Wikipedia

Mrs. Kasha Davis

(Redirected from Ed Popil)

Mrs. Kasha Davis is the stage name of Edward Paul Popil Jr.,[1] an American drag queen, actor and television personality from Scranton, Pennsylvania.[2] She is best known for competing on the seventh season of RuPaul's Drag Race and the eighth season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars. After appearing on the reality television show, Mrs. Kasha Davis toured internationally, released several musical singles, and performed in film, television and theatre.[3][4][5]

Mrs. Kasha Davis
Mrs. Kasha Davis at RuPaul's DragCon LA, 2023
Born
Edward Paul Popil Jr.

(1971-03-12) March 12, 1971 (age 53)
Scranton, Pennsylvania, U.S.
EducationMarywood University (BA)
Occupation(s)Drag queen, singer
Websitemrskashadavis.net

Career

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Based in Rochester, Mrs. Kasha Davis frequently performs with long-time collaborators and fellow RuPaul's Drag Race alums Pandora Boxx and Darienne Lake.[6][7] She has performed "Bosom Buddies", a two-woman show with Darienne Lake nationally and internationally.[7][8][9] Prior to Drag Race, Mrs. Kasha Davis starred in and co-wrote the film Mrs. Kasha Davis: The Life of an International Housewife Celebrity with Michael Steck (Pandora Boxx).[10] For fourteen years, Mrs. Kasha Davis has co-written and performed with fellow Rochester-based drag queen Aggy Dune in "Big Wigs", a touring diva impersonation theater show.[11][12]

Mrs. Kasha Davis has performed her one-woman show "There's Always Time for a Cocktail" at Laurie Beechman Theater in New York, as well as venues in San Francisco, Rochester, London and Brighton in the United Kingdom.[6][13][14][15][12] She is also an advocate for and frequent performer in Drag Story Hour, a national event bringing drag queens into libraries and theaters to read books to children.[16][17]

 
Mrs. Kasha Davis at RuPaul's DragCon LA in 2022

Since appearing on RuPaul's Drag Race, Mrs. Kasha Davis is currently starring with Deven Green in WOW Presents Plus series Tails of the City: Pets 4 Pets.[18] She additionally had a supporting role as Vicki Leaks in the film Hurricane Bianca 2: From Russia with Hate[19][20] and hosted the film's Los Angeles premiere.[21]

In June 2019, Mrs. Kasha Davis was one of 37 queens to be featured on the cover of New York Magazine.[22] In 2021, director Angela Washko's documentary film Workhorse Queen premiered at Slamdance Film Festival. The film focuses on Popil's life before and after getting cast on RuPaul's Drag Race.[23] In 2023, Davis was announced as a competitor on the eighth season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars.[24] During Episode Three, she landed in the bottom two alongside Darienne Lake, and the winner of the week's "lip-sync for the win", Jessica Wild (who beat the episode's "lip-sync assassin”, Ra'Jah O'Hara, to Kim Petras’ “Coconuts”), chose Davis to be eliminated, giving her a placement of 10th out of 12 contestants.

Personal life

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Popil was born to Ellen, a cosmetics saleswoman, and Edward Paul Popil Sr.,[25][26] a U.S. Marshal,[27] and is married to Steven Levins, who frequently makes out-of-drag public appearances alongside Davis as "Mr. Kasha Davis". He is a stepfather to his two children, Melissa and Jessica, making him one of the few Drag Race contestants with children.[28][29][30] He and Levins frequently collaborate on music and video content.[31][32] He graduated from Marywood University with a BA in theatre before becoming a principal dancer at the Ballet Theatre of Scranton.[33] He has been sober since July 13, 2015.[34]

From 1988 to 1998, until coming out as gay, he was married to a woman.[35]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2008 Mrs. Kasha Davis: The Life of an International Housewife Celebrity Mrs. Kasha Davis Short film; actor
2018 Hurricane Bianca: From Russia with Hate[36] Vicki Leaks Film; actor
2020 Workhorse Queen[37] Herself Documentary

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2015 RuPaul's Drag Race Herself 11th Place (Eliminated in Episode 5)
2016 Hey Qween! Season 4, Episode 4
2018 RuPaul's Drag Race Season 10, Episode 1[38]
The Browns Guest appearance[39]
2023 RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Contestant[40]
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars: Untucked
Drag Me to Dinner Hulu original[41]

Music videos

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Year Title Artist
2015 "Uptown Fish"[42] Shangela

Web series

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Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2015 RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked Herself
2017 Transformations with James St. James Season 5, Episode 3
2018 Tails of the City: Pets 4 Pets
2019 This Is Shit Host, World of Wonder original
2020 The Golden Pandemic Sophia Starring role [43]
2023 Meet the Queens Herself Stand-alone special
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 8 		[44]
EW News Flash Guest [45]
BuzzFeed Celeb Guest [46]

Discography

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EPs

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Title Release Date Label Formats
It Takes a Lot of Balls to Be a Lady![47] May 8, 2016 Self-released digital download

