JACKIE COX ON DAYS RETURN
Jackie Cox, a New York-based drag performer who placed 5th on season 12 of RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE, won rave reviews for their impersonation of Lisa Rinna (ex-billie, DAYS) while a contestant on the show, and was floored when it led to an invitation to appear alongside
Rinna on Peacock’s DAYS OF OUR LIVES: BEYOND SALEM last year. “I thought it was maybe a joke!” Cox admits. “I couldn’t have even imagined that it would happen. I was like, ‘This can’t be real!’ ”
More surprises were in store for Cox when they found out what the show had scripted for their character. “I thought it would maybe be me walking past Lisa as a joke, but it ended up being so much more than I thought it would be. I was like, ‘No, I’m involved in a jewel heist!’ It was honestly just so exciting to be there and everyone made me feel so welcome.” That includes Rinna. “BEYOND SALEM was the first time I’d seen her in person since Snatch Game [the fictional game show in which Cox played Rinna on DRAG RACE],” Cox recalls. “But she’s very friendly with me on Instagram, so I didn’t feel nervous. She is someone who really gets it, who is in on the joke.”
A few months later, Cox got the call asking them to do an arc on the network show. “Not only did that mean a lot to me, but what’s so amazing about this appearance is that it’s moved beyond the Lisa Rinna of it all,” Cox muses. “BEYOND SALEM was very much tagged to my impersonation of Lisa Rinna; that was one of the gags of the series. But this is truly about me fitting into this universe — my relationship with Leo, my relationship with Chad, what has happened in between BEYOND SALEM
and now. Expanding on the character that is Jackie Cox on DAYS OF OUR LIVES is truly an incredible gift.”
Cox had limited exposure to soaps growing up, but they made a strong impression. “I wasn’t really allowed to watch them; I only watched them when I was home sick from school. On DAYS, I remember Hope [as Princess Gina] and Stefano; that was an iconic storyline that I think is ingrained in every kid from the ’90s! And then on ALL MY CHILDREN, when [Erica’s] daughter Bianca came out of the closet, that one was really meaningful to me. As a young person, it was something that inspired me and made me feel a little braver in the world. I love that soap operas can do that.”
Cox sees a similarity between their day job and their DAYS job. “Rupaul says this a lot, that soap operas have influenced the world of drag. Some of the most iconic women in soap opera history are big inspirations for many of us, these larger-than-life, powerful women who are usually rich — or at least in possession of some fancy jewels! Or, you know, possessed by a demon. These are all things that happen to drag queens, too [laughs].”
Cox embraces giving creative control of their drag persona to the DAYS writers. “This Jackie Cox, it’s not me, it is a Jackie Cox, who I adore. I love this Jackie Cox because she is very devious! I love that in the DAYS universe, Jackie Cox is a bit of a ne’er-dowell. I joked the minute I started working with Greg [Rikaart, Leo], ‘Oh, we’re the Boris and Natasha of the DAYS universe!’ I’m not really protective of this version of Jackie because this is very much a vision of the writers and it is so fun to play. I think it’s funny that they took my real name and elements of my real life, that in theory, I’m from RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE, as well, but I’ve decided to get in cahoots with Leo Stark and cause drama! That’s not something I would do in real life, but the Jackie Cox of the DAYS OF OUR LIVES universe is unpredictable — and I don’t know if you can trust her!”
Cox, who does their own drag makeup, collaborated on the rest of Jackie’s look with the DAYS creative team. “For Lisa Rinna, we went with the dress, which I own, which is [the same] dress that she wore when she was chasing Denise Richards [Shauna, B&B] around Beverly Hills [on THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF BEVERLY HILLS]. I was like, ‘This is THE TWILIGHT ZONE!’ For this episode, we used my hair and cape, and the dress was provided to me by the DAYS team. And — spoiler alert! — my non-drag look was also provided to me by the DAYS team, so you’ll have to see what happens and why I’m not in drag!
“It was fun for me to show the fictional side of both Jackie and me in one episode,” Cox continues. “I never would have imagined that this would happen, but it’s truly incredible. It is an iconic plot twist. I also think it was fun for the DAYS cast to see both sides of me in one day. Patrika [Darbo, Nancy] was like, ‘When you’re in drag, you are a soap opera star!’ And you know what? I think I am! I think I really am!”
Cox is already thinking about Jackie’s next visit to Salem. “I’m telling Ron [Carlivati, head writer], ‘We need a Pride [month] storyline in Salem next. I’m ready for it. I’m ready to host Pride in Salem! Can’t wait!’ ”