Delta Work

Not to be confused with Delta Works.

Delta Work is the stage name of Gabriel A. Villarreal,^[1][2] an Emmy Award-winning American drag performer and stylist, best known for competing on the third season (2011) of the reality competition television series RuPaul's Drag Race.

Delta Work
Delta Work in 2017
Born	Gabriel A. Villarreal (1976-01-23) January 23, 1976 (age 48)
Nationality	American
Occupations	Drag queen stylist
Awards	Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Hairstyling for a Multi-Camera Series or Special (2018)

Work received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Hairstyling for a Multi-Camera Series or Special at the 70th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards (2018) for her work as a personal hairstylist for Drag Race.^[3]

Work hosted the podcast Very That alongside season-three finalist and fellow drag performer Raja.^[4] She currently hosts the YouTube podcast Very Delta,^[5] following the end of Very That, produced by Moguls of Media (MOM) Podcasts.^[6]

Early life

Villarreal's father was a veteran of the Vietnam War who was subjected to Agent Orange during his service.^[7]

Career

Work's drag mother is Miss Coco Peru, whom she met in Los Angeles during the beginnings of her drag career.^[8] Work started drag on Halloween 1998, at age 22.^[9] Her drag name originates from when she attended a drag show and the performing group of queens, who were parodying Designing Women, needed a "bigger" queen to play the role of Delta Burke's character, Suzanne Sugarbaker. After agreeing to and finishing the role, one queen commented afterwards that "you are not Delta Burke, you are Delta Work!"^[10]

RuPaul's Drag Race

Work was selected, among thirteen other contestants, for the third season of RuPaul's Drag Race, which began airing on January 24, 2011, on LOGO TV.^[11] During the season, Work chose to impersonate Cher (a celebrity which she is not typically known for portraying) for the "Snatch Game" episode, where contestants embody a celebrity, in look and persona, and participate in an improv challenge similar to shows such as Hollywood Squares or Match Game. Bowen Yang wrote: "Delta barely made an attempt at all... Points for the wink at Bob Mackie with her look, but otherwise Delta just waded around in her nothing-doing. Snap out of it!"^[12] She placed seventh overall, losing a lip sync performance to Manila Luzon on Donna Summer's "MacArthur Park".^[13] Out called the battle "certainly one of the most famous lip syncs" of the show.^[14]

After season three, Work was seen as an audience member attending the season five (2013) and season six (2014) finale episodes,^[15][16] and was a guest with other Drag Race alumni for the first-episode challenge on season ten (2018).^[17] Work became RuPaul's personal wig-stylist, for her judges' panel looks, beginning with the second episode of the ninth season (2017), with season two (2010) alumnus Raven styling her makeup.^[18] Work appeared as a guest for the first challenge in the premiere of season eleven (2019).^[19]

In a 2023 interview with Joseph Shepherd, Work revealed that she did not work as RuPaul's wig stylist beyond the eleventh season. This was largely because of contractual disagreements over her involvement in RuPaul's Netflix series AJ and the Queen, which led to another wig stylist being hired, who continued to work with RuPaul after that. Work also stated that World of Wonder, the producers of RuPaul's Drag Race, intentionally refrained from submitting her name for Emmy consideration for the eleventh season, despite her having done the same job as the tenth season when she won the award, because she was no longer working with them.^[20] According to Work, during her last phone call with RuPaul, she was told in a casual manner, "If anything comes up, I'll let you know."

Post-Drag Race

As a cast member of Drag Race, Work appeared on a 2011 episode of E!'s The Soup with RuPaul, Raja, and Shangela.^[21] She made recurring appearances on WoWPresent's internet show Fashion Photo RuView, filling in for Raja or Raven to critique looks from Drag Race alumni and various other celebrities, with her first appearance on November 19, 2014.^[22] However, this has ceased since Work no longer styles RuPaul. She also made regular appearances on the web show The Pit Stop, which reviews each weekly episode of Drag Race. She was on its debut episode on August 27, 2016.^[23]

Work appeared on the cover of Skorch Magazine in 2013.^[24] In August 2015, she headlined Palouse Pride in Moscow, Idaho.^[25] On August 6, 2016, she was invited on stage by Adele during a Los Angeles concert, while in full drag as an Adele impersonator. They took a selfie, which quickly went viral.^[26][27]

Work received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Hairstyling for a Multi-Camera Series or Special at the 70th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards (2018) for her work.^[3] She portrayed Adele in the music video for Taylor Swift's "You Need to Calm Down" (June 2019).^[28]

From September 2020 to May 2023 Work co-hosted the conversational podcast Very That on the Forever Dog and Moguls of Media networks, alongside her RuPaul's Drag Race season three castmate Raja,^[29] where the duo discussed recent news and answer questions from fans. The podcast's executive producers included fellow RuPaul's Drag Race alumni Alaska Thunderfuck and Willam Belli, who now host their own Drag Race review podcast, Race Chasers.

