An Interview with Dahli and Saint from ‘The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula’

The season four finale of The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula arrives on Shudder this Tuesday. But before it hits, we here at Nerds That Geek had the opportunity to sit down with two of the four finalists for season four, Dahli and Saint, to discuss their craft and their experiences with Dragula.

John Betancourt: What was it that got each of you into Drag Performance?
​
Saint: Actually, it was Eve of Destruction from season three. That was like the first stretch that I've ever been to. And I remember that night very clearly. She ended the show, and I had never seen someone like… express themselves. And like, it was such like a tangible art form like, you could see like the culmination of years of practice and experience. And I don't know, it was just like watching just her, like, flail her body around that stage with such like purpose and passion just inspired me from the very next day.

Dahli: So, I kind of like come from a kind of a club background like, club kids. I used to work at a lot of goth clubs when I was young, underage even. And we always did like these really crazy fantastic, themes and stuff for these parties. And my job was just to literally dress up and like walk around and like meet people and you know, get them to party and everything. So just being around that amount of creativity, I didn't even know that it would be considered drag at the time. Because I was like maybe 17 when all this was happening. And then you know, a few years went by I kind of like, had given it a rest. And I had not really come in contact with like drag and have any like gay friends or anything and didn't know anything about like, you know, my own culture really. And finally going to one of my first drag shows when I moved to San Diego, it happened to be Chad Michaels. And Chad Michaels absolutely just blew me away. I had never seen such an insane transformation out of one person. In one night. It was crazy. Like, he came out he did Cher and then he did Selena. And then he came out with his last number, he did Manson. And I was just so like… I didn't know that this could be drag. I was like “this might be something I'm into.”

John Betancourt: Since Drag Performance is obviously such an important part of your lives, what is that you still love about it so much?

Dahli: I think what I really like holds me to it is the fact that there is not really any limitations, especially for myself I kind of just do whatever makes my dark heart happy. And I think just like having like the freedom of just doing whatever I want to, is really what pushes me to do it. I don't have like, a limitation or anything holding me back where I’m like “Oh, I have to be like this certain way for the rest of my career.” I can change and just keep evolving and getting into what I like and bringing it into drag.

Saint: I just love it. What it can do for people, this like self-therapy it provides for people, I feel like what drag provides for me can be totally different from for what it provides for someone else. Which is so special. Like… it just helps people find themselves.

John Betancourt: Now since you both have such a history with Dragula, what does it mean to each of you… to be a finalist on the show?

Saint: Dragula for me, was when I first seen season one just to see artists who approached drag differently because the other TV show, put drag in such a finite category, that to see drag being expressed, like this just… plethora of different things was just refreshing. So, to be sitting here and having my drag be a refreshing take for some people and just opening doors and like knocking walls down, because I think that's like what the whole purpose of drag is for, is to just, kind of like, tear down like the constructs of what life is. So, to be on this, to be one the finalists on the stage that's personally like tearing down the constructs of like, what people see drag as.

Dahli: I'm gonna definitely double down on what Saint is saying. The show itself is just… as a viewer, I've been a fan for, you know, since it started, I've been a fan of the Boulet’s for even longer than that. So just like seeing this, evolution of drag, like setting the bar in a different place where people would never expect it. It's just so unpredictable and inspiring. And it makes me just want to, like, keep doing it and representing it. And, having so many people, like reach out on a daily basis, they're like, “you know, I never considered doing drag because I always thought it had to be one way or this way, but seeing you do whatever you want to do really inspires me to like, do what I want to do.” And now we just have so many different visions of what drag can be. And I think it's just going to keep going.

John Betancourt: Now I would love to know, where each of you find your inspiration for the monsters you’ve created on stage.

Dahli: Um, so I live with extremely bad night terrors. Yeah, and I take a lot of inspiration from things that aren't necessarily what people would find, like scary traditionally, like, things like ghosts and goblins and stuff like that are, you know, they've been scary for years, but taking an inanimate object, like a tree or something and making it absolutely terrifying is where I come from, like in the horror background and things.

Saint: Honestly, just like my imagination, my drag is like a personal love letter to my childhood. So, um, whenever I'm having… maybe like a mental roadblock, something I'll do, I'll try to put myself back in… you know, when you're a kid and you're in the car, you're on the highway, you have that like, imaginary person running next to you?

John Betancourt: Yes!

Dahli: Oh yeah!

Saint: When I'm like having a hard time thinking of something, I like to put myself back in that place.

John Betancourt: Now that’s very cool.

Dahli: That’s a great, great explanation of it, for sure. very relatable.

John Betancourt: Now since you’re obviously inspiring others with your art, what kind of advice would you offer to those who want to get started in drag performance?

