Mrs. Kasha Davis is the stage name of Edward Paul Popil Jr.,[1] an American drag queen, actor and television personality from Scranton, Pennsylvania.[2] She is best known for competing on the seventh season of RuPaul's Drag Race and the eighth season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars. After appearing on the reality television show, Mrs. Kasha Davis toured internationally, released several musical singles, and performed in film, television and theatre.[3][4][5]
Mrs. Kasha Davis | |
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![]() Mrs. Kasha Davis at RuPaul's DragCon LA, 2023 | |
Born | Edward Paul Popil Jr. March 12, 1971 Scranton, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
Education | Marywood University (BA) |
Occupation(s) | Drag queen, singer |
Website | mrskashadavis |
Career
editBased in Rochester, Mrs. Kasha Davis frequently performs with long-time collaborators and fellow RuPaul's Drag Race alums Pandora Boxx and Darienne Lake.[6][7] She has performed "Bosom Buddies", a two-woman show with Darienne Lake nationally and internationally.[7][8][9] Prior to Drag Race, Mrs. Kasha Davis starred in and co-wrote the film Mrs. Kasha Davis: The Life of an International Housewife Celebrity with Michael Steck (Pandora Boxx).[10] For fourteen years, Mrs. Kasha Davis has co-written and performed with fellow Rochester-based drag queen Aggy Dune in "Big Wigs", a touring diva impersonation theater show.[11][12]
Mrs. Kasha Davis has performed her one-woman show "There's Always Time for a Cocktail" at Laurie Beechman Theater in New York, as well as venues in San Francisco, Rochester, London and Brighton in the United Kingdom.[6][13][14][15][12] She is also an advocate for and frequent performer in Drag Story Hour, a national event bringing drag queens into libraries and theaters to read books to children.[16][17]
Since appearing on RuPaul's Drag Race, Mrs. Kasha Davis is currently starring with Deven Green in WOW Presents Plus series Tails of the City: Pets 4 Pets.[18] She additionally had a supporting role as Vicki Leaks in the film Hurricane Bianca 2: From Russia with Hate[19][20] and hosted the film's Los Angeles premiere.[21]
In June 2019, Mrs. Kasha Davis was one of 37 queens to be featured on the cover of New York Magazine.[22] In 2021, director Angela Washko's documentary film Workhorse Queen premiered at Slamdance Film Festival. The film focuses on Popil's life before and after getting cast on RuPaul's Drag Race.[23] In 2023, Davis was announced as a competitor on the eighth season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars.[24] During Episode Three, she landed in the bottom two alongside Darienne Lake, and the winner of the week's "lip-sync for the win", Jessica Wild (who beat the episode's "lip-sync assassin”, Ra'Jah O'Hara, to Kim Petras’ “Coconuts”), chose Davis to be eliminated, giving her a placement of 10th out of 12 contestants.
Personal life
editPopil was born to Ellen, a cosmetics saleswoman, and Edward Paul Popil Sr.,[25][26] a U.S. Marshal,[27] and is married to Steven Levins, who frequently makes out-of-drag public appearances alongside Davis as "Mr. Kasha Davis". He is a stepfather to his two children, Melissa and Jessica, making him one of the few Drag Race contestants with children.[28][29][30] He and Levins frequently collaborate on music and video content.[31][32] He graduated from Marywood University with a BA in theatre before becoming a principal dancer at the Ballet Theatre of Scranton.[33] He has been sober since July 13, 2015.[34]
Filmography
editFilm
editYear | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2008 | Mrs. Kasha Davis: The Life of an International Housewife Celebrity | Mrs. Kasha Davis | Short film; actor |
2018 | Hurricane Bianca: From Russia with Hate[35] | Vicki Leaks | Film; actor |
2020 | Workhorse Queen[36] | Herself | Documentary |
Television
editYear | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2015 | RuPaul's Drag Race | Herself | 11th Place (Eliminated in Episode 5) |
2016 | Hey Qween! | Season 4, Episode 4 | |
2018 | RuPaul's Drag Race | Season 10, Episode 1[37] | |
The Browns | Guest appearance[38] | ||
2023 | RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars | Contestant[39] | |
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars: Untucked | |||
Drag Me to Dinner | Hulu original[40] |
Music videos
editYear | Title | Artist |
---|---|---|
2015 | "Uptown Fish"[41] | Shangela |
Web series
editYear | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2015 | RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked | Herself | ||
2017 | Transformations with James St. James | Season 5, Episode 3 | ||
2018 | Tails of the City: Pets 4 Pets | |||
2019 | This Is Shit | Host, World of Wonder original | ||
2020 | The Golden Pandemic | Sophia | Starring role | [42] |
2023 | Meet the Queens | Herself | Stand-alone special RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 8 |
[43] |
EW News Flash | Guest | [44] | ||
BuzzFeed Celeb | Guest | [45] |
Discography
editEPs
editTitle | Release Date | Label | Formats |
---|---|---|---|
It Takes a Lot of Balls to Be a Lady![46] | May 8, 2016 | Self-released | digital download |
