The newly anointed — and first ever — All-Star of RuPaul’s Drag Race is no stranger to impersonations; after all, Michaels first attracted attention on the show for her spot-on performance as Cher early on in Season 4. But now that the San Diego queen has taken Drag Race’s top title, we think it’s high time she put her skills to the test and tried her hand at something new. The possibilities are endless, but here’s a shortlist of the public figures, both real life and fictional, who’d benefit most from the Chad Michaels treatment.
Jenna Maroney
Michaels wouldn’t be the first queen to give up the Dark Lady for the TGS co-star —Jenna’s fiance Paul famously made his debut as a half-Jenna, half-Cher performer. But if anyone could out-flatter the partner in crime of 30 Rock’s resident diva, it’s Michaels. Chad’s Charismatic, Unique, Nervy, and Talented enough to pull off the signature Jenna confidence, but humble enough not to steal her spotlight. Besides, put Michaels in a wavy blonde wig and she’s Maroney’s spitting image.
Lady Gaga
It’s an obvious choice, yes, but an accurate, non-cliched version of Gaga is also the Holy Grail of drag. While Chad shone as his signature muse in the “Snatch Game” episode of Season 4, fellow contestant Phi Phi O’Hara nearly had to lip sync for her life after trying and failing to capture the essence of Mother Monster. If Michaels wants to use her new found cultural capital to take a risk, tackling a full-on Gaga impersonation is a good place to start.
Gwyneth Paltrow
The comic possibilities for impersonating the reigning queen of kale-eating, downward-dog-facing women everywhere are endless — she publishes a newsletter called GOOP, for God’s sake. Plus, the Drag Race judges have criticized Michaels in the past for being too polished, so she and the perfectly coiffed Paltrow have a thing or two in common. Put Chad in a sundress and behind a stroller and Mrs. Coldplay would have a twin, albeit a much funnier one.
Twiggy
The accent might be a bit of a hassle, but a true All-Star like Chad is up to the challenge. Michaels’ stick-thin physique matches the supermodel’s namesake figure perfectly, and both look killer in a mini-skirt: Chad’s ill-fated try at a Skirts vs. Skins basketball game this season left little doubt she could rock an ultra-mod A-line dress. And any drag queen worth her tuck would jump at the chance to pay homage to the patron saint of eyeliner.
Alex McCord
Any Real Housewife has more than enough juicy material for a would-be impersonator to dive into, but Alex McCord of “I AM IN BROOKLYN” fame is perfect for Chad: she’s elegant, she’s gorgeous, and she’s got a permanently miffed expression that’s begging to be mocked. Of course, Chad would need one of the Pit Crew to play the Eurotrashy Simon to his snooty Alex, but Michaels’ humor and unflappable confidence would make sure she remained the center of attention.