Saint: Um, I say just go for it. Don’t put too much thought into it. Just do what your heart is telling you to do, go in the direction you want to go in.

Dahli: Yeah, I mean, I kind of have to agree. It's something you can't really like, sit on, and think about because you only have so much time on our small little floating rock in the middle of space. Yes, make the best of it. And you might as well like, you know, make art and do things that make you happy. And that's, I mean, that's what it should be. So having any, limitation… I know, I keep saying that. But it's, really important. I think a lot more people need to hear that you literally can just do whatever you want.

John Betancourt: Now what does it mean to each of you to be a part of a show that has inspired so many?

Dahli: It means a lot in the way that like coming off, like as a viewer and then being like on the show. I wish that when I was younger that there was like something like this that I could have seen on television, you know? And who knows where we would be if that were the case. But I don't know. Setting that example, I guess. And like giving people that mindset to look into and, you know, it makes them self-reflect a little bit. That's… it's kind of difficult to explain, I guess, in a way.

John Betancourt: No, I don’t think there’s a wrong answer to that.

Saint: I just think there are so many people who like open up and tell me what drag means to them, and I think that's like the special part about having, inclusive drag, is the idea that people are going to be approaching it differently and doing it differently. And like, even this season, like being so close to Dahli and Dahli's process being so vastly different from mine, and it kind of makes you be like, “Oh, that's, that's okay to do.” Like, I want to take a piece of all of the drag that I see and, amalgamate it with mine.  

Dahli: Absolutely.

Saint: Past that, I don't know how to describe it. It's a hard one to describe.

John Betancourt: No, I think you both nailed it. In keeping with a theme of ‘meaning’ though, what are each most of proud of when it comes to your time on Dragula?

Saint: I think my time, the thing that I'm most proud of is just being myself. Because for a long time, especially growing up, you know, black and queer, it's just been… I've had you know, identity issues with myself for a very long time. So just like, knowing that being myself this whole time has gotten me here has been something that I've been able to look back on and just be very proud and happy about.

Dahli: I kind of have to agree. Without a lot of the people that have like reached out to me... I mean, with like, drag aside, it's a lot of you know… like the representation, I guess it's like, having like a non-binary person not have a gender specific approach to drag, which for some people that aren't open to it, I realized can be a bit confusing for them. And I hope that they're just able to appreciate what they see and move along without saying anything nasty, but uh… -pause- I just lost my train of thought there!

Saint: It’s a good question. It’s an important question. Because I think as an artist, we're like constantly asking ourselves, like, you know it can seem silly, almost, because sometimes I'll put like this, like, intention and purpose in it. And I'll like, feel a little silly. I'll be like, “I'm doing this portion of this look, because this is what it means to me as an artist.” And I’ll be like that’s silly. I'm making that up. But then, when you look back at, like painters and the things that you revel on, when you're looking at their work. When they're long gone. It's just like, “oh, they did this like specific color palette, because it meant this portion of their lives.” Like this, this meant something to them.

Dahli: Yeah. To have like somebody, like, analyze it and kind of break it down and try to see a story behind it that they can relate to. That's really cool. Because it's kind of how music works the same way. Like, you'll hear a song and it not be like written about that certain situation or like your personal life, but you relate to it in a way. Yeah. It’s just great to hear from other people, it’s nice.

John Betancourt: With that in mind, would you say then, Dahli, your pride really stems from the representation aspect of what you brought to the table?

Dahli: Absolutely. Also, what Saint said, just being like, recognized for being yourself. There's nothing like more validating than knowing that so many people enjoy you for you and not like a character that you tried to play on TV because there's like a lot of pressure in reality television to like, you know, give them a show and you know, act crazy and everything and that's not who I am. I've never really tried to be that person. So, for everyone to have such positive things to say about like, just how I am naturally in my daily life is really sweet. I hate it. -laughs-

John Betancourt: So, last question… what are you most looking forward to people experiencing in the Dragula finale? Without spoiling of course.

Dahli: I am excited to make other people feel filthy -laughs- and say “I shouldn’t be watching this. But I can’t look away.”

Saint: I'm just excited for people to see the drag that's presented from all four of us. I felt so honored being next to Dahli, Sigourney and HoSo. Because all three of them I have admired so much, and to be sitting there and to see this in person, and to just be part of something just so grand? So, I'm like so excited for the world to be able to see our drag as well.

John Betancourt: Awesome. Well, thank you both so much for your time today and for the nightmares. Because I used to not have an issue with clowns in the slightest, but that changed because of you two and your costumes.

Dahli: You’re welcome!

The season four finale of ‘The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula’ premieres on Shudder on Tuesday, December 21, 2021. This interview was lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

---