Singles
editAs lead artist
editTitle | Year | Album |
---|---|---|
"Cocktail" | 2015 | Non-album singles |
"Seasoned Queen" (featuring Adam Barta) | ||
"Basic" | 2018 |
As featured artist
editTitle | Year | Album |
---|---|---|
"Can I Get an Amen?"[47] (RuPaul featuring the Cast of RuPaul's Drag Race Season 7) |
2015 | Non-album singles |
"One Last Christmas Card"[48] (Adam Barta featuring Mrs. Kasha Davis, Eureka O'Hara, & Kennedy Davenport) |
2016 | |
"Money, Success, Fame, Glamour" (Disco version) (with the cast of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, season 8) |
2023 |
Other appearances
editSong | Year | Other Artist(s) | Album |
---|---|---|---|
"Can I Get an Amen"[49] | 2014 | RuPaul | RuPaul Presents: The CoverGurlz 2[50] |
"Cocktail - Jared Jones Mojito Radio Mix" | 2019 | Jared Jones | JRED Music Presents... Jared Jones Remixes[51] |
"Always Time" | 2019 | Nico Raimont | Popstar[52] |
"Free To Be - Brian Cua Club Remix" | 2023 | Various Artist | Free To Be (The Remixes)[53] |
References
edit- ^ "Edward P Popil Jr". Ancestry Institute. Ancestry. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
- ^ "Q&A with Mrs. Kasha Davis: NEPA native returns home for drag performance | Weekender". www.theweekender.com. 27 December 2016. Archived from the original on 2018-10-13. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
- ^ Mar, Pollo Del (2015-05-07). "RuPaul's Drag Race Star Mrs. Kasha Davis: I Predict Pearl Will Win Season 7". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on 2017-09-20. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
- ^ "We've Got Your Summer Plans! WOW Presents Plus Summer Sickening Series Coming Soon! Subscribe Today". The WOW Report. 2018-06-26. Archived from the original on 2018-07-10. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
- ^ "Rachel Dratch flings Bianca Del Rio to hell in 'Hurricane Bianca: From Russia with Hate' trailer". EW.com. Archived from the original on 2018-07-15. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
- ^ a b "Attitude.co.uk | Interview | There's Always Time for a Cocktail with Drag Race's Mrs Kasha Davis". Archived from the original on 2018-10-13. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
- ^ a b "In search of sun, two RuPaul's Drag sisters found an opportunity to collaborate – Out & About PV". outandaboutpv.com. 3 February 2018. Archived from the original on 2018-08-06. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
- ^ "Mrs Kasha Davis & Darienne Lake In Bosom Buddies em San Francisco, 26 Janeiro 2018 (After-Work Gay) - Actu-Gay.com". Actu-Gay.com (in European Portuguese). Archived from the original on 2018-10-13. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
- ^ "Mrs. Kasha Davis and Darienne Lake Bring Their Bosom Buddies Show to NYC". Hornet Stories. 2018-01-27. Archived from the original on 2018-10-13. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
- ^ Steck, Michael (2008-10-12), Mrs. Kasha Davis: The Life of an International Housewife Celebrity, Edward Popil, Michael Steck, Greg Meyer, archived from the original on 2012-03-25, retrieved 2018-07-09
- ^ BWW News Desk. "BIG WIGS - A Glamorous Rochester Holiday Tradition". BroadwayWorld.com. Archived from the original on 2018-08-19. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
- ^ a b "Interview : MRS Kasha Davis". gutter candy. 2015-05-18. Archived from the original on 2018-10-13. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
- ^ "Mrs. Kasha Davis: There's Always Time for a Cocktail". Time Out New York. Retrieved 2018-07-09.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "A Review of Mrs. Kasha Davis' "There's Always Time For a Cocktail" -". 2016-12-18. Archived from the original on 2018-04-08. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
- ^ "Check Out Mrs. Kasha Davis' New Show "There's Always Time for a Cocktail"". The WOW Report. 2016-11-03. Archived from the original on 2022-10-13. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
- ^ Peskar, Katie (2017-11-11). "Mrs. Kasha Davis on the importance of drag queens reading books to kids". Archived from the original on 2019-07-03. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
- ^ "Drag queen Mrs. Kasha Davis finds her place of peace". Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. Archived from the original on 2020-09-19. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
- ^ Desk, TV News. "World of Wonder Announces Sickening Summer Slate Including Nine New Shows Debuting WOW Presents Plus". Archived from the original on 2020-11-09. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
{{cite news}}
:|last=
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- ^ Hurricane Bianca: From Russia with Hate (2018), archived from the original on 2023-04-20, retrieved 2018-07-09
- ^ "Miss Vanjie Crashes World Premiere Of "Hurricane Bianca: From Russia With Hate"". LOGO News. Archived from the original on 2018-06-24. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
- ^ "On The Cover: The Most Powerful Drag Queens In America". Archived from the original on 2019-06-17. Retrieved 2019-06-17.
