How Lady Gaga "fought" for drag queens featured in A Star Is Born
Share
In a recent interview with MailOnline, drag icon Willam revealed that she and other queens featured in the cult 2018 remake of A Star Is Born, were actually cut from the movie after filming their scenes.
Willam played Emerald, a drag queen at Ally Maine’s local bar who asks Jackson Maine, played by Bradley Cooper, to sign her breastplate, before encouraging him to get on stage.
According to Willam, the scenes featuring drag performers were told they were going to be cut from the final edit of the film. That is, Gaga got wind of the news and “fought” to have the queens kept in.
Speaking to Daily Mail about her career, Willam revealed: “[In] A Star Is Born, we all got cast, and then we did the hair and make-up test, and then we got cut.
“I was at Tom Daley’s wedding [to Dustin Lance Black] and between the rehearsal dinner and the ceremony, I get a text saying ‘Terrible, terrible news, all your scenes have been cut’.”
Willam remembered trying to enjoy the day’s festivities despite receiving the crushing news, especially considering she had already told her loved ones about the role.
“A week later, they called and checked my [availability] and they said ‘OK, it’s back in, because Lady Gaga fought for our inclusion of the drag queens in the movie’.
“Thanks, Gaga, we love you,” Willam praised the artist.
The movie was a universal success at the box office, earning over $430 million worldwide. A Star is Born received eight nominations at the Academy Awards – including Best Actress for Gaga – and won Best Original Song for her worldwide chart-topper ‘Shallow’.
Gaga also became the first woman in history to win an Oscar, BAFTA, Globe Globe and Grammy Award in a single year for her acting and soundtrack contributions.
Mother Monster has been a fierce advocate for the LGBTQ+ community since the beginning of her career. From releasing queer anthems like Born This Way to speaking out about urgent issues facing trangender people at the 2025 Grammy Awards, is always puting her allyship on full display.
As for Willam, she has been booked and busy with her other acting endeavors, not to mention co-hosting the popular Race Chaser podcast alongside Alaska.
Drag up your life with a beautifully curated box made by your favorite drag queens! Subscribe to Drag Society today.