Joshua Allen Eads, stage name Ginger Minj (born September 11, 1984), an American
drag queen
A drag queen is a person, usually male, who uses drag clothing and makeup to imitate and often exaggerate female gender signifiers and gender roles for entertainment purposes. Historically, drag queens have usually been gay men, and part of ...
, actor, singer-songwriter, and reality television personality. After achieving recognition for placing as the runner-up on the
seventh season of the reality television competition series ''
RuPaul's Drag Race
''RuPaul's Drag Race'' is an American reality competition television series, the first in the ''Drag Race'' franchise, produced by World of Wonder for Logo TV (season 1–8), WOW Presents Plus, VH1 (season 9–14) and, beginning with the f ...
'', Minj returned to compete on the
second
The second (symbol: s) is the unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), historically defined as of a day – this factor derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes and finally to 60 seconds ea ...
and
sixth seasons of ''
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars''. Minj has acted in three
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
productions—the comedy feature film ''
Dumplin''' (2018), the animated series ''
Super Drags
''Super Drags'' is a Brazilian adult animated comedy streaming television
Streaming television is the digital distribution of television content, such as TV shows, as streaming media delivered over the Internet. Streaming television stands ...
'', and
RuPaul
RuPaul Andre Charles (born November 17, 1960; stylized as RuPaul) is an American drag queen, television personality, actor, musician, and model. Best known for producing, hosting, and judging the reality competition series '' RuPaul's Drag Race ...
's fictional series ''
AJ and the Queen
''AJ and the Queen'' is an American comedy-drama series, created by RuPaul and Michael Patrick King. It premiered on Netflix on January 10, 2020. It was cancelled after one season in March that same year.
Premise
''AJ and the Queen'' follows "Ru ...
'', and has acted in numerous theatrical productions. Minj appeared in the 2022
Disney+
Disney+ is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned and operated by the Media and Entertainment Distribution division of The Walt Disney Company. The service primarily distributes films and television se ...
original,
Hocus Pocus 2
''Hocus Pocus 2'' is a 2022 American fantasy comedy film directed by Anne Fletcher, written by Jen D'Angelo and produced by Walt Disney Pictures. A sequel to the 1993 film '' Hocus Pocus'', it stars Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Naji ...
, the sequel to the cult classic,
Hocus Pocus. Minj has released three studio albums—''
Sweet T'' (2016), ''
Gummy Bear
Gummy bears (German: ''Gummibär'') are small, fruit gum candies, similar to a jelly baby in some English-speaking countries. The candy is roughly long and shaped in the form of a bear. The gummy bear is one of many gummies, popular gel ...
'' (2021), and ''Double Wide Diva'' (2021).
Early life
Eads was born in
Lake County, Florida, and majored in theater at school. As a child, Eads had surgery for a bowel blockage. Their drag mother is retired Orlando performer Rusty Fawcett.
Career
''Drag Race''
Ginger Minj competed on the
seventh season of the reality television competition ''
RuPaul's Drag Race
''RuPaul's Drag Race'' is an American reality competition television series, the first in the ''Drag Race'' franchise, produced by World of Wonder for Logo TV (season 1–8), WOW Presents Plus, VH1 (season 9–14) and, beginning with the f ...
'', which was announced on March 2, 2015.
Throughout the competition, Minj won three challenges, most notably the
Snatch Game
Snatch Game is a challenge on the ''Drag Race'' reality competition television franchise. Beginning with the second season of the original American series '' RuPaul's Drag Race'', the challenge has taken place on every season since. It has also ...
, portraying
Adele
Adele Laurie Blue Adkins (, ; born 5 May 1988), professionally known by the mononym Adele, is an English singer and songwriter. After graduating in arts from the BRIT School in 2006, Adele signed a rec ...
(tying with
Kennedy Davenport's portrayal of
Little Richard
Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the " ...
). Minj's performance of Adele was later ranked as the sixth best Snatch Game performance in ''Drag Race''
"herstory" by Sam Damshenas of ''
Gay Times
''Gay Times'' (stylized in all caps), also known as ''Gay Times Magazine'' and as ''GT'', is a UK-based LGBTQ+ media brand established in 1975. Originally a magazine for gay and bisexual men, the company now includes content for the LGBTQ+ comm ...
''. Minj ultimately lost to
Violet Chachki
Violet Chachki is the stage name of Paul Jason Dardo (born June 13, 1992), an American drag queen, burlesque/ aerial performer, content creator, model, and recording artist best known for winning the seventh season of ''RuPaul's Drag Race''. C ...
in the final episode, placing as a runner-up alongside
Pearl
A pearl is a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle) of a living shelled mollusk or another animal, such as fossil conulariids. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is composed of calcium carb ...
.
Minj was subsequently announced as one of ten contestants for the
second season of ''
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars'' on June 17, 2016.
Minj was eliminated in the third episode, placing eighth overall. Minj then appeared as a guest for the first challenge in the premiere episode of
season eleven.
