Madonna a profession for Venus D’Lite
Adam Guerra — known to “RuPaul’s Drag Race” fans as Venus D’Lite — has the perfect tagline for his career as a Madonna impersonator.
“It’s not obsession,” he says. “It’s a profession.”
Guerra was the first to be eliminated during Season 3 of RuPaul’s popular talent show. He’s turned his love for the queen of pop into a full-time career and claims to have done more than 1,000 performances as “Madonna.” He’s also had 18 surgical procedures to perfect his Madonna look, including chin, noose and cheekbones.
And Guerra got another big boost last year on an episode of “My Strange Addiction,” which turned him into a viral sensation.
Despite the “Addiction” aim of breaking his Madonna guise, Guerra will step back into the role of Material Girl as he performs Saturday at the 13th annual Madonnarama at South Beach nightclub in Montrose. The night includes nonstop Madonna songs and videos.
Q: What was it about Madonna that caught your eye?
A: I always admired people with a sense of fashion. It shows confidence. She wears what she likes to wear. She does what she likes to do. I think that’s everbody’s goal in life, to be comfortable in their own skin, to be comfortable with who they are.
Q: You were conflicted about your career on “My Strange Addiction.” Obviously, that didn’t last.
A: I’m definitely more at peace. I had just come off “Drag Race.” I definitely wasn’t prepared for all this attention. And then everybody and their mother is on social media spilling their opinion. I was so used to performing for the same audience and meeting up with the same people. You get a world audience, and it overwhelmed me. I got out of a relationship I was in for 11 years. That really took a toll on me. He was like my Sonny Bono. He’s the one that really pushed me to do it. I just didn’t wanna do it anymore. But I came to the realization that this is my talent. This is my God-given gift. Why would I give this up? All you can do is please yourself. This makes me happy. You just have to think, “What would Madonna do?”
Q: Do you regret sharing your story on TV?
A:
People are gonna see the story their way. For people who do drag, it does become an obsession. If those queens are saying it’s not, it’s a lie. How much money do we spend on our alter-ego versus how much do you spend on yourself as a boy? If you count that up, yeah, they’re gonna call you
crazy. Yeah, they’re gonna say you’re obsessed. Is it gonna cause problems in your life? Yes. That’s the story I was telling. But I do comedy. I do other characters. I would love to make more music. I would love to act a lot more in and out of drag.
Q: Was surgery an immediate decision or more a ripple effect?
A:
It just started, and it went on and on and on. I’m always seeking perfection. I’m a Virgo. I think that’s where it comes from. For the first seven years, I was doing Madonna, I didn’t see her in myself. I do now. And when I take off all the makeup, I see this handsome, gorgeous, good-looking guy.
Q: Have you met Madonna?
A:
I’m not ready yet. At this point in my life, I haven’t really set my mind or made the change in my life to meet her. I know she knows about me. I think there’s a part of me that’s scared. What if she’s not what I think she is? Like that movie “Julie and Julia” — I don’t wanna go through that. I admire Madonna too much. If the universe reverses it around and she wants to meet me, of course, I’m gonna take the opportunity.
Q: What did you think of the recent “Drag Race” episode featuring a Madonna-inspired runway?
A:
I think that was the biggest (expletive) show I’ve ever seen in my whole life. They did not do Madonna justice. Four girls did the same look. Why would the producers allow that? As a viewer watching at home, nobody remembers Madonna in a kimono. I haven’t even done the kimono look.
Q: What Madonna look would you have presented?
A:
I would have done the (2012) Super Bowl (halftime show) look because I think it’s very current. I would have in mind a lot of the viewers are very young. The costume’s very elaborate. It’s very memorable. That, or I would have done the Marie Antoinette from the (1990) MTV Video Music Awards.
Q: What are your thoughts now looking back on your brief “Drag Race” run?
A: That’s a mouthful right there. Hmmm. OK, I’ll just say it. I was robbed. In some sense, it was a good thing I was kicked off first because it did make a lot of people really want to see a lot more of me. That first year, I was touring the U.S. nonstop. Five years later, I’m still touring. Madonna wanted to be the best. She knew she wasn’t the best singer or the best dancer. But that didn’t stop her. That’s a big inspiration for me, even with setbacks like being the first one kicked off. It pushed me even more to continue to grow.