Uma Gahd Talks Creativity, Canada’s Drag Race, and Her Iconic Drag Journey

We dive into the world of Uma Gahd, star of Canada’s Drag Race! Uma talks about where her creativity comes from, the collaborative process behind her stunning runway looks, and how her community inspires her drag.

From her favorite Snatch Game moments to the story behind her iconic “Michelle the Ostrich” outfit, Uma opens up about the highs and challenges of her journey. She also shares her exciting upcoming projects, including her one-woman play, Are You There Margaret? It’s Me, Gahd, and her mission to spread joy and positivity through drag.

TEM (The Extra Mile) : Where does your creativity come from?

Uma: So I’m not usually like a designer or anything like that. So anything you saw in the runway was always like I created it with the designers. I either came in with some ideas and then they helped to make it all concrete. Or I kind of sent it to them, I was like, you know the world that Uma lives in. What do you think would happen in this scenario? And they would come to me with ideas and then we would create together. So like anything that you saw in the runway was a group effort and I couldn’t have done it without my amazing designers. So I definitely want to give them some love. But just you know in general, I don’t know, I’ve always been a little bit of a weirdo. I love being the center of attention and what better way to do it than by making people laugh or telling them something that they never would have expected. So that’s kind of always where I’ve come from. I just always wanted to peak some interest and I don’t know if it’s maybe the undiagnosed ADHD. But I also just like to try. Things that go different directions and keep things interesting. So it all comes together in a beautiful glorious God-like package.

TEM: Which one do you like the most out of all of them and why?

Uma:  So my favorite runway look really had to be Michelle the Ostrich, because like I said in the show, that was a costume that I had bought when I was auditioning for season one, and I got very, very close to being cast, and so I had this, like, as I’m gonna do it, this is the one that’s gonna blow everyone away, and then when I wasn’t cast, I said, okay, I bought it to blow everyone except to be on the show. So getting to do that was like the culmination of the year in years of my auditions and my hard work and like the heartbreak that goes on with that and now it’s a giant triumph. So it meant so much, but also it was created by a drag queen here in Montreal named Mr. Michel and he created that ostrich 25 years ago. So wearing that on the stage was me representing our local drag scene. Getting to wear an iconic piece of history from my drag scene was so important to me because my community means so much to my drag. The reason I am where I am is because people have supported me. Artists have been there to exchange with me and so bringing that ostrich on that stage was not just about me. It was also about all of the people that helped get me there and that’s why it meant so so much to me. Also it just looked so cool.

TEM: Can you tell us a little bit about where your name comes ?

Uma:  so um this story that um I usually give is that when she walks into a room everyone says oh my god that must be her name but in reality I was hanging out with my best friend one day and I was really really hungry and whining the way that I usually do and I said I’m so hungry my god anyway that’s it so that really comes from being hungry and whining which are two of my larger personality traits.

TEM: Looking at back at the recent episode and taking a look back at Snatch Game ,what were your thoughts like looking back at it now ?

Uma: It’s the same as I felt in that moment. Brooke was wrong, we actually did a good job. Minhi Wang was charming and so comfortable in that character and so so great. Helena and Perla definetely deserved a lot more love and applause for their performances because they were so in it , they were just so so so good and I wanted them to know. So like my untucked time was mostly spent, me aggressively telling everyone that I love them and that they deserve better.

TEM: Who was your other choice for Snatch Game?

Uma: So my second option was Jane Lynch. People might know her as Sue Sylvester from Glee, but of course I also love her from all of films that she’s done, know, Best In Show, For Your Consideration. All of these wonderful films that she’s done, they’re so strange. A Mighty Wind was so good, but you know, I just, I kind of felt like Dee had a little bit more of a tight package around her that I was going to be able to deliver no matter what craziness was happening around me. So I decided to go with Dee and honestly, I still, I’m still happy with what I did.

TEM: Would you say there’s any specific moment from the show that really kind of surprised you or really pushed you out of your comfort zone?

