Kahanna Montrese Would Totally Join the ‘Drag Race’ Pit Crew

Second episode, and another girl gone.

It seems we have started up with the acting challenges on RuPaul's Drag Race season 11 and out of nowhere -- OK, it is only the second episode so there's very little to know at this point. Scarlet Envy has made herself a contender, outacting all of her fellow queens, and in a starring role at that. This week, she won the maxi challenge, alongside Yvie Oddly.

In the bottom were Mercedes Iman Diamond and Kahanna Montrese, who both not only fell flat in their film (a parody of Get Out) where they made a Paris Is Burning-inspired cameo ("OPALEEEENCE!"), but also didn't rise to the occasion on the runway. Sadly for Kahanna, drag daughter to the icon Coco Montrese, splits and a back tuck weren't enough to keep her in the competition.

Here we talk to the Las Vegas-based queen about her mother's legacy, all those flips, and whether or not we'll see all that body on the Drag Race Pit Crew at some point.

So how was your overall experience just being onDrag Race, particularly in this cast?

It was really an overwhelming experience.There was so much going on but at the same time this was what I wanted for so long so it was very validating. This is the top of what we do as drag queens and entertainers, so it was a very rewarding experience for me.

Coming into the season would you say you were more of a performance queen, or a look queen, or something else?

Coming in, I was definitely known more for performance. That's what I do in Las Vegas -- I love being on stage. That's what really drove me to drag. But I will definitely say that there's a lot more for me now. I'm giving looks, I'm giving way more personality that I ever showed on the show. So there's a lot more coming. I've grown so much since I was on the show, that now I'm an overall full package.

Do you feel you were really allowed to show who you are as a queen on the show?

Yeah! During the time of filming, I think I was just what you saw. I was just stuck in my head about being a performer. And I limited myself, I put myself in a box. There's so much more to drag than slaying it on stage. There's looks, there's acting, there's so much that we do that make us unique. I tapped into that for sure after getting all the critiques and all the experience that I was able to get through on the show. I just took all that in and it made me better.

Speaking of performance, you did quite a few flips and a bit of tumbling on the mainstage. Do you have a professional history?

I used to cheer and do gymnastics when I was younger so for me it was always such a huge part of what I do on stage. Just because growing up, that was the way to express myself. Whenever I was stressed out, I would just go out in the front yard and tumble. So to be able to do that on stage was one of those moments where it's like, "Whew, I get to breathe. This is me you guys!" I really felt like I was able to show people exactly who I am through that. I also think it's not really been really shown on the show.

When you were leaving you talked about how close you were to Coco Montrese, your drag mother. Did she give you any advice coming into the show?

Me and Coco are super close. She's more than just a drag mother to me, she's almost like a father figure. We hang out almost every day, seven days a week. She's given me so much encouragement and has uplifted me throughout the whole process. She was just very encouraging for me to be myself. That was her main interest. "Don't go into it thinking that you have to fulfill my legacy or that you have to pick up where I left off." It was never like that. She just wanted me to have fun with it.

Her time on the show, she was very much in competition mode and wasn't able to really have fun and that's what she wanted for me. She wanted me to really have fun. I wish that I was able to hold on to that while I was there because I did get a little stressed out. If I had taken that advice a little more, I would have been ok.

In the last episode, for the film challenge your lines with Mercedes Iman Diamond were referencing Paris is Burning. It seemed that she hadn't seen the film yet.

Yeah! It was kind of hard because she didn't know what the reference was so it was kind of like, "How do we play on something she doesn't know?!" It was fun though because it was like, "Ok, we are really going to have to act.

Do you know if she's seen it since?

I hope she has! We don't want to put ourselves in this situation again. [Laughs] It was so funny watching it. We really had to freestyle.

During your final exit on Untucked, you called yourself "Drag Daddy" and I was wondering had you ever or would you ever audition for the Pit Crew?

Ohhh, ooohh. That's a -- that's really a good idea. I need to look into that. Let me hang this phone up and get to working out, and get this body right so I can be on the Pit Crew. You have a really good point. I'm not going to lie, they helped me get through this.

I would just look over to them when I was stressed out and would see some fine piece of trade walking through. Yeah, it's what we all needed.

What's the next big thing for you?

For me it's tapping into music and just traveling. Showing the world that we are -- even though we have these amazing platforms with Drag Race -- the hard work doesn't stop. We are more than just the episodes that we are on, we are entertainers. So for me to be able to take what I've learned from the show and present it to every city, it's such a huge blessing. Come check me out when I'm in your city and check out my new music video and you'll see I'm that girl. There's just so much for me to show so don't check out on me yet.

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