Loosey LaDuca
Loosey LaDuca is the stage name of Timothy P. Rinaldi,[3] an American drag performer best known for competing on the fifteenth season of RuPaul's Drag Race. Rinaldi is from Ansonia, Connecticut, and was a construction worker before appearing on Drag Race.
Loosey LaDuca | |
---|---|
![]() Loosey LaDuca at RuPaul's DragCon LA, 2023 | |
Born | Timothy P. Rinaldi April 20, 1989 or 1990 (age 32–33)[1][2] Ansonia, Connecticut, U.S. |
Occupations | |
Television | RuPaul's Drag Race (season 15) |
Loosey LaDuca's original song "Let Loose", which debuted on the show, went viral and received a remix featuring Jan Sport and Lemon. The show was edited to characterize LaDuca as argumentative with the judges and difficult with her costars. Although critics described her as one of the most memorable contestants, she was not selected as a finalist for the season, a decision that LaDuca disagreed with.
Early life, education, and early career
Timothy Rinaldi is from Ansonia, Connecticut, and was born in 1989 or 1990.[1] He attended Ansonia Middle School and high school, where he participated in musical theatre.[1] Rinaldi has been a construction worker in Ansonia.[4][5]
A portrayal of one of Cinderella's sisters for a production of Cinderella at the Downtown Cabaret Theater in Bridgeport made him realize he "had what it took to be a drag queen". He has since performed in many drag brunch shows.[1]
RuPaul's Drag Race and "Let Loose"
Rinaldi competed as Loosey LaDuca on the fifteenth season of RuPaul's Drag Race. She debuted the original song "Let Loose" during the variety show.[4] According to Stephan Daw of Billboard, "Let Loose" went "ultra-viral" following Loosey LaDuca's talent show performance.[6] Sim said the song became "a huge viral hit".[7] Loosey LaDuca released a remix of the song featuring Jan Sport and Lemon.[4]
LaDuca also impersonated Dolly Parton and Joan Rivers on Drag Race. Loosey LaDuca was declared a winner in the fourth and eleventh episodes, and placed in the bottom in the twelfth and thirteenth episodes.[5] She received praise from Kevin Bacon for her performance in Wigloose: The Rusical!, a parody of the 1984 film Footloose.[8] In her first lip-sync, she defeated Salina EsTitties to Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill" (1985).[9] She was eliminated from the competition after losing a lip-sync to "For the Girls" by Hayley Kiyoko against Luxx Noir London.[5]
Paper's Sanda Song said Loosey LaDuca was "one of season 15's most memorable contestants — and for good reason",[10] and Cameron Scheetz of Queerty said she "gave us nothing but real: Real emotion, real drama, real star-power, and real good reality television".[11] Bernardo Sim of Out included her in a 2023 list of ten contestants who received a "delusional" edit on Drag Race and wrote, "Throughout the edit of the show, LaDuca was shown passionately disagreeing with the judges, arguing with other queens over who got second and third top placements, and seemingly not understanding when her costars were just kidding around."[12] Writing for Pride.com, Sim said, "There's absolutely no way that someone can walk away from watching season 15 without remembering how LaDuca was portrayed on the show."[7] Loosey LaDuca has said she felt "robbed" and had earned a spot as a finalist.[13]
Personal life
Loosey LaDuca uses the pronouns she/her in drag; her persona is based on Lucille Ball and the LaDuca dance shoes worn by members of the precision dance company The Rockettes. In addition to her characterizations on Drag Race, Loosey LaDuca has impersonated Cyndi Lauper and Madonna.[1]
Discography
Singles
Title | Year | Album |
---|---|---|
"Let Loose" | 2023 | — |
"Let Loose (remix)" (featuring Jan & Lemon) | — |
As a featured artist
Title | Year | Album | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
"One Night Only" (with the cast of RuPaul's Drag Race, season 15) |
2023 | — | [14] |
"Golden Hips (Ol' Dirty Bitches)" (with Robin Fierce, Jax, and Anetra) |
[15] | ||
"Wigloose: The Rusical!" (with the cast of RuPaul's Drag Race, season 15) |
Wigloose: The Rusical! Album | [16] |
Filmography
Television
Year | Title | Role | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
2022 | RuPaul's Drag Race (season 15) | Herself/Contestant | [17] |
RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked |
Web series
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
2023 | Meet the Queens | Herself | Stand-alone special RuPaul's Drag Race Season 15 |
[18] |
2023 | EW News Flash | Herself | Guest | [19][20] |
2023 | BuzzFeed Celeb | Herself | Guest | [21] |
2023 | MTV News | Herself | Guest | [22] |
2023 | Today with Hoda and Jenna | Herself | Guest | [23] |
2023 | Drip or Drop | Herself | Guest | [24] |
2023 | Whatcha Packin’ | Herself | Guest | [25] |
2023 | Squirrel Friends | Herself | Guest; Podcast | [26] |
See also
References
- Martinez, Eddy (2022-12-26). "Ansonia drag queen set to appear on RuPaul's Drag Race". Connecticut Post. Hearst Communications. Archived from the original on 2023-01-25. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
- @looseyladuca (April 20, 2016). "I turned 100 years old today. Acid peels do WONDERS. 🎂🎉🎈💀" – via Instagram.