Following ''Drag Race'', Minj embarked on several international drag tours. In 2016, Minj was a part of ''
Battle of the Seasons'' rotating roster of queens. Minj hosted the ''
Haters Roast'' tour, though controversially was later fired from the event. Minj later hosted ''Queens United'' in November 2017, a benefit put together by
Phi Phi O'Hara
Jaremi Lee Carey (born Jeremy Lee Carey; October 10, 1985) is an American actor, streamer, singer, cosplay artist, and former drag performer who performed under the name Phi Phi O'Hara. In the O'Hara persona, Carey came to international attention ...
in an effort to raise money for people affected by
Hurricane Maria
Hurricane Maria was a deadly Category 5 hurricane that devastated the northeastern Caribbean in September 2017, particularly Dominica, Saint Croix, and Puerto Rico. It is regarded as the worst natural disaster in recorded history to affect ...
.
In April 2020, amid the
coronavirus pandemic, Minj was announced as a featured cast member for the very first ''
Digital Drag Fest
''Digital Drag Fest'' was a digital drag concert series hosted by Producer Entertainment Group. Beginning on March 27, 2020, it was originally supposed to be a limited engagement until April 12 but, due to overwhelming demand, the series was exte ...
'', an online drag festival. Minj returned the following year for the second annual ''Digital Drag Fest'', in May 2021.
On May 26, 2021, Minj was announced as a contestant for the
sixth season of ''RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars''.
After winning a lip sync against
Mayhem Miller in the fifth episode of the season, Minj won $30,000. Minj won another $20,000 in the eighth episode of the season,
Snatch Game of Love, after winning a lip sync against
Heidi N Closet
Heidi N Closet is the stage name of Trevien Anthonie Cheek, an American drag queen from Ramseur, North Carolina, best known for competing on the twelfth season of ''RuPaul's Drag Race'', where she placed 5th and won the Miss Congeniality award.
...
and making her the second queen to win the Snatch Game twice, after
BenDeLaCreme
BenDeLaCreme (born September 24, 1981) is the stage persona of Benjamin H. Putnam, an American drag queen, burlesque performer, and actor based in Seattle, Washington. He is known for being a contestant on the sixth season of ''RuPaul's Drag Rac ...
. Ginger Minj finished the season as a runner-up alongside
Eureka! and
Ra'Jah O'Hara
Benni Miller (born Bennie Roy Miller; December 31, 1984), better known by the stage name Ra'Jah O'Hara, is an American drag queen best known for competing on the eleventh season of ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' in 2019 and the sixth season of '' RuPaul ...
, ultimately losing to
Kylie Sonique Love.
Pageants
Minj has competed in many
pageants throughout their career, holding several titles including "Miss National Comedy Queen 2012" and "Miss Gay United States 2013".
Music
Minj released their first single, "Ooh Lala Lala", on June 1, 2015. A second single, "Bad, Bad Boy", was released on October 21, 2016. Minj's debut album, ''
Sweet T'', was released in October 2016.
The album consists of a mix of original songs and covers and features of variety of styles including
pop
Pop or POP may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Music
* Pop music, a musical genre Artists
* POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade
* Pop!, a UK pop group
* Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band
Albums
* ''Pop'' ( ...
,
rock,
dance
Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoire ...
,
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
, and
soul
In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being".
Etymology
The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest att ...
. Minj also contributed to the compilation album ''
Christmas Queens 3'' in 2017.
Another album, ''Clown Fucker'', was set to be released in December 2018,
but was pushed back to early 2019, and, as of 2021, remains unreleased. On June 11, 2021, Ginger Minj announced her second studio album, ''
Gummy Bear
Gummy bears (German: ''Gummibär'') are small, fruit gum candies, similar to a jelly baby in some English-speaking countries. The candy is roughly long and shaped in the form of a bear. The gummy bear is one of many gummies, popular gel ...
'', would be released on June 25, 2021, with "Clown Fucker" as one its tracks. She performed the title track "Gummy Bear" on the first episode of ''All Stars 6''.
The album peaked at #2 on the iTunes Comedy Album Charts.
In September 2021, Minj released their third album, ''Double Wide Diva''. The country album featured seven original songs and a cover of Garth Brooks' "
Friends in Low Places".
Minj co-wrote each original song on the album, six of which alongside Brandon Stansell and Jeffrey James with producer Aaron Aiken.
In May 2022, Ginger Minj will portray the voice of Puss Puss Dubois in
Alaska's ''
Drag: The Musical'', a studio recording of a planned stage production about two rival drag bars that go head-to-head while struggling through financial troubles.
Acting
Minj began their career as a child actor, acting in Christian films and books on tape. As an adult, Minj continued acting, starring in Clandestine Arts' production of ''
Avenue Q
''Avenue Q'' is a musical comedy featuring puppets and human actors with music and lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx and book by Jeff Whitty. It won Best Musical, Book, and Score at the 2004 Tony Awards. The show's format is a parody of ...
