Plasma is the stage name of Taylor Ratliff (born November 6, 1998), an American drag performer, actor, and singer. Plasma is best known for competing on season 16 of ''

RuPaul's Drag Race ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' is an American reality competition television series, the first in the Drag Race (franchise), ''Drag Race'' franchise, produced by World of Wonder (company), World of Wonder for Logo TV (season 1–8), WOW Presents Plus, ...

''.

Early life and education

Ratliff was born in

Austin, Texas Austin ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat and most populous city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and W ...

and grew up in Mount Pleasant, a small rural town in Northeast Texas. After listening to singers like Julie Andrews, Judy Garland, and

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand ( ; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress, songwriter, producer, and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success across multiple fields of entertainment, being the ...

, and participating in junior high theatrical plays, he developed a love of theatre. Ratliff earned a

Bachelor of Fine Arts A Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) is a standard undergraduate degree for students pursuing a professional education in the visual arts, Fine art, or performing arts. In some instances, it is also called a Bachelor of Visual Arts (BVA). Background ...

degree in

musical theatre Musical theatre is a form of theatre, theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, ...

performance from the

University of Oklahoma The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma, United States. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two territories became the ...

Career

After graduating, Ratliff moved to New York City in June of 2021 to start a career in theatre before deciding to engage with the city's resurgent drag scene. Plasma started her New York City drag career at the Lady Liberty pageant hosted by ''

'' alum Brita Filter. Her drag is heavily inspired by the actresses of the Golden Age of Hollywood and seeks to unite vintage and modern American pop culture. Plasma competed on season 16 of ''

''. She won two "maxi challenges" before being eliminated from the competition in the season's ninth episode after a lip-sync contest loss to fellow contestant Mhi'ya Iman Le'Paige to a remix of " Bloody Mary" by

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her image reinventions and versatility across the entertainment industry, she is an influ ...

. She holds the series record for lowest placement by anyone with at least two solo "maxi challenge" wins.

Personal life

Ratliff is based in New York City. His father is a Republican lobbyist in Texas, who has fought against anti-drag legislation. His grandfather is Bill Ratliff, former lieutenant governor of Texas.

Filmography

* ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' season 16 * '' RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked'' * ''

Bring Back My Girls ''Bring Back My Girls'' is a reality television series hosted by American television personality Ts Madison. The first season premiered October 18, 2022 on WOW Presents Plus. The series is formatted as a reunion special, where in every epis ...

Music videos

* " Don't Rain on My Parade" (2024) * "Bloody Mary" (2024) *”Anything Goes” (2024) *”Thanks A Lot But No Thanks” (2025)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Plasma 1998 births Living people American drag queens Drag performers from New York City Drag performers from Texas People from Austin, Texas, by occupation People from Mount Pleasant, Texas RuPaul's Drag Race contestants University of Oklahoma alumni