Singles

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As lead artist

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Title Year Album
"Cocktail" 2015 Non-album singles
"Seasoned Queen"
(featuring Adam Barta)
"Basic" 2018
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Title Year Album
"Can I Get an Amen?"[48]
(RuPaul featuring the Cast of RuPaul's Drag Race Season 7) 		2015 Non-album singles
"One Last Christmas Card"[49]
(Adam Barta featuring Mrs. Kasha Davis, Eureka O'Hara, & Kennedy Davenport) 		2016
"Money, Success, Fame, Glamour" (Disco version)
(with the cast of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, season 8) 		2023

Other appearances

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Song Year Other Artist(s) Album
"Can I Get an Amen"[50] 2014 RuPaul RuPaul Presents: The CoverGurlz 2[51]
"Cocktail - Jared Jones Mojito Radio Mix" 2019 Jared Jones JRED Music Presents... Jared Jones Remixes[52]
"Always Time" 2019 Nico Raimont Popstar[53]
"Free To Be - Brian Cua Club Remix" 2023 Various Artist Free To Be (The Remixes)[54]

References

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  1. ^ "Edward P Popil Jr". Ancestry Institute. Ancestry. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  2. ^ "Q&A with Mrs. Kasha Davis: NEPA native returns home for drag performance | Weekender". www.theweekender.com. 27 December 2016. Archived from the original on 2018-10-13. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
  3. ^ Mar, Pollo Del (2015-05-07). "RuPaul's Drag Race Star Mrs. Kasha Davis: I Predict Pearl Will Win Season 7". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on 2017-09-20. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
  4. ^ "We've Got Your Summer Plans! WOW Presents Plus Summer Sickening Series Coming Soon! Subscribe Today". The WOW Report. 2018-06-26. Archived from the original on 2018-07-10. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
  5. ^ "Rachel Dratch flings Bianca Del Rio to hell in 'Hurricane Bianca: From Russia with Hate' trailer". EW.com. Archived from the original on 2018-07-15. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
  6. ^ a b "Attitude.co.uk | Interview | There's Always Time for a Cocktail with Drag Race's Mrs Kasha Davis". Archived from the original on 2018-10-13. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
  7. ^ a b "In search of sun, two RuPaul's Drag sisters found an opportunity to collaborate – Out & About PV". outandaboutpv.com. 3 February 2018. Archived from the original on 2018-08-06. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
  8. ^ "Mrs Kasha Davis & Darienne Lake In Bosom Buddies em San Francisco, 26 Janeiro 2018 (After-Work Gay) - Actu-Gay.com". Actu-Gay.com (in European Portuguese). Archived from the original on 2018-10-13. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
  9. ^ "Mrs. Kasha Davis and Darienne Lake Bring Their Bosom Buddies Show to NYC". Hornet Stories. 2018-01-27. Archived from the original on 2018-10-13. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
  10. ^ Steck, Michael (2008-10-12), Mrs. Kasha Davis: The Life of an International Housewife Celebrity, Edward Popil, Michael Steck, Greg Meyer, archived from the original on 2012-03-25, retrieved 2018-07-09
  11. ^ BWW News Desk. "BIG WIGS - A Glamorous Rochester Holiday Tradition". BroadwayWorld.com. Archived from the original on 2018-08-19. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
  12. ^ a b "Interview : MRS Kasha Davis". gutter candy. 2015-05-18. Archived from the original on 2018-10-13. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
  13. ^ "Mrs. Kasha Davis: There's Always Time for a Cocktail". Time Out New York. Retrieved 2018-07-09.[permanent dead link]
  14. ^ "A Review of Mrs. Kasha Davis' "There's Always Time For a Cocktail" -". 2016-12-18. Archived from the original on 2018-04-08. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
  15. ^ "Check Out Mrs. Kasha Davis' New Show "There's Always Time for a Cocktail"". The WOW Report. 2016-11-03. Archived from the original on 2022-10-13. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
  16. ^ Peskar, Katie (2017-11-11). "Mrs. Kasha Davis on the importance of drag queens reading books to kids". Archived from the original on 2019-07-03. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
  17. ^ "Drag queen Mrs. Kasha Davis finds her place of peace". Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. Archived from the original on 2020-09-19. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
  18. ^ Desk, TV News. "World of Wonder Announces Sickening Summer Slate Including Nine New Shows Debuting WOW Presents Plus". Archived from the original on 2020-11-09. Retrieved 2018-07-09. {{cite news}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  19. ^ "Bianca Del Rio Takes Russia By Storm in New Trailer for 'Hurricane Bianca: From Russia With Hate'". Billboard. Archived from the original on 2018-07-11. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
  20. ^ Hurricane Bianca: From Russia with Hate (2018), archived from the original on 2023-04-20, retrieved 2018-07-09
  21. ^ "Miss Vanjie Crashes World Premiere Of "Hurricane Bianca: From Russia With Hate"". LOGO News. Archived from the original on 2018-06-24. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
  22. ^ "On The Cover: The Most Powerful Drag Queens In America". Archived from the original on 2019-06-17. Retrieved 2019-06-17.