While Raja was traveling, after competing on season seven of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, Work began hosting the spin-off podcast Very Delta, described as a "luxury public access podcast". The podcast continued after the eventual conclusion of its parent show Very That. On Very Delta, Work interviews celebrities, drag performers, and nightlife personalities from the Southern California area and beyond. Notable interviewees include Bianca Del Rio, Candis Cayne, Thorgy Thor, Jessica Wild and Margaret Cho.^[30]

In July 2023 Work began hosting More Very Delta, a supplement to the main podcast available exclusively to MOM Plus Gold subscribers.^[31] In the same month, Work won the award for Best Local Radio/Podcast Personality for the Orange County, South Bay and Westside areas in the 2023 Best of the Southland awards, presented by the Los Angeles Times.^[32][33][34]

Music

Delta Work released her debut solo single, "The Walkin' Blues (Walk Right In, Walk Right Out)", on May 12, 2015.^[35] She had previously recorded music as part of The Heathers, with Manila Luzon, Raja, and Carmen Carrera. The group released their debut single "Lady Marmalade" on June 6, 2014.^[36]

On November 16, 2023, Work released the collaborative single "I Want House" with dance music duo BOY2K, based on a viral monologue from Very Delta.^[37]

Personal life

Work works and lives in Norwalk, California, as of 2011.^[38]

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2018	Frankly a Mess	Miss Edamame
2022	Sex with Sue	Herself

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Ref.
2011	RuPaul's Drag Race (season 3)	Herself	Contestant (seventh place)
2011	RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked
2011	The Soup		Episode: "The Soup Awards"
2012	RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars (season 1)		Guest (1 episode)
2018	RuPaul's Drag Race (season 10)		Guest (1 episode)
2019	RuPaul's Drag Race (season 11)		Guest (2 episodes)
2021	NewsBeat		Correspondent	[39]
2023	Gogo for the Gold		Episode: "Heel Appeal"

Music videos

Year	Title	Artist	Notes	Ref.
2014	"Lady Marmalade"	The Heathers		[40]
2019	"Go Fish"	Manila Luzon
	"You Need to Calm Down"	Taylor Swift	Adele impersonator
2020	"Ass Like Mine"	Morgan McMichaels	Herself	[41]
	"Nerves of Steel"	Erasure	Herself	[42]

Web series

Year	Title	Role	Ref.
2013	Ring My Bell	Herself	[43]
2013	Cooking With Needles		[44]
2014-19	Fashion Photo Ruview
2015-2020	Hey Qween!		[45]
2015	Dear Delta		[46]
2016-19	The Pit Stop

Podcasts

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Ref.
2016	RuPaul: What's the Tee?	Guest	Episode: "Theraposer with Delta Work"	[47]
2019, 2021	Race Chaser with Alaska and Willam		3 episodes; Moguls of Media production	[48][49][50]
2020–2023	Very That with Delta and Raja	Co-host	With Raja; 115 episodes; Moguls of Media production	[51]
2020–2022	Sloppy Seconds with Big Dipper and Meatball	Guest	3 episodes; Moguls of Media production	[52][53][54]
2022–present	Very Delta	Host	Moguls of Media production	[51]
2023	Fierce Rivalries	Co-host	With Kelsey Padgett; 24 episodes; Somethin' Else and Sony Music Entertainment production	[55]
2023	I've Had It	Guest	Episode: "Is It Still Mansplaining If You're in Drag? with Delta Work"	[56]
2023–present	More Very Delta	Host	Moguls of Media production; MOM Plus Gold exclusive extension of Very Delta	[31]

Discography

Singles

Year	Title	Album
2014	"Lady Marmalade" (with Raja, Manila Luzon and Carmen Carrera, as The Heathers)	Non-album singles
2015	"The Walkin' Blues (Walk Right In, Walk Right Out)"
2023	"I Want House" (with BOY2K)[37]

