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Nicole Paige Brooks
Nicole Paige Brooks at RuPaul's DragCon LA in 2022
Born
Brian Christopher Pryor

1973 or 1974 (age 50–51)[1]
NationalityAmerican
OccupationDrag queen
TelevisionRuPaul's Drag Race (season 2)

Nicole Paige Brooks (born 1973 or 1974), is the stage name of Brian Christopher Pryor,[2] an American drag performer and entertainer who competed on season 2 of the television series RuPaul's Drag Race. Based in Georgia, Nicole Paige Brooks continues to host and perform in drag shows, and participate in Drag Race-related events.

Career

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Pryor is a drag performer who competed as Nicole Paige Brooks on season 2 (2010) of RuPaul's Drag Race. She was the show's first contestant to represent the U.S. state of Georgia. She was the second to be eliminated on the season,[3] placing eleventh overall.[4][5] The main challenge on the second episode required teams to perform burlesque and sell gift certificates, while competing to earn the most cash. Nicole Paige Brooks placed in the bottom two and lost a lip-sync challenge against Raven to the 1992 song "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)" by En Vogue.[6] The author of a chapter on villains in The Makeup of RuPaul's Drag Race: Essays on the Queen of Reality Shows (2014) wrote that Nicole Paige Brooks was "edited to seem daft and out of touch".[7]

Nicole Paige Brooks at RuPaul's DragCon LA, 2024

Nicole Paige Brooks was referenced during the "reading" (or comedy roast) challenges on season 8 (2016) of Drag Race and season 3 (2018) of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, by contestants Kim Chi and BenDeLaCreme, respectively.[8] In 2020, Nicole Paige Brooks participated in RuPaul's Digital DragCon, which replaced RuPaul's DragCon LA because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[9] She was a featured guest at DragCon LA in 2022.[10] In 2023, Marcus Wratten of PinkNews said the lip-sync between her and Raven was season 2's best,[11] and Bernardo Sim of Pride.com wrote: "Season two was a very different time in Drag Race herstory where queens would still walk the runway with more off-the-rack, ready-to-wear looks. Still, fans and other queens love making fun of Nicole Paige Brooks' wardrobe from season two, which has turned into a long-standing joke within the fandom."[12]

Nicole Paige Brooks continues to host and perform in drag shows.[10] These have included The Divas Cabaret at the gay bar LeBuzz in Marietta as well as Cell Block,[13] House of Brooks, Wild Out Wednesday (with Mo'Dest Volgare),[14] and Legends of Drag.[15][16][17] Nicole Paige Brooks participated in a drag show to raise funds for Puerto Rico residents impacted by the destruction of Hurricane Maria in 2017.[18] She has performed in various events affiliated with Atlanta Pride, such as a drag brunch with season 10 winner Aquaria in 2021,[19] the annual Starlight Cabaret,[20] as well as an event called "Fat Slut" with season 11 contestant Silky Nutmeg Ganache in 2022.[21] Nicole Paige Brooks also performed at a Halloween event at the Lawrenceville Arts Center in 2022.[22] She often performs in West Hollywood, California, and has been described as well-connected to other Drag Race contestants.[3]

In 2024, Nicole Paige Brooks was announced as one of eight former Drag Race contestants participating in Painting with Raven, a spin-off of the WOW Presents Plus series Painted with Raven.[23][24]

Personal life

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Pryor has lived in Atlanta and Marietta.[4][15] He is a parent, helping to raise his best friend's son.[25][26] Pryor was arrested on drug possession charges in 2017.[2][27]

Nicole Paige Brooks's "drag mother" is Shawnna Brooks,[28] and her "drag daughter" Phoenix competed on season 3 of Drag Race.[29]

