Willow Pill Explained

Willow Pill
Birth Date:1995 1, mf=yes
Birth Place:Denver, Colorado, U.S.
Other Names:Willow Patterson
Occupation:Drag queen
Television:RuPaul's Drag Race
Predecessor:Symone
Successor:Sasha Colby
Education:Colorado State University

Willow Patterson (born January 22, 1995), known by the stage name Willow Pill, is an American drag performer. She is best known as the winner of season 14 of RuPaul's Drag Race in 2022.

Early life

Patterson was raised in Denver, Colorado and attended Arapahoe High School in Littleton Public Schools. Patterson later attended Colorado State University.[1]

Career

In an interview with KGNU in 2016, Willow Pill explained her drag persona was "a mix of 41 and 14... I'm kind of obsessed with little stoner girls as well as older women, like moms, that can't catch a break."[2] Her first performance was at a Colorado State University drag show, where she wore "a pink '90s housewife tracksuit, complete with glasses and a pearl necklace." She performed a comedy routine and danced to a mix of Missy Elliott and Gwen Stefani songs.[3]

In 2022, Willow Pill gained wider prominence as a contestant on season 14 of RuPaul's Drag Race, where she won the main challenge on the third episode, earning a cash prize of $5,000. Her Snatch Game performance as Drew Barrymore placed her in the bottom seven,[4] and she participated in the lip-sync tournament on episode eight.[5] She won the first round against Bosco. She placed in the bottom a second time during episode 14, and was required to "lip sync for her life" against Angeria Paris VanMicheals. Following their performance of "Telephone" by Lady Gaga ft. Beyoncé, neither was eliminated, resulting in five contestants advancing to the finale, a first for the series.

On the April 22, 2022, season finale, Willow Pill performed "I Hate People"[6] and defeated Lady Camden in a lip-sync battle to Cher's version of ABBA's "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" and was declared the season's winner, earning a cash prize of $150,000, the highest amount awarded to date in a regular season so far.[7] After being crowned the winner of season 14, Willow Pill became the second openly transgender person to win a regular season of RuPaul's Drag Race in the United States,[8] [9] and the sixth openly transgender contestant to win a season of the Drag Race franchise at the time of their crowning.

Personal life

Patterson has had cystinosis her whole life and identifies as trans femme, as one of the five transgender contestants of Season 14.[10] She came out via social media: "It's taken me a long time to come to terms with my transness because so much space has been taken up by my illness," Patterson wrote in one of her posts. She uses they/she pronouns.[11]

Filmography

Television

YearTitleRolePlace
2022RuPaul's Drag Race (season 14)ContestantWinner[12]
2023RuPaul's Drag Race (season 15)HerselfGuest[13]

Web series

YearTitleRoleNotes
2021Meet the QueensHerselfStand-alone special
RuPaul's Drag Race Season 14
2022Whatcha Packin'Guest
The Awardist
The Pit Stop
Folx Presents
Meet the QueensHost
RuPaul's Drag Race Season 15
2023Sloppy SecondsGuest
Give It To Me Straight
Fashion Photo RuView

Music videos

YearTitleArtist
2021"Sick Bitch"Yvie Oddly feat. Willow Pill[14]
2022"Taste So Good (The Cann Song)"Vincint, Hayley Kiyoko, MNEK and Kesha (Weedmaps x Cann)[15]
"Angle"Willow Pill feat. Kornbread Jeté[16]