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Nominated work	Result	Ref.
2018	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Hairstyling for a Multi-Camera Series or Special	RuPaul's Drag Race (Episode: "10s Across the Board")	Won	[57]
2019	MTV Video Music Awards	Video of the Year	"You Need to Calm Down" (as creative producer)	Won	[58]
		Video for Good		Won
2023	Los Angeles Times Best of the Southland Awards	Best Local Radio/Podcast Personality (Orange County)	Very Delta	Won	[32]
		Best Local Radio/Podcast Personality (South Bay)		Won	[33]
		Best Local Radio/Podcast Personality (Westside)		Won	[34]
		Best Local Radio/Podcast Personality (Overall)		Won	[59]
2024	Queerty Awards	Podcast		Runner-up	[60][61]

References

1. "Adele Brought Her Drag Queen Impersonator on Stage with Her". Harper's BAZAAR. August 8, 2016. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
2. "Gabriel Villarreal". Ancestry Institute. Ancestry. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
3. "Creative Arts Emmy Awards Winners: Anthony Bourdain, Craig Zadan's 'Jesus Christ Superstar' Fittingly Lead Way On Night 2; 'SNL' Tops With 7 Wins – Full List". Deadline. September 10, 2018.
4. Hecht, Evan (October 28, 2021). "Seven drag artist podcasts you need to check out". DBK News. Archived from the original on November 2, 2021. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
5. "Very Delta". YouTube.
6. "Moguls of Media". YouTube.
7. "Very Delta #116 with Psychic Medium Travis Holp: Delta Receives Messages From A Loved One In Spirit". YouTube. November 4, 2024. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
8. "9 "Drag Race" Drag Mothers And Daughters". LOGO News. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
9. Holland, Scott (March 10, 2011). "RuPaul's Drag Race Delta Work Interview". Hotspots Magazine. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
10. Holland, Scott (March 10, 2011). "RuPaul's Drag Race Delta Work Interview". Hot Spots Magazine. Retrieved August 20, 2022. My name was given to me by some queen that hosted a show near where I live. They needed someone to be a Suzanne Sugarbaker character (Delta Burke) and my name came from that. One queen said you are not Delta Burke, you are Delta Work, and the rest is history!
11. "Alexis Mateo: RuPaul's Drag Race Season 3 Contestant - RuPaul's Drag Race (Video Clip)". Logo TV. Archived from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
12. Yang, Bowen; Rogers, Matt. "Every Snatch Game Impersonation on RuPaul's Drag Race, Ranked". Vulture. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
13. "Today in TV History: Manila Luzon, Future 'Drag Race' Lip-Sync Icon, Was Born". Decider. August 10, 2016. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
14. Pitre, Jake (June 7, 2018). "12 Lip Sync Battles that Define 'RuPaul's Drag Race's' Queer Canon". Out. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
15. "RPDR Season 5 Reunion Red Carpet". Tom + Lorenzo. May 3, 2013. Archived from the original on September 3, 2022. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
16. Winfred, Tim (May 7, 2014). "Red Carpet Looks: RuPaul's Drag Race Season 6 Reunion". Retrieved April 15, 2018.
17. "Watch Katya, Bob the Drag Queen, more return for crazy 'RuPaul's Drag Race' season 10 challenge". EW.com. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
18. "Look, we've stayed silent long enough: We need to talk about RuPaul's makeup on 'Drag Race'". Retrieved April 15, 2018.
19. "'RuPaul's Drag Race' 11 episode 1 recap: Which queen was sent packing on 'Whatcha Unpackin'? [UPDATING LIVE BLOG]". Goldderby. February 28, 2019. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
20. Sim, Bernardo. "5 Surprising Things Delta Work Said About 'Drag Race' & RuPaul". Pride. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
21. "RuPaul's Drag Race Wins the Soup Award for Best Sexual Double Entendres". April 2, 2011.
22. WOWPresents (November 19, 2014), RuPaul's Drag Race Fashion Photo RuView w/ Raja & Delta Work - The Instagram Art of Mathu Andersen, retrieved April 15, 2018
23. Logo (August 27, 2016), The Pit Stop w/ Raja and Delta Work | RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Recap (Season 2 Ep1) | Logo, retrieved April 15, 2018
24. Shorey, Eric (November 12, 2013). ""Drag Race" Heather Delta Work On Cover of Magazine For Plus-Sized Women: PHOTOS". NewNowNext. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
25. Wald, Dominique (August 5, 2015). "Workin' it: Drag Queen Delta Work is the headliner of Palouse Pride". Inland 360. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
26. "Watch Adele Invite Her Drag Impersonator Delta Work On Stage". The FADER. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
27. Rawles, Timothy (August 8, 2016). "'Dreamgirl' Delta Work meets Adele on stage at sold out concert in Los Angeles". San Diego Gay and Lesbian News. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