Filmography

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Television

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Web series

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Meet the Fierce Contestants of 'RuPaul's Drag Race' !". People. Dotdash Meredith. January 29, 2010. ISSN 0093-7673. OCLC 794712888. Archived from the original on 29 August 2023. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  2. ^ a b Beresford, Meka (2017-02-18). "Former RuPaul's Drag Race contestant arrested on possession of drugs charges". PinkNews. Archived from the original on 2023-12-18. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
  3. ^ a b Sim, Bernardo (2020-02-15). "RuPaul's Drag Race Season 2 Queens: Where Are They Now?". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on 2023-01-30. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
  4. ^ a b McGill, Abby (2020-02-07). "FEMME brings former RuPaul's Drag Race contestant to the Athens stage". The Red and Black. University of Georgia. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
  5. ^ Stransky, Tanner (2015-03-13). "'RuPaul's Drag Race' premiere recap: Should Mystique Summers Madison have sashayed away instead?". Entertainment Weekly. Dotdash Meredith. ISSN 1049-0434. OCLC 21114137. Archived from the original on 2023-11-12. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
  6. ^ Stransky, Tanner (2015-03-13). "'RuPaul's Drag Race' recap: Talent wins over charisma this week". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 2023-11-12. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
  7. ^ Daems, Jim (2014-10-13). The Makeup of RuPaul's Drag Race: Essays on the Queen of Reality Shows. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-9507-8. Archived from the original on 2023-12-19. Retrieved 2024-03-22.
  8. ^ Shea, Ryan (2020-12-31). "'Drag Race's Most Legendary Reads". Instinct. ISSN 1096-0058. Archived from the original on 2023-06-06. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
  9. ^ Gardner, Chris (2020-04-27). "RuPaul's DragCon Pivots to Digital YouTube Event Following Coronavirus Cancellation". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 2022-06-24. Retrieved 2024-03-22.
  10. ^ a b Sim, Bernardo (2022-08-23). "'RuPaul's Drag Race' Season 2 Queens: Where Are They Now?". Out. ISSN 1062-7928. Archived from the original on 2023-08-20. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
  11. ^ Wratten, Marcus (2023-12-09). "All 15 seasons of RuPaul's Drag Race US ranked from worst to best". PinkNews. Archived from the original on 2023-12-10. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
  12. ^ Bernardo, Sim (2023-11-22). "Willow Pill Says This Is The Perfect All Stars Cast". Pride.com. Here Media. Archived from the original on 2023-11-27. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
  13. ^ "Drag it out all week with Atlanta's hottest drag kings and queens". The Georgia Voice. 2015-08-09. Archived from the original on 2023-12-18. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
  14. ^ Bagby, Dyana (2020-08-27). "Memoirs of the Atlanta Drag Scene". The Georgia Voice. Archived from the original on 2023-12-18. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
  15. ^ a b Szelinski, Cailyn (2022-12-14). "RuPaul's Drag Race Season 2: Where Are They Now?". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on 2023-06-23. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
  16. ^ Nightlife, Jacy Topps (2014-08-01). "LeBuzz's weekly show features legendary queens". The Georgia Voice. Archived from the original on 2023-02-03. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
  17. ^ Edwards, Sarah (2023-04-06). "'Legends of Drag' Comes to Durham". Indy Week. ISSN 0737-8254. Archived from the original on 2023-06-05. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
  18. ^ Aguilar, Azahar (2017-10-06). "Katya, Bob the Drag Queen & More Join Lineup for Puerto Rico Benefit Drag Show". Billboard. Archived from the original on 2022-12-09. Retrieved 2023-12-01.
  19. ^ Burkholder, Katie (2021-10-08). "Pride Weekend Roundup". The Georgia Voice. Archived from the original on 2023-12-18. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
  20. ^ Eldredge, Richard L. (2022-10-07). "Atlanta drag star Phoenix emcees Starlight Cabaret as it returns to Atlanta Pride this weekend". Atlanta. ISSN 0004-6701. OCLC 50679936. Archived from the original on 2023-05-30. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
  21. ^ Burkholder, Katie (2022-10-06). "Atlanta Pride Events at a Glance". The Georgia Voice. Archived from the original on 2023-12-18. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
  22. ^ Garbus, Rachel (2023-10-09). "It's Spooky Season in ATL: Here are October's not-to-miss Halloween events". Atlanta. Archived from the original on 2023-12-18. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
  23. ^ Sharpe, Josh. "PAINTED WITH RAVEN Spin-Off Series Coming This Summer". Broadway World. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
  24. ^ "Painted with Raven is back with a new format". Pride.com. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
  25. ^ Manzella, Sam (2017-08-30). "5 "Drag Race" Stars Who Are Parents". Logo TV. Archived from the original on 2023-04-22. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
  26. ^ Nolfi, Joey (2023-01-26). "'RuPaul's Drag Race' season 2 winner Tyra Sanchez comes out of retirement". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 2023-03-29. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
  27. ^ Crispim, Fabio (2017-02-19). "RuPaul's Drag Race star arrested over drug charges". Attitude. ISSN 1353-1875. Archived from the original on 2023-12-18. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
  28. ^ "Atlanta drag legend Ashley Kruiz remembered for generosity, beauty". The Georgia Voice. 2013-04-04. Archived from the original on 2023-12-18. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
  29. ^ And Don't F&%k It Up: An Oral History of RuPaul's Drag Race (The First Ten Years). Grand Central Publishing. 2023-06-06. ISBN 978-1-5387-1767-7. Archived from the original on 2023-12-18. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
  30. ^ RuPaul's Drag Race Fashion Photo RuView with Raja and Nicole Paige Brooks: Season 4 Episode 5 (Video). World of Wonder. September 2, 2015. Archived from the original on December 18, 2023. Retrieved March 21, 2024 – via YouTube.
  31. ^ Nicole Paige Brooks on Hey Qween! with Jonny McGovern (Video). Hey Qween!. April 29, 2019. Archived from the original on December 18, 2023. Retrieved March 21, 2024 – via YouTube.
  32. ^ Nicole Paige Brooks on Look At Huh - Part 1 (Video). Hey Qween!. May 1, 2019. Archived from the original on January 28, 2024. Retrieved March 21, 2024 – via YouTube.
  33. ^ Nicole Paige Brooks on Look At Huh - Part 2 (Video). Hey Qween!. May 1, 2019. Archived from the original on February 5, 2024. Retrieved March 21, 2024 – via YouTube.
  34. ^ Besties for Cash: Sonique and Nicole Paige Brooks (Video). World of Wonder. January 21, 2020. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024. Retrieved March 21, 2024 – via YouTube.
  35. ^ "Watch the 'Painting with Raven' teaser trailer now (exclusive)". Pride.com. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
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