Awards and nominations

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YearAward-giving bodyCategoryWorkResultsRef.
2022MTV Movie & TV AwardsBest Reality StarRuPaul's Drag Race[17]
Critics' Choice Real TV AwardsBest Ensemble Cast in an Unscripted Series
(Shared with the Season 14 cast)		[18]
People's Choice AwardsThe Competition Contestant of 2022[19] [20]
2023Queerty AwardsCloset Door Bustdown
(Shared with Bosco, Jasmine Kennedie and Kornbread Jeté)		[21]
Drag RoyaltyHerself[22]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Alvarez . Alayna . 2022-04-22 . Denver drag queen Willow Pill competes to win "RuPaul's Drag Race" . 2022-04-23 . Axios . en . 2022-04-23 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220423034810/https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2022/04/22/denver-drag-queen-willow-pill-competes-rupaul-drag-race . live.
  2. News: Outsources: A New Voice in Drag – Conversation with Will Patterson . April 24, 2022 . KGNU . November 21, 2016 . January 23, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220123230503/https://news.kgnu.org/2016/11/outsources-a-new-voice-in-drag-conversation-with-will-patterson/ . live .
  3. News: Pinherio . Brooklyn . Becoming a Drag Queen: behind the garters and glitter . April 24, 2022 . The Plaid Zebra . July 11, 2017 . January 30, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220130103754/https://theplaidzebra.com/becoming-a-drag-queen-behind-the-garters-and-glitter/ . live .
  4. Web site: RuPaul's Drag Race, Season 7, Episode 7: 'Snatch Game!'. Joe. Ehrman-Dupre. Joe. Ehrman-Dupre. April 15, 2015. April 15, 2022. February 25, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210225071852/https://www.indiewire.com/2015/04/rupauls-drag-race-season-7-episode-7-snatch-game-215480/. live.
  5. Web site: It's March Madness on RuPaul's Drag Race with a LaLaPaRuZa lip sync tournament.. The A.V. Club. 19 March 2022 . 2022-04-15. 2022-03-31. https://web.archive.org/web/20220331232740/https://www.avclub.com/rupauls-drag-race-review-lalaparuza-1848675614. live.
  6. Nolfi . Joey . April 23, 2022 . 'Drag Race' winner Willow Pill plans to 'get more disgusting and dirty' — and fun . 2022-05-29 . . en . 2022-05-29 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220529031856/https://ew.com/tv/rupauls-drag-race-season-14-winner-willow-pill-interview/ . live .
  7. Web site: Rosario . Alexandra Del. 2022-04-23 . 'RuPaul's Drag Race': [SPOILER] Crowned Season 14 Winner In Milestone Finale For Franchise ]. 2022-04-23 . Deadline . en-US . 2022-04-23 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220423030704/https://deadline.com/2022/04/rupauls-drag-race-winner-willow-pill-season-14-1235007749/ . live .
  8. Web site: How Many Trans 'Drag Race' Winners Have There Been? . Chris. Malone . May 6, 2022. May 25, 2022. May 24, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220524192336/https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/trans-drag-race-winners-been.html/. live . Showbiz Cheatsheet.
  9. https://twitter.com/JinkxMonsoon/status/441008303779217408
  10. Web site: Dave . Quinn . April 22, 2022 . RuPaul's Drag Race Star Willow Pill Details Life with Cystinosis: 'Nothing Is Unaffected By It' . 2022-04-23 . PEOPLE.com . en . 2022-04-22 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220422181428/https://people.com/health/rupauls-drag-race-star-willow-pill-cystinosis-battle/ . live .
  11. Daw . Stephen . 2022-03-04 . 'RuPaul's Drag Race' Star Willow Pill Comes Out as Trans Femme: 'I'm Starting to Feel Bits of Happiness' . 2022-04-27 . Billboard . 2022-04-27 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220427062618/https://www.billboard.com/culture/pride/rupauls-drag-race-willow-pill-trans-femme-1235039612/ . live .
  12. Web site: Christopher. Rudolph. "RuPaul's Drag Race" Season 14 Queens to Be RuVealed in VH1 Special. live. 2021-11-23. NewNowNext.com. 2021-11-23. https://web.archive.org/web/20211123233615/http://www.newnownext.com/drag-race-season-14-queen-ruveal-vh1-bitch-who-stole-christmas/11/2021/.
  13. Web site: Ramos. Dino-Ray. RECAP: 'RuPaul's Drag Race' Season 15 Episode 16: The Grand Finale. live. 2023-04-18. www.glaad.org. 2021-11-23. https://web.archive.org/web/20211123233615/https://www.glaad.org/blog/recap-rupauls-drag-race-season-15-episode-16-grand-finale.
  14. Web site: Yvie Oddly - Sick Bitch (ft. Willow Pill) [Official Video]]. June 7, 2022. Youtube.com. en-GB. June 7, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220607233614/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJTmwcT8M6A. live.
  15. Web site: "Taste So Good" (The Cann Song) - Official Music Video Weedmaps x Cann. May 31, 2022. Youtube.com. en-GB. June 1, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220601011356/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViNALW35WkE. live.
  16. Web site: Willow Pill - Angle (feat. Kornbread) Official Music Video. June 8, 2022. Youtube.com. en-GB. June 8, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220608095019/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goMpYAe8e60. live.
  17. News: HERE ARE YOUR 2022 MTV MOVIE & TV AWARDS NOMINATIONS: SEE THE FULL LIST. MTV News. May 11, 2022. May 12, 2022. May 11, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220511215519/http://www.mtv.com/news/3186494/movie-tv-awards-nominations-2022/. dead.
  18. News: 'RuPaul's Drag Race' & 'Top Chef' Lead Critics Choice Real TV Awards. Erik Pedersen. Deadline.com. June 12, 2022. June 14, 2022. June 13, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220613080411/https://deadline.com/2022/06/critics-choice-real-tv-awards-winners-rupauls-drag-race-top-chef-2022-1235043990/. live.
  19. Web site: Bad Bunny, 'Nope', Harry Styles and Lizzo Lead People's Choice Awards Nominations: Complete List. Schwartz. Missy. October 26, 2022. TheWrap. https://web.archive.org/web/20221027025613/https://www.thewrap.com/peoples-choice-awards-2022-nominations-list/. October 27, 2022. live. October 26, 2022.
  20. Web site: Malec . Brett . December 7, 2022 . People's Choice Awards 2022 Winners: The Complete List . December 7, 2022 . E! Online . January 11, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230111160430/https://www.eonline.com/news/1357016/peoples-choice-awards-2022-winners-the-complete-list . live .
  21. Web site: Closet Door Bustdown Nominees . The Queerties . 25 January 2023 . 25 January 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230125185142/https://www.queerty.com/queerties/vote?category_id=2302 . live .
  22. Web site: Drag Royalty Nominees . The Queerties . 25 January 2023 . 25 January 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230125170114/https://www.queerty.com/queerties/vote?category_id=2303 . live .

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