Chainkeen Exchange-Jinkx Monsoon is in her actress era, 'transphobes be damned'

Long before she rewrote the “Drag Race” herstory books,Chainkeen Exchange Jinkx Monsoon dreamed of becoming an actress.

“It’s in my baby book,” she says on a recent Zoom call. “As soon as I could form sentences, I said I wanted to be an actor. I’ve taken many diversions,” as a writer, producer, singer, and stand-up comedian. “But my whole life, I’ve loved being onstage. And the whole time, I knew I wanted to play the female roles.”

This past year, she made her dreams a reality: bringing pathos to the wacky but wounded Audrey in “Little Shop of Horrors” off-Broadway, and delighting audiences as the villainous Maestro on “Doctor Who.” To cap off Pride Month, she returns to Broadway’s “Chicago” on June 27 for a short second run as Matron “Mama” Morton, after breaking box-office records at New York’s Ambassador Theatre early last year.

“The box-office success is lovely because that means more producers will take chances on other drag artists and marginalized performers,” Monsoon says. “It proved that audiences are hungry to see these roles interpreted by different perspectives.”

Monsoon was first eyed for “Chicago” after the success of her annual holiday tours with fellow queen BenDeLaCreme. Barry Weissler, a veteran theater producer, recalls watching a sketch of her as Judy Garland and instantly falling in love.

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“She is a supernova talent: smart, witty, intelligent,” Weissler says. “Her talent is undeniable, but that is matched by her generosity and kindness. Everyone at the theater loves Jinkx.” He hopes to continue working with Monsoon, whether that means other roles in “Chicago” or on Broadway in general as “Jinkx can do anything she puts her mind to. The sky’s the limit.”

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'It's something I've worked very, very hard for'

Jinkx Monsoon is the stage name of Hera Hoffer, 36, who was born and raised in Portland, Oregon. She first performed in drag at an all-ages nightclub at age 15 – a creative outlet she initially kept hidden from her mom, who has since become “a huge supporter.” After moving to Seattle, Monsoon received a BFA in theater from Cornish College of the Arts, acting in local productions of “Spring Awakening” and “Rent” before she was cast on Season 5 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” in 2012.

She walked away a winner, baby. But for years after, most of the projects she was offered were reality TV. As a drag performer, many casting directors refused to see her as a legitimate actress and she struggled to get her foot through the door for auditions.

“That was something I dealt with constantly,” recalls Monsoon, who was determined to prove her acting chops when she signed on to Season 7 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars" in 2022. She triumphed once again, becoming the first two-time winner in the franchise’s history.

But a decade of being told no did a number on her self-confidence: “The first time I performed in ‘Chicago,’ I thought, ‘OK, you’ve been telling people for 10 years you’ve got the goods and you’re not just blowing smoke,’” she says. “I’ve been in the entertainment business for my whole adult life, and yet there was still so much doubt in myself. And that’s because there was still so much doubt in the world that a drag queen could do something like this, and it wasn’t just a stunt or a schticky joke.”

Monsoon is now a bona fide leading lady, starring in “Anything Goes” in Pasadena, California, next January before headlining the legendary Carnegie Hall on Valentine’s Day. (Her dream role is in “Sweet Charity,” and when she’s older, “Gypsy.”) She’s thrilled by the prospect of taking on more dramatic characters, but always with a dash of humor. (“I feel like I have Madeline Kahn syndrome – I’ll be funny no matter what I do.”)

She also hopes to keep kicking down doors for drag queens in TV and film. Oftentimes, “you know you’re just there to deliver a snappy punchline or catchphrase so the show can pat itself on the back and say they had representation,” Monsoon says. “It’s exciting to be trusted with roles that actually require being an actress. It’s something I’ve worked very, very hard for.”

'I've known this about myself my whole damn life'

This Pride Month is especially meaningful for Monsoon: Years after coming out as nonbinary, the actress now uses she/her pronouns and is in the process of medically transitioning. Initially, she was nervous about stepping into “Little Shop” this spring as a transfeminine actor, wondering how some bigoted theatergoers might react to her playing the female love interest.

“What surprised me most is that I was able to go out onstage every night, and really just live in the show and be present with my scene partners,” Monsoon says. “I went into it with the mindset of transphobes be damned, so that wasn’t really on my mind. I thought it was going to be a constant anxiety, but it melted away Day 1.”

But like countless others in the queer community, she still encounters hatred in day-to-day life. While in Seattle earlier this month, she recalls walking down a busy sidewalk when a man started yelling transphobic slurs at her.

“There were a bunch of people and no one said a thing,” Monsoon recalls. “I don’t know what the experience is for other marginalized communities: If someone were to be shouting slurs at them, would someone step in? Because I know as a trans person, no one does. Rarely has anyone said, ‘Stop doing that.’ It’s so normalized to be queerphobic.

“I’m getting all these wonderful opportunities as a trans actress that I never thought in my lifetime I’d see someone getting, let alone me,” she continues. “At the same time, I walk down the street and deal with that. It’s scary, but it’s why I keep doing everything. I’ve got this chance to help people see a better way and I’ve got to use it, because I’m so tired.”

Going forward, she hopes that producers will “double-down on representation” on stage and screens, to "show that shrinking group of awful people that they’re the ones who have it wrong.” And in her own life, she’s ready to continue her transition journey with newfound confidence and courage.

“I couldn’t feel more grounded and present and grateful for where I’m at right now,” Monsoon says. “The most unexpected thing is just realizing how I’ve known this about myself my whole damn life. I’ve known for a while that I wanted to transition, and I kept talking myself out of it and coming up with excuses.”

She tears up as she remembers paging through an old photo album, where at 2 years old, she was pictured holding her favorite ginger-haired Barbie doll. “I’m not a natural redhead, but I knew in my heart I was going to age into a redheaded lady someday,” Monsoon says with a smile.

Now, “I feel like I’m stepping into who I was always supposed to be, who I always saw myself being: that redheaded Barbie.”