Kelly Mantle

Last updated

Kelly Mantle
Kelly Mantle COAW Premiere (cropped) 2.jpg
Mantle in 2014
Born
Kelly Leroy Mantle [1]

(1976-07-09) July 9, 1976 (age 48)
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, US
Education University of Oklahoma (BFA)
Occupation(s)Actor, drag queen, singer-songwriter, musician, comedian
Years active1996–present
Family Mickey Mantle (uncle)
Musical career
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar, drums
Website kellymantle.com

Kelly Leroy Mantle (born July 9, 1976) is an American actor, singer-songwriter, comedian, musician, drag queen, and reality television personality. Mantle appeared as a contestant on the sixth season of the reality TV show RuPaul's Drag Race .

Contents

Early life

Mantle was born to Larry James and Linda Lea Mantle [2] in Oklahoma City but grew up in New Cordell, Oklahoma. [3] She has a brother, Garrette. She self-identifies as being of Cherokee descent from Oklahoma. [4]

Mantle's uncle was professional baseball player Mickey Mantle, who played for the New York Yankees. [5] [6] Mantle graduated with a BFA in Theatre from the University of Oklahoma. [7]

Career

After college, Mantle went to Chicago to begin a career as an actor. She acted in plays such as The Convention and Royal Flush. [8] [9] Lone Star/Laundry & Bourbon was the first production by OKRA Theatre, a theater company started by Mantle and her friend Tracy Parks, who directed the play. [10] [11]

In 1998, Mantle starred in the Chicago production of Charles Busch's play Vampire Lesbians of Sodom . [12] After two years of living in Chicago, she moved to Los Angeles. [10] She later auditioned for the Los Angeles production of Vampire Lesbians of Sodom, where she was scouted and signed by a talent agent. [13]

In Los Angeles, Mantle became a member of the band Sex with Lurch, which was formed by singer Robbie Quinne and guitarist Bernard Yin. As part of the group, Mantle used the stage name "Brandy Warhol". The group disbanded in December 2002. Mantle later joined Quinne's follow-up band, the Barbarellatones. [10] [14]

Mantle was also a member of the band Tranzkuntinental. The band was started by Charlie Paulson and Xander Smith and features drag queens Detox, Rhea Litré, Vicky Vox, and Willam Belli. [15] [16]

Currently, Mantle is a member of the band the Rollz Royces with Tammie Brown and Michael Catti. Mantle and Catti have appeared in Tammie Brown's Christmas show Holiday Sparkle at Fubar in West Hollywood. [17]

In 2014 Mantle starred in Confessions of a Womanizer with Gary Busey. The film was released in 2016. Mantle, who is genderfluid, made history when the film's producers sought both supporting actor and supporting actress consideration for her performance and The Academy granted the request. [18]

Mantle starred as Sheila on both seasons of the OutTV and Amazon Prime sitcom The Browns alongside Tammie Brown [19] and in 2022 supported Trixie and Katya on their tour Trixie and Katya Live. [20]

On December 11, 2024 the first episode of Mantle's podcast The Kelly Mantle Show, executive produced by Trixie and Katya and hosted on the Studio71 network, was released. [21]

RuPaul's Drag Race

In December 2013, Logo announced that Mantle was among fourteen drag queens who would be competing on the sixth season of RuPaul's Drag Race. [22] She was eliminated in the first episode, lip-synching to "Express Yourself" against Vivacious. [23]

Discography

Albums

Singles

SongYearAlbum
"My Neck, My Back (Lick It)"2013Non-album single
"Main Event"2014RuPaul Presents: The Covergurlz
"Eliminated" (featuring Bownce and Wendy Ho)Non-album single
"Keyboard Courage"2015Non-album single

Music videos

SongYearDirector
"Satellite Baby"2007
"My Neck, My Back (Lick It)"2013Andrew Putschoegl
"Main Event"2014
"Eliminated"2014Kija Manharé
"Keyboard Courage"2015Gordon Cowie

