EDGE Interview: No Escape from Work for Manila Luzon... Even on Vacation

When you're "Drag Race" royalty and work as much as Manila Luzon, it's hard to carve out time for a Fire Island vacation. But if you are the workhorse she is, when you do get away, you film it for a reality program. That's the premise behind "Manila Luzon's Escape to Paradise" now streaming on OUTtv.

In it, our Filipino queen along with her husband Michael Alvarez try to escape the hustle and bustle of the real world to spend time together doing things that couples do on holiday such as playing chess or getting intimate. EDGE talked with Luzon shortly before the show's late June premiere, and even before the cameras started rolling, she was a little irked.

"At the time I was super annoyed," she says. "I thought I was on vacation, and it turned out to be a little bit more work than I was expecting."

It's par for the course when her husband is in charge. But that doesn't mean she isn't capable of planning a vacation herself; she just finds it too stressful and relies on other people to do it for her.

"I let my husband do it this time, but my husband is also a big hustler. He's always working and so it turned in work location really quick." Michael's persistent ballyhoo is a pet peeve Luzon has to live with, "even when we're at the dinner table he's, you know, sending an email."

She does credit her hubby's incessant hustling to keeping her motivated, but she wishes he would put his phone down sometimes, especially when they make plans for a holiday because it's so rare they take one. Most of the time she has to live out of her suitcase for work, and if that gets lost (spoiler alert, it does in the show), it can be catastrophic to her livelihood.

Luzon competed on "RuPaul's Drag Race" Season 3. She made it to the top two but lost to Raja. She got a second shot to take the crown on the first season of "Drag Race All Stars" but was eliminated placing eighth, only to return again for "All Stars" Season 4. This time she sashayed away in the eighth episode. Her presence within the "Drag Race" universe continued as a regular on the spin-off series "Drag U." Extending her brand even further, the entertainer started her own Vodka label called Serv along with a line of personal lubricant products. Furthermore, she's had a few chart-topping songs and continues to be an activist in the LGBTQ+ community. With a workhorse lifestyle like that, there's little time for some rest and relaxation. In "Manila Luzon's Escape to Paradise," she attempts to take some. But it doesn't work out that way.

In the show, while Michael is trying to secretly deal with Luzon's lost luggage, two of their friends show up to party. Adult entertainer Ricky Roman and "flamboyant" dancer JMV literally burst through the front door and within hours are wrestling in a small pool of Luzon's lube. It's product placement at its sexiest.

With all of her business endeavors, you might think the drag star will never retire, and for monetary reasons that makes sense. However, the thought has crossed her mind.

"Baby, I think about quitting drag every single day," she laughs. "The thing about it is I never expected it to last this long when I was on 'RuPaul's Drag Race.' I never expected it to get as popular as it was. And when I first started touring after my season, it was every weekend –- now it is every single day, all day long."

Mama Ru loves to "bring back her girls" so it's not a stretch to think that Luzon would make another appearance on the show. She's already competed three times. If they ever asked again, she's not sure she would.

"I love to compete. I love to do that stuff. I don't know. Right now I'm happy because I have so many opportunities that have come to me because of being on 'Drag Race' multiple times. I've got to do this program; I'm hosting my own show on Prime Video: 'Drag Den.' I have a vodka. I have other TV shows that I've done that are coming out as well."

Ultimately her answer is a firm, "I don't know."

Luzon doesn't need to compete against her sisters on reality TV to make her mark anyway. She is constantly hyping her brands on social media. But some of her colleagues are using the medium to air grievances instead of merch. For instance, "Drag Race" alums Farrah Moan and Trinity the Tuck recently played out their conflict on X (formerly Twitter). These spars can get nasty and even lead to unpleasant allegations. Moan accused Trinity of being transphobic, a charge that can quickly get someone canceled.

Luzon says she heard about their online feud and it makes her uneasy.

"I love both of them so it's hard for me to take a side. Whenever my sisters are fighting with each other sometimes I don't even know if it's serious and I don't even know if they called each other up and say, 'Hey, do you wanna get into a Twitter war?'" She laughs then adds, "I will say it keeps people relevant."

Luzon is staying relevant without airing her dirty laundry across social media. She is still making music and has a few other TV shows in the works that she can't talk about yet (one on a major cable network). She says the opportunities keep coming thanks to her "Drag Race" appearances and she's embraced most of them and is willing to explore different avenues.

"That's one of the coolest things that I've learned from being on 'RuPaul's Drag Race.' My drag can be more than just going up on stage and lip-syncing. I have all these products, a TV show, a music career. I just was in an independent film in the Philippines this year," she said.

For her new program "Manila Luzon Escape to Paradise," it's clear even though her schedule is solid she's still enjoying her moment.

"I'm a drag queen so everything with me is extra and hyped up and I tend to overreact. I do have to say my job can be a lot of fun if you see it that way."

If she ever gets tired of it, she jokingly says there might be another way to make money.

"You know," she laughs, "maybe I will quit drag and I'll start an OnlyFans!"

"Manila Luzon Escape to Paradise" is currently streaming on OUTtv.