- ^ "Angela Washko Shines a Spotlight on a "RuPaul's Drag Race" Alum in Slamdance Doc "Workhorse Queen"". womenandhollywood.com. Archived from the original on 2021-10-28. Retrieved 2021-10-15.
- ^ Nolfi, Joey (April 20, 2023). "'RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 8' cast of returning queens revealed". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
- ^ @mrskashadavis (July 19, 2018). "Today at 8:10AM our dad Edward Paul Popil passed away" – via Instagram.
- ^ @KashaDavis (March 10, 2016). "HEY QWEEN has a bonus video about me & my beloved mom Ellen. She's always in my heart😘😘👑" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Spevak, Jeff. "Drag queen Mrs. Kasha Davis finds her place of peace". democratandchronicle.com. Democrat and Chronicle. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
- ^ "What If Noted Drag Queen Mrs. Kasha Davis Performed at the White House? | Metrosource". Metrosource. 2018-06-06. Archived from the original on 2019-02-12. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
- ^ "5 "Drag Race" Stars Who Are Parents". LOGO News. Archived from the original on 2021-07-27. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
- ^ "Mrs. Kasha Davis talks 'RuPaul's Drag Race' elimination". Houston Chronicle. 2015-04-01. Archived from the original on 2020-11-08. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
- ^ Altomonte, Alex (2015-04-22). "10 Things You Never Knew About Mrs. Kasha Davis". Archived from the original on 2019-02-12. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
- ^ Cook, Michael. "'RuPaul's Drag Race' Eliminated Contestant Mrs. Kasha Davis -"There's Always Time For A Cocktail"". Archived from the original on 2019-02-12. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
- ^ "Carnegie Mellon University – STUDIO Lecture: Mrs. Kasha Davis". Archived from the original on 2020-08-07. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
- ^ @mrskashadavis (July 13, 2023). "One day at a time. 8 years today" – via Instagram.
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- ^ Rice, Lynette (May 1, 2023). "'Drag Me To Dinner': Hulu Announces Premiere Date For Unscripted Series From Neil Patrick Harris, David Burtka". Deadline.com. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
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- ^ RuPaul's Drag Race (April 20, 2023), Meet the Queens of All Stars 8! 🌟 | QUEEN RUVEAL | RuPaul's Drag Race AS8 👠✨, retrieved April 20, 2023
- ^ Mrs. Kasha Davis on Sobriety and Drag Story Hour Before Drag Race All Stars 8 | Entertainment Weekly. Entertainment Weekly. April 26, 2023. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
- ^ The Queens Of "RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 8" Play Who's Who. BuzzFeed Celeb. May 15, 2023. Retrieved 2023-05-18.
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- ^ "WOWPresents Premiere: RuPaul Presents The Covergurlz 2 Music Videos". 2015-03-02. Archived from the original on 2019-12-15. Retrieved 2019-12-15.
- ^ "Single - One Last Christmas Card". Spotify. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
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- ^ "JRED Music Presents... Jared Jones Remixes". Spotify. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
- ^ "Popstar Album". Spotify. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
- ^ "Free To Be (The Remixes)". Spotify. Retrieved 2023-07-11.