  23. ^ "Angela Washko Shines a Spotlight on a "RuPaul's Drag Race" Alum in Slamdance Doc "Workhorse Queen"". womenandhollywood.com. Archived from the original on 2021-10-28. Retrieved 2021-10-15.
  24. ^ Nolfi, Joey (April 20, 2023). "'RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 8' cast of returning queens revealed". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
  25. ^ @mrskashadavis (July 19, 2018). "Today at 8:10AM our dad Edward Paul Popil passed away" – via Instagram.
  26. ^ @KashaDavis (March 10, 2016). "HEY QWEEN has a bonus video about me & my beloved mom Ellen. She's always in my heart😘😘👑" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  27. ^ Spevak, Jeff. "Drag queen Mrs. Kasha Davis finds her place of peace". democratandchronicle.com. Democrat and Chronicle. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  28. ^ "What If Noted Drag Queen Mrs. Kasha Davis Performed at the White House? | Metrosource". Metrosource. 2018-06-06. Archived from the original on 2019-02-12. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
  29. ^ "5 "Drag Race" Stars Who Are Parents". LOGO News. Archived from the original on 2021-07-27. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
  30. ^ "Mrs. Kasha Davis talks 'RuPaul's Drag Race' elimination". Houston Chronicle. 2015-04-01. Archived from the original on 2020-11-08. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
  31. ^ Altomonte, Alex (2015-04-22). "10 Things You Never Knew About Mrs. Kasha Davis". Archived from the original on 2019-02-12. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
  32. ^ Cook, Michael. "'RuPaul's Drag Race' Eliminated Contestant Mrs. Kasha Davis -"There's Always Time For A Cocktail"". Archived from the original on 2019-02-12. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
  33. ^ "Carnegie Mellon University – STUDIO Lecture: Mrs. Kasha Davis". Archived from the original on 2020-08-07. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
  34. ^ @mrskashadavis (July 13, 2023). "One day at a time. 8 years today" – via Instagram.
  35. ^ Feeney, Noal (July 25, 2023). "These Drag Queens Are Parents & They Know Exactly Why Kids Love Drag". Romper. Retrieved September 15, 2024.
  36. ^ Musto, Michael (May 21, 2018). "You Won't Believe How Bianca Del Rio Met "Hurricane Bianca 2" Co-Star Rachel Dratch". NewNowNext. Archived from the original on February 19, 2020. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  37. ^ Molloy, Tim (November 30, 2020). "'Greenlight Yourself': Slamdance Unveils Full Lineup, Showcase for Filmmakers With Disabilities". Movie Maker. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  38. ^ Damshenas, Sam (22 March 2018). "Watch Drag Race fan favourites return for the season 10 premiere". Gay Times. Archived from the original on 6 June 2021. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  39. ^ Patterson, Denny (November 11, 2021). "'The Browns' Are Back in Town with a Second Season". Out Front Magazine. Archived from the original on January 10, 2022. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
  40. ^ Nolfi, Joey (April 20, 2023). "RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 8 cast of returning queens revealed". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  41. ^ Rice, Lynette (May 1, 2023). "'Drag Me To Dinner': Hulu Announces Premiere Date For Unscripted Series From Neil Patrick Harris, David Burtka". Deadline.com. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  42. ^ Hinzmann, Dennis (April 8, 2015). "WATCH: Shangela's Bringing You 'Uptown Fish'". Mic.com. Archived from the original on April 11, 2020. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
  43. ^ White, Brett (May 6, 2020). "'Drag Race' Queens Get into 'Golden Girls' Drag for New WOW Presents Plus Pandemic Series [EXCLUSIVE]". Decider.com. Archived from the original on May 23, 2020. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
  44. ^ RuPaul's Drag Race (April 20, 2023), Meet the Queens of All Stars 8! 🌟 | QUEEN RUVEAL | RuPaul's Drag Race AS8 👠✨, retrieved April 20, 2023
  45. ^ Mrs. Kasha Davis on Sobriety and Drag Story Hour Before Drag Race All Stars 8 | Entertainment Weekly. Entertainment Weekly. April 26, 2023. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
  46. ^ The Queens Of "RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 8" Play Who's Who. BuzzFeed Celeb. May 15, 2023. Retrieved 2023-05-18.
  47. ^ It Takes a Lotta Balls to Be a Lady! - EP by Mrs. Kasha Davis, 2016-05-08, archived from the original on 2018-10-23, retrieved 2018-07-09
  48. ^ "WOWPresents Premiere: RuPaul Presents The Covergurlz 2 Music Videos". 2015-03-02. Archived from the original on 2019-12-15. Retrieved 2019-12-15.
  49. ^ "Single - One Last Christmas Card". Spotify. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
  50. ^ "RuPaul Teases "Covergurlz 2," New Album With Season 7 Queens, On Instagram". www.logotv.com. 2015-01-30. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  51. ^ "RuPaul Presents The CoverGurlz2". Spotify. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
  52. ^ "JRED Music Presents... Jared Jones Remixes". Spotify. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
  53. ^ "Popstar Album". Spotify. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
  54. ^ "Free To Be (The Remixes)". Spotify. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
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