''.
Minj performed with other ''All Stars 2'' queens at the Trailblazer Honors for
Harvey Fierstein
Harvey Forbes Fierstein ( ; born June 6, 1952) is an American actor, playwright and screenwriter. He is best known for his theater work in '' Torch Song Trilogy'' and '' Hairspray'' and movie roles in '' Mrs. Doubtfire'', ''Independence Day'', an ...
as the only singing performer on July 7, 2016. Minj was with
Katya
Katya is a feminine given name. It is a very popular name in Russia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Serbia, and North Macedonia. It is a Russian diminutive form of Yekaterina, which is a Russian form of Katherine.This name is also can be spelled Katia.MFn ...
and
Alyssa Edwards
Justin Dwayne Lee Johnson (born January 16, 1980), best known by the stage name Alyssa Edwards, is an American drag performer, choreographer, and businessperson. Edwards was known for competing in drag pageantry (notably Miss Gay America 2010) ...
on commercial bumpers for a
Mama's Family marathon for the Logo channel.
In 2014, Minj played Mrs. Lovett in ''
Sweeney Todd'' at Orlando’s Clandestine-Arts. The casting initially lead to a cease-and-desist order in response to her casting, but this was resolved when a video of Ginger performing the role was sent to composer/lyricist
Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Joshua Sondheim (; March 22, 1930November 26, 2021) was an American composer and lyricist. One of the most important figures in twentieth-century musical theater, Sondheim is credited for having "reinvented the American musical" with sho ...
, who personally signed off on her performance.
Minj voiced the character Lemon Chiffon in the 2018 Netflix original series ''
Super Drags
''Super Drags'' is a Brazilian adult animated comedy streaming television
Streaming television is the digital distribution of television content, such as TV shows, as streaming media delivered over the Internet. Streaming television stands ...
''.
In 2018, Minj starred in the
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
musical comedy feature film ''
Dumplin'''.
In 2020, Minj portrayed Tommy and drag queen Fanny Pak on the Netflix comedy ''
AJ and the Queen
''AJ and the Queen'' is an American comedy-drama series, created by RuPaul and Michael Patrick King. It premiered on Netflix on January 10, 2020. It was cancelled after one season in March that same year.
Premise
''AJ and the Queen'' follows "Ru ...
'', alongside
RuPaul
RuPaul Andre Charles (born November 17, 1960; stylized as RuPaul) is an American drag queen, television personality, actor, musician, and model. Best known for producing, hosting, and judging the reality competition series '' RuPaul's Drag Race ...
, in the episode "Fort Worth".
In August 2020, Minj starred in ''Drama at Drag Brunch: The Slaying of the Sequin Sisters'', the fifth installment of the virtual interactive ''Broadway Murder Mystery'' story, portraying the role of Casey Closed.
Other ventures
In October 2021, Minj signed a six-figure book deal with Atria Books to publish her first book, "Southern Fried Sass". In August 2022, she will headline the 40th annual Northalsted Market Days, an annual LGBTQ-friendly street festival.
Personal life
Minj is from
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
,
[ and was married to Ceejay Russell by ]Michelle Visage
Michelle Lynn Case (nee Shupack), better known as Michelle Visage (born September 20, 1968), is an American singer, television host, actress, radio DJ and producer. She first gained recognition as a member of the musical group Seduction which ...
at a DragCon convention in 2017.
In an episode of '' RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked'', Minj stated that they are genderfluid
Non-binary and genderqueer are umbrella terms for gender identities that are not solely male or femaleidentities that are outside the gender binary. Non-binary identities fall under the transgender umbrella, since non-binary people typicall ...
/non-binary
Non-binary and genderqueer are umbrella terms for gender identities that are not solely male or femaleidentities that are outside the gender binary. Non-binary identities fall under the transgender umbrella, since non-binary people typically ...
, stating that growing up they never knew if they were a boy or a girl and when they discovered genderfluidity and non-binary they finally felt seen.
Discography
Studio albums
Singles
As featured artist
Other appearances
Filmography
Film credits
Television credits
Theatre
Music videos
Web series
References
External links
*
*
Joshua Allan Eads
at IMDb
IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...
Ginger Minj
discography at Discogs
Discogs (short for discographies) is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the la ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Minj, Ginger
1984 births
Living people
American drag queens
LGBT male actors
LGBT people from Florida
Male actors from Florida
People from Leesburg, Florida
Ginger Minj
Joshua Allen Eads, stage name Ginger Minj (born September 11, 1984), an American drag queen, actor, singer-songwriter, and reality television personality. After achieving recognition for placing as the runner-up on the seventh season of the real ...
Ginger Minj
Joshua Allen Eads, stage name Ginger Minj (born September 11, 1984), an American drag queen, actor, singer-songwriter, and reality television personality. After achieving recognition for placing as the runner-up on the seventh season of the real ...
Non-binary drag performers