Jackie Cox is a Canadian drag queen who made her name in the States before taking her act worldwide on the 12th season of RuPaul’s Drag Race in 2020, one of the most-talked-about shows of the past few years. The second Canadian to ever appear on the show, she finished fifth in the series and broke new ground for the show when she appeared in its first-ever Muslim-inspired outfit – a stars-and-stripes kaftan and hijab — the response to which caused some controversy. Cox has cemented a major following since the show aired, and is fast approaching 600,000 Instagram fans.
Cox was born Darius Rose in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 1985. As a teenager, she moved nearly 6,000 miles southwest to study at the University of Los Angeles’ School of Theatre, Film & Television. After graduation, she moved back north to New York, the heart of American theatre, hoping to establish herself as an actor — she had already appeared in numerous high school productions, including Les Miserables and Bat Boy. In her mid-twenties, she discovered drag and Jackie Cox was subsequently born. Her first performance in her new character was at an event called So You Think You Can Drag at the off-Broadway New World Stages theatre in New York. She later starred as Kenneth/Kate Marlowe in the off-Broadway hit Make Me Gorgeous at Playhouse 46.
With her groundbreaking appearance on RuPaul’s Drag Race, Cox’s career moved to the next level. A talented singer, she has also released several singles, many with her fellow Drag Race cast members but also one solo single, You Wish! With so many different talents and a lack of fear to push boundaries, Cox is now established as one of America’s foremost drag queens.