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2000 The Convent Dickie-Boy
2000True RightsCleo
2000Super DuperMaddieShort film
2002SuperfagApacalipstickShort film
2004Straight Eye: The MovieHerselfShort film
2004Buds for LifeSierra Bonita
2006 The Boys & Girls Guide to Getting Down Drag Queen
2013American DreamKatrinaPost-production
2013 Confessions of a Womanizer Ginger
2021 The Bitch Who Stole Christmas [24] Wistful Woman/Madelyn

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1999 Undressed HowieEpisode: "Love It or Leave It Again"
2003 NYPD Blue Dan "Monika" Hoffnagle2 episodes
2003 Nip/Tuck Transgender Woman No. 2Episode: "Sofia Lorez Part II"
2003 10-8: Officers on Duty RavenEpisode: "Badlands"
2003 Cold Case Drag Performer No. 2Episode: "A Time to Hate"
2003 Just Shoot Me! Robert 'Nina Man Horn'Episode: "The Goodbye Girl"
2004 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation BartenderEpisode: "Ch-Ch-Changes"
2004 Judging Amy VelvetEpisode: "Order and Chaos"
2005 George Lopez Deep Voice SingerEpisode: "George Buys a Vow"
2005 Eve RudyEpisode: "Moral Minority"
2005 Cuts PeterEpisode: "Strictly Bizz-Nass"
2008 The New Adventures of Old Christine SparkleEpisode: "Happy Endings"
2009 Southland LaceyEpisode: "See the Woman"
2011One Night Stand UpHerselfEpisode: "Dragtastic NYC"
2011 Mike & Molly StevenEpisode: "Joyce & Vince And Peaches & Herb"
2011 Curb Your Enthusiasm KellyEpisode: "Palestinian Chicken"
2012 Eagleheart 'MaphEpisode: "Little Dude"
2012 Rizzoli & Isles KittyEpisode: "Melt My Heart to Stone"
2012 The New Normal AubreyEpisode: "Pilot"
2014 RuPaul's Drag Race Herself Season 6; 13th/14th place (2 episodes)
RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked 1 episode
2016 Gay for Play Game Show Starring RuPaul 1 episode
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Episode: "Revenge of the Queens"
2018 Lucifer Donovan McCann / CherEpisode: "Let Pinhead Sing!"
2019 Modern Family Drag QueenEpisode: "The Last Halloween"
2020–21The BrownsSheila2 seasons

Web series

YearTitleRoleNotesRef.
2013Love On-The-LineHimselfSeason 1, Episode 9: "The Meet-Cute Part II"
2020Queen With a CauseHerselfEpisode: "Palm Oil" [25]
2023Bodyody of WorkHerselfEpisode: "Kelly Mantle Breaks Down Her Acting Career"

Podcasts

YearTitleRoleRef.
2023 Very Delta Guest [26]
2024-presentThe Kelly Mantle ShowHost [27]

Theatre

YearTitleRoleTheatre
1994Eastern Standard [28] Peter KiddeRupel Jones Theatre
1994Red Scare on Sunset [29] MalcolmSooner Theatre
1994The Foreigner [30] Ellard SimmsRupel Jones Theatre
1994Holdenville [31] Rupel Jones Theatre
1995The Nerd [32] Willum CubbertWeitzenhoffer Theatre
1995 Lysistrata [33] Weitzenhoffer Theatre
1996The Convention [8] Sammy WilcoxThe Comedy Asylum
1997Royal Flush [9] CamilleAthenaeum Theatre
1997Lone Star/Laundry & Bourbon [11] Ray/HattieOKRA Theatre
1998Four Dogs and a Bone [34] VictorCafe Voltaire
1998Vampire Lesbians of Sodom [12] MadeleineAaah! Capella Theatre Cafe
2004Dear Bernard [35] Jon MeshelleCourt Theatre
2006Last Easter [36] GashLaguna Playhouse
2007All This, And Heaven Too [37] JoMacha Theatre
2008The Facts of Life: The Lost Episode [38] Blair Warner Macha Theatre
2010The Confusion of My Illusion [39] One-person show Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center
2010Love, Connie [40] BambiCavern Club
2011Hollywood Dream Role [41] ACME Comedy Theatre
2011Charlie! The Death of Nancy Fullforce [38] Kitty GlitterArt/Works Theatre
2012Valley of the Dolls [42] Sacred Fools Theater Company

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References

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