Canada’s Drag Race Season 5: Exit Interview with Tiffany Ann Co on Vietnamese Heritage and ABG Drag Style

Tiffany Ann Co is not just a drag queen; she’s a force of nature blending high-energy performances, cultural representation, and flawless Y2K-inspired glamour. As a proud 1st-generation Vietnamese immigrant, Tiffany graced the Canada’s Drag Race stage with her unique style, charm, and undeniable star power, inspiring countless fans along the way.  Tiffany opened up about the challenges and triumphs of her time on Drag Race and what’s next for her.

TEM (The Extra Mile) : I was just going to say it’s always nice seeing Asian representation. And I feel like we’re getting a lot more these days.

Tiffany Ann Co: Yeah. I think it’s like great because we used to always be like that one Asian spot in TV, like in TV shows or like in the stories and everything. So it’s great to see like more than one, especially with this cast. It’s like me and Minhi and previous cast there were three girls. Like it’s it’s great to see that there’s more of us there. Yeah, it’s just going up.

TEM: Actually, you represent the Vietnamese community this season. How does it feel knowing that you know you’ve inspired so many people just sharing your story on Canada’s Drag Race?

Tiffany Ann Co: Yeah, I think I always went in with the mindset, whereas if I don’t win $100,000, as long as I can inspire that one Vietnamese kid or like that one Asian kid that didn’t see someone like them growing up, if I inspired them that I’ve done my part. And so far the response has been amazing, especially from the Asian community for them to say that I inspired them when I think in some ways in the process I felt like I let them down because I was there for so short, but it’s so nice for them to say like just you being on was enough the representation there and that’s what we needed. So it means the world to me to get that feedback.

TEM: How would you say your heritage or like your identity in general influence your drag aesthetic and just kind of your performance is throughout the competition?

Tiffany Ann Co: Yeah, so like, um, a lot of my drag, like I say, I’m an ABG, which is like an Asian baby girl. And like, these are the girls that I kind of grew up with. So like, everyone knows her, like Jennifer, Kimberly, Nancy, like, you know this girl. And she’s like, her hair is always done. The nails are right. her boyfriend’s Kevin Nguyen. So like, these kind of girls are the ones that really influence my drag aesthetic. Um, while I still pull influences from like the pop star divas, like Tate McCray Ariana, like all those girls. So it’s a melting pot of the two. Um, that kind of like really, uh, inspires my drag aesthetic, but I’m diving a little bit deeper into like my Vietnamese heritage and seeing how I can start doing more cultural pieces in my, in my drag.

TEM: I  want to talk a little bit about, you know, your drag, because I believe you actually referred yourself as the Britney Spears of drag. What would you say your favorite Britney moment was and like, how has she inspired your drag?

Tiffany Ann Co : It was her tour, I believe it was like the dream within a dream tour, where she’s like in the rain, that was when I was like, oh, like, that is exactly the type of like level performance that I started to do, because I think like Britney inspires it a lot, that I think she inspires a lot of pop culture, like a lot of pop stars reference her, because she’s the one that really changed the game. And I wanted to also, in a way, change the game of drag as well, where it doesn’t have to always be super campy. And I have to do all these things. I want to create a concert experience, whether you’re seeing me at a brunch or at a club, you’re still getting that full concert experience as if you’re seeing like you bought tickets to an arena.

TEM:  I think it’s like what you said earlier. like you called yourself the like Y2K in making. Is there actually a specific let’s say dream project like either releasing an album or you know performing on a big stage that you like to pursue?

Tiffany Ann Co : Yeah I really want to lean more into that like pop world and I think like no pops are complete if she doesn’t have her own album so like I think my verse did very well and that kind of inspired me where I want to release an EP whereas fans or listeners can listen to a full track like a four four track album of like my music and I want to hopefully make it in a way where it’s not like every drag queen releasing music I want it to be able to like you want to add it into your playlist like that’s what I really want to do and then I eventually I always joke about the ABG World tour because it’s like I would go to Burnaby then I would go to Whistler and I’m like we’re on tour baby but like I really want to turn the ABG World tour into that where I can fully I have a state says that you’re getting a full content experience where it’s like I’m the act that you’re what I’m coming to see. yes Everything is ABG style,  I’ll have bubble tea on hands will be good to go .

TEM: So let’s about Y2K, Would you say there’s like a fashion trend that you love to bring back?

Tiffany: I feel like we’re kind of like in it I feel like all the like the butterfly like that cute little Y2K pink fluorescent like metallic world like that’s all kind of come back but it also makes me go like what do you mean it’s come back because I lived it so why are we now going full circle back to bringing that resurgence like I think there’s a huge uptick in that Y2K bright colors vinyl fabric all of that fun it’s way back. What needs to not come back is jeans under dresses like I think that should never come back. I just remember with everywhere those little sundresses and like bell bottom jeans and a belly flat like disgusting. But everyone was wearing it.

TEM: Actually speaking of a fashion what would you say was your most proud runway look and what inspired it?

Tiffany Ann Co: My most proud runway look I would say Is my time in place just because it represents like the Vietnamese creation like how of being people were created, that was me leaning into more of my Vietnamese heritage. Because I think everyone that knows me from before they expect me like, oh, she’s just going to be pretty sparkle diamond. That’s kind of what I showed on episode one. So, showing something a little bit more cultural was episode two, and I think it meant a lot more to other people, and it was more than just being pretty.

TEM:  I would love to see you perform. I feel like you said the ABG world too, or I think it would just end up the whole room, and all the Asians in one room, I think it would just be such a fun time.

Tiffany Ann Co: Exactly, and I think it would bring in space for Asian people, where we would all kind of gather together and celebrate our heritage, whether it doesn’t matter what part of Asia you come in, but we all know… what that means to like be together in a space and like have so much fun because they don’t think there’s like I think there’s a lot of Asian parties that do happen especially in Vancouver but I don’t think it’s like always happening you know it’s kind of is like a one-off here and there yeah

TEM: So what’s next for Tiffany Ann Co,  I know we have the Asian baby girl tour the making but is there anything else you know that we can expect or if fans can expect?

Tiffany Ann Co:  Yeah I really want to release an EP because I just feel like that would complete the whole like pop star brand especially like cuz I knew that my music video verse was gonna eat like I knew it gonna be really good I just didn’t know how many people would actually latch on to it so I think like in order like if I weren’t able to release like a four-track EP that would just be like that’s my next pick that I want to work on right now

TEM: We’re here all about going the extra mile. So how does Tiffany Ann Co go the extra mile? Whether that be drag or just in your personal life?

Tiffany Ann Co: I think like me going extra mile is I’m a bit of a perfectionist. So I need to make sure everything is a representation of like me and what I want to put out there. So like I will make sure if this outfit means 1200 sparkles, you will get 1200 like rhinestones on there to make that extra mile. Like I think it’s up going above and beyond what’s expected of me. And I think I managed to do that on the show because I think everyone expected me to just do like a bunch of body suits than I did, but I also like to go a little bit beyond that as well.