. It’s always the girls (laughs)!
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