Shea Couleé of the show “RuPaul’s Drag Race” is slated to be featured on the Disney+ upcoming series, “Ironhart.”
An exclusive interview with E! News revealed that Couleé has already filmed “Ironhart” and that the former RuPaul star was able to leave a mark on the character, though the television actor did not share what character Couleé would be playing.
Jaren Kyei Merrell, known professionally as Shea Couleé, was born male and began appearing as a drag queen in 2012, rising to fame after appearing on “RuPaul’s Drag Race” in 2017.
Couleé exclusively told E! News “It’s really so humbling to be able to crossover into a much more mainstream avenue, and push the needle forward as far as drag is concerned, in the way that it’s consumed and in pop culture.”
“I’m so deeply excited for everyone to see what this role is, what it entails and everything it is,” the actor said.
In addition to “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” Couleé appeared on the national drag competition created by the vodka brand Smirnoff, “Show Up. Show Off! Showcase” which advertised the upcoming Disney show.
Couleé described the new project to E! saying, “It’s going to be really impactful,” and “It’s going to be so smart and creative and clever and funny, and sexy. And so, so, so, so Chicago.”
“Acting was my first love long before Drag,” Couleé wrote in an Instagram post introducing the project.
Disney has been at odds with some conservatives about representation of the LGBTQ community over their stance against Florida’s recently enacted parental consent laws, as IJR previously reported.
The company weighed in on the state’s decision to not allow issues of sexual orientation and gender identity into K-3 classrooms due in part to Disney’s substantial presence in Florida.
The law in question states, “Classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.”