- "RuPaul's Drag Race Season 15 Cast Ru-Vue Part 4". Happening Digital. 1 (9): 69. January 2023. Archived from the original on 2023-05-17. Retrieved 2023-05-17.
- "5 Surprising Things Loosey LaDuca Revealed Post-'Drag Race' Exit". Pride.com. Here Media. Archived from the original on 2023-04-04. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
- "Last CT drag queen standing, Loosey LaDuca, sashays away on 'RuPaul's Drag Race'". Hartford Courant. Tribune Publishing. 2023-03-27. ISSN 1047-4153. OCLC 8807834. Archived from the original on 2023-04-03. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
- Daw, Stephen (2023-03-28). "'RuPaul's Drag Race': Loosey LaDuca Still Isn't Over the 'Actually Crazy' Virality of 'Let Loose'". Billboard. Archived from the original on 2023-04-04. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
- Sim, Bernardo (April 18, 2023). "Every 'Drag Race' Season 15 Controversy & Yes, There Were A Lot!". Pride.com. Archived from the original on 2023-05-10. Retrieved 2023-05-17.
- Nolfi, Joey (March 20, 2023). "'Footloose' star Kevin Bacon praises 'Drag Race' Rusical 'Wigloose,' slams anti-drag politics". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 2023-03-22. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
- Duncan, Charlie (2023-03-28). "Loosey LaDuca speaks out on 'devastating' Drag Race exit: 'I did feel robbed'". PinkNews. Archived from the original on 2023-04-04. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
- Song, Sandra (March 28, 2023). "Loosey LaDuca Wants To Build Bridges". Paper. ISSN 1073-9122. Archived from the original on March 30, 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
- Scheetz, Cameron. "Loosey LaDuca on memes, tools, and why letting loose with emotion on 'Drag Race' paid off". Queerty. Archived from the original on 2023-04-08. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
- "10 'Drag Race' Queens Who Got a 'Delusional' Edit On the Show". Out. ISSN 1062-7928. Archived from the original on 2023-03-29. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
- Nolfi, Joey (March 27, 2023). "'Drag Race' star Loosey LaDuca opens up about 'devastating' exit". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 2023-04-05. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
- The Cast of RuPaul's Drag Race (January 7, 2023). "One Night Only". Apple Music (US). Archived from the original on February 16, 2023. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
- The Cast of RuPaul's Drag Race (February 4, 2023). "Golden Girlfriends (Banjo Bitches)". Apple Music (US). Archived from the original on February 16, 2023. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
- The Cast of RuPaul's Drag Race (March 18, 2023). "Wigloose: The Rusical!". Apple Music (US). Archived from the original on April 11, 2023. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
- Mitchell, Harriet (December 13, 2022). "RuPaul's Drag Race makes history with cast announcement for season 15". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on March 15, 2023. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
- MEET THE QUEENS OF SEASON 15! 🚘 | RuPaul’s Drag Race 👠✨. YouTube. December 13, 2022. Archived from the original on 2023-01-09. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
- ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Season 15 Cast Promise "Unhinged" Drama and Twists Ahead | Entertainment Weekly. YouTube. January 6, 2023. Archived from the original on 2023-01-10. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
- Loosey LaDuca Talks Weaponizing Her BFA on 'Drag Race' | Entertainment Weekly. YouTube. December 20, 2022. Archived from the original on 2023-01-04. Retrieved 2023-04-12.
- The Queens Of "RuPaul's Drag Race 15" Play Who's Who. YouTube. January 10, 2023. Archived from the original on 2023-01-11. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
- 15 Things That Could Use a Touch of Drag w/ RuPaul's Drag Race Season 15 Cast | MTV News. YouTube. January 12, 2023. Archived from the original on 2023-03-16. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
- The cast of ‘Drag Race’ season 15 talk life as ‘Ru Girls’ and give their best impersonations. YouTube. January 28, 2023. Archived from the original on 2023-01-11. Retrieved 2023-02-24.
- Ru Paul's Drag Race Queens Rate ICONIC Fits From Other Seasons | Drip or Drop | Cosmopolitan. YouTube. February 4, 2023. Archived from the original on 2023-01-11. Retrieved 2023-02-24.
- Whatcha Packin’ 💝 S15 E13 | RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 15 👠✨. YouTube. March 24, 2023. Archived from the original on 2023-01-11. Retrieved 2023-04-12.
- Blaming It On The Edit with Trixie Mattel & Loosey LaDuca. podcasts.apple.com. April 7, 2023. Archived from the original on 2023-01-11. Retrieved 2023-04-12.