28. "Every celebrity cameo in Taylor Swift's 'You Need To Calm Down' music video". PopBuzz. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
29. "VERY THAT with Delta and Raja | Forever Dog + Moguls of Media". Forever Dog Podcasts. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
30. "Very Delta by Moguls of Media". Apple Podcasts. December 18, 2023. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
31. "@verydeltapod: "Are you a lady like Delta Work ? Looking for a Very Very experience? Well look no further, the first episode of More Very Delta airs tonight at 6pm PT here"". Twitter. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
32. "Delta Work: Local Radio/Podcast Personality - Orange County". Best of the Southland. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
33. "Delta Work: Local Radio/Podcast Personality (South Bay)". Best of the Southland. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
34. "Delta Work: Local Radio/Podcast Personality (Westside)". Best of the Southland. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
35. The Walkin' Blues (Walk Right In, Walk Right Out) - Single by Delta Work, May 12, 2015, retrieved April 15, 2018
36. Lady Marmalade by The Heathers, June 6, 2014, retrieved April 15, 2018
37. "I Want House - EP by BOY2K & Delta Work". Apple Music. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
38. Knittel, Shaun (January 28, 2011). "Start your engines! RuPaul's Drag Race returns". Seattle Gay News. 39 (4).
39. Del Rosario, Alexandra (May 26, 2021). "'NewsBeat': Drag Queens Nina West, Bianca Del Rio & More Unite For News Show From Politicon, EP Clay Aiken". Deadline. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
40. Manila Luzon (June 7, 2014), The Heathers "Lady Marmalade" (Carmen Carrera, Raja, Delta Work & Manila Luzon), retrieved June 18, 2019
41. Fitzgerald, Christina (March 1, 2020). "The Week In Drag – RuPaul's Drag Race Season 12 Is Here! Plus Queerty Winners, Trixie Mattel And Scarlet Envy In The Hot Seat And Sasha Velour Shows Off Their Artistic Side". Socialitelife.com. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
42. Erasure (August 11, 2020). "Erasure - Nerves of Steel (Official Video)" (YouTube video). Archived from the original on August 11, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
43. WOWPresents (May 9, 2013), Delta Work - Ring My Bell, retrieved January 1, 2020
44. WOWPresents (November 13, 2013), Cooking with Sharon Needles - Pad Thai, retrieved June 18, 2019
45. Hey Qween (April 8, 2019), DELTA WORK on Hey Qween! with Jonny McGovern, retrieved June 18, 2019
46. WOWPresents (February 12, 2015), Dear Delta: Don't Be a Dick, retrieved September 14, 2019
47. "RuPaul: What's the Tee with Michelle Visage, Ep 60 - Theraposer with Delta Work". YouTube. May 2, 2018. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
48. "Race Chaser with Alaska and Willam - HOT GOSS #17: A Deep Dive with Delta Work". Stitcher. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
49. "Race Chaser with Alaska and Willam - HOT GOSS #18 ft. Delta Work: Glass Beads, a Phone Call from Slava, and Team Work Makes the Cream Squirt". Stitcher. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
50. "Race Chaser with Alaska & Willam: HOT GOSS #107: Hearts, Farts, and Ginger Drick (w/ Delta Work)". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
51. "VERY THAT with Delta and Raja". Forever Dog Podcasts. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
52. "SLOPPY SECONDS #81 "I Haven't Seen Wicked" (Delta Work, Big Dipper, Meatball)". YouTube. October 19, 2020. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
53. "No Classic Syrup (w/ Delta Work) from Sloppy Seconds with Big Dipper & Meatball". Podbay. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
54. "Sloppy Seconds #282 "Her Body Type Is So Brave" (w/ Delta Work)". YouTube. October 7, 2022. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
55. "Fierce Rivalries, New Podcast From Somethin' Else and Sony Music Entertainment Diving Into the Juiciest Rivals in Pop Culture, Premieres Today". Sony Music. April 18, 2023. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
56. "Is It Still Mansplaining if You're in Drag? with Delta Work". YouTube. June 8, 2023. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
57. "Nominees and Winners". Television Academy. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
58. Smith, Reiss (August 27, 2019). "Taylor Swift made sure MTV gave all her drag queens VMAs too". Pink News. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
59. "Best Local Radio/Podcast Personality - Best of the Best". Best of the Southland. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
60. "@Queerty: "The #Queerties are here! Congrats to @verydeltapod , nominee for PODCAST OF THE YEAR. Vote for all your #LGBTQ+ favorites once a day until voting closes on February 22nd! 🏳️‍🌈🏆🍿"". Twitter. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
61. "Podcast Winners". The Queerties. Retrieved March 28, 2024.

External links

• Gabriel Villarreal at IMDb