Uma: Hmm. I mean, all of it, like, pushed me out of my comfort zone because you’ve never, you’ve never experienced anything like drag race. I’ve done, essentially, every drag competition in the city of Montreal. And not that prepared me for what it’s like to be on drag race. It, well, sorry, it prepared me for what it’s like to be. But it’s never exactly that. So the whole experience was wild, absolutely thrilling. Parts of you are like upset all the time. Parts of you are excited all the time. I mean, I tried to stay positive at every moment and always remember that feeling bad about myself is not going to help me get anywhere. So I tried to stay positive at all times, even when I was in the bottom, when we would get ready for the lip sync, the lights would do that. That big dramatic point, no, And I would be staring at the lights like, wow, this is so cool. I get to be here for a place where the lights go, no, no, no.

TEM: Is there any advice that you would give to anyone that wants to audition for Drag Race or any future contestants?

Uma: My advice, it’s the same advice that they always give everyone, but I’m going to try to clarify a little bit. Be yourself. But that doesn’t mean be the best version of yourself. It means be yourself. If you think that the best version of you is going to get you on the show, they can tell that you’re kind of trying your best. They want to know what you’re going to be like in your worst moment. You want to know what you’re going to be like when you’re most tired, when you’re most proud, when you’re most stressed out. They want to see all of those things. be yourself with be your all self. Show them everything you have to offer and they will see if that makes the best TV for that season. Just be you, all of you.

TEM: So what’s next? Is there any upcoming project that you can share that you’re excited about?

Uma:  So I mean, I have a phenomenal community here in Montreal. So I’m all excited about continuing to work here. So I have a monthly brunch that I do. That’s all. is so like you know if grandma doesn’t know what drag is yet or if you want to bring the kids and not be worried about what’s going on in the show like this is the space for them my monthly divine drag brunch i’ve got another monthly show that i’m going to be producing in the new year um lots of really fun local stuff but also i’m going to be at Drag Con UK and then i’m just going back to the UK this summer because i’m bringing my one woman play called  Are You There Margaret? It’s Me, Gahd. It’s all about facebook family fame feminism and failed marriages i’m already had it in the Edinburgh Fringe which is the world’s biggest festival and the original fringe and i had sold out nights the last time that i was there so this year i’m hoping for even more bums and music getting to share my my love for theater because that’s where i started in drag within the fringe festival so i want to bring my play out to the world i’m hoping to get maybe some bookings down in the Adelaide fringe i’ve done a residency in part of Puerto Vallarta. So like listen y’all if you have if you have a restaurant library, if you have a living room, if you have, I don’t care if it’s a funeral parlor, if you’ve got a space where I can do a one woman play, I can be there for you and bring you the art of dread. So like that’s what I want to do is just keep doing what I’m already doing, but bigger and better and more often.

TEM: How do you go the extra mile, whether that be in your drag or just in your personal life?

Uma:  I think that the extra mile, well, so there’s two things in, in this. past episode, you know, that everyone was talking about showing how passionate you are and you know for TV, they always want your passion to be out there and big and extravagant and showy and loud. My passion for drag. I am a lazy person. I would much rather be in bed at any given moment. So my passion might not be big and loud. Me showing my passion is me showing up every day on time with a smile on my face and bringing you the best drag that I possibly can committed to the bit doing the damn thing. That’s my passion for drag and it might look different than what some other people are doing, but it’s there. So like that’s already an extra mile for me, but the real extra extra is finding joy. Everywhere I go, even when the shows are rough, even when the audience doesn’t get it, even when eliminated from, you know, an internationally viewed drag competition, find the because drag can be joyful. I want to drag race fans to know that. Joy is a part of what we do. Celebrating is a part of what we do. And so taking the effort. Because if you’re going to put the effort in to be like a shady drag queen or whatever, you can take that same effort and be an uplifting, celebrating celebratory drag queen. You can do that too. So the extra mile for me is go out into the world, find joy, show care, show kindness, and just make the world a better place. Because it’s a scary place out there right now, whether you’re a drag artist, a trans person, queer, a person of color, a disabled person, any of those. It’s a scary place right now. So we need more joy. Put take all that effort that you were putting into being the best and put it into showing people how we can be best.