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D.J. 'Shangela' Pierce

D.J. 'Shangela' Pierce

Actor and producer · Born November 22, 1981 (44) · Paris, Texas, USA

Shangela Laquifa Wadley, commonly referred to as Shangela, is the stage name of D.J. Pierce, a professional drag queen, actor, television personality and comedian from Paris, Texas. Shangela is best known for competing on the 3rd and 4th seasons of RuPaul's Drag Race, returning for the 3rd season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, as one of the hosts of HBO's We're Here, and for his role in the 2018 film A Star is Born.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
November 22, 1981 (44)
From
Paris, Texas, USA
Works as
Actor and producer
Titles
27 on MovieCove · 37 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 65 days to Oct 28Down 18% in 30 days

What are D.J. 'Shangela' Pierce's films like?

Across their 9 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Society.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
45%
Society
27%
Bonds
18%
Morality
10%
Identity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth3 titles, browse their movies with this themePrejudice2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 5 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 3 · Serious 1 · Dark 1

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 3 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 1 · Charged 3 · Intense 1

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

A split, not a type: Steady 3 · Shifting 1 · Whiplash 1

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 2 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 2

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 2 · Even-paced 3 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 3 · Engaged 1 · Full focus 1

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 4 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

1 analyzed role

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
5
Warm
4
Tense
3
Absurd
3
Hopeful
2
Other
10

How their films linger

Feel-good4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet3
  • Ambiguous4

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch D.J. 'Shangela' Pierce's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 20 of their 27 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Hulu (8).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for D.J. 'Shangela' Pierce's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

37 credits, 27 with a MovieCove page; 26 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Magic Hour(2025)

    as Ricky

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • Lone Star Bull (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    as Jordan

  • Turn Up the Love: Connecting to Pride (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Actor

  • Little Demon(2022)

    Show 1 episode · as Queen Inichoochiama (voice)

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows

  • Lovecraft Country(2020)

    Show 1 episode · as Lena Horne

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows

  • We're Here(2020)

    Show 26 episodes · Consulting Producer · Producer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all shows

  • Katy Keene(2020)

    Show 3 episodes · as Deveraux

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all shows

  • Shangela Is Shook (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Director · Executive Producer · Writer · as Self

  • A Black Lady Sketch Show(2019)

    Show 1 episode · as Arms Dealer

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all shows

  • A Star Is Born(2018)

    as Drag Bar Emcee

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Hurricane Bianca: From Russia with Hate(2018)

    as Stephen

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Station 19(2018)

    Show 1 episode · as Ruby Red Slippers

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all shows

  • Forbidden (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Actor

  • Super Drags(2018)

    Show as Donizete

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all shows

  • Straight Outta OZ (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Actor

  • Hurricane Bianca(2016)

    as Stephen

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Kiss Me, Kill Me(2015)

    as Jasmine

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Lavalantula(2015)

    as Neils Elman (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • This Is Drag(2015)

    Thanks · as Self

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Broad City(2014)

    Show 1 episode · as Waitress

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • Cinderoncé (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    as The Fairy Dragmother

  • R.I.P.D.(2013)

    as Drag Queen Avatar (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films

  • LaQuifa is Halleloosin' It! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Makeup & Hair · Producer · Writer · as Self / LaQuifa

  • Farah Goes Bang(2013)

    as Bettina

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Gone With the Wind Fabulous (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    as Hater

  • Jenifer Lewis and Shangela (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Show 4 episodes · Producer · as Shangela

  • 2 Broke Girls(2011)

    Show 1 episode · as Hallelujah

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all shows

  • Detroit 1-8-7(2010)

    Show 1 episode · as Drag Performer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows

  • Terriers(2010)

    Show 1 episode · as Mikaela

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • Community(2009)

    Show 1 episode · as Miss Urbana Champaign

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Glee(2009)

    Show 1 episode · as Shangela Laquifa Wadley

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all shows

  • The Panty Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    as Young Poet

  • RuPaul's Drag Race(2009)

    Show 16 episodes · as Self - Audience Member · as Self - Contestant · as Self - Special Guest · as Shangela Laquifa Wadley

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • Toddlers & Tiaras(2009)

    Show as Shangela - Guest Mentor

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all shows

  • The Mentalist(2008)

    Show 1 episode · as Shangela

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Bones(2005)

    Show 1 episode · as Kimmy Moore

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • The X-Files(1993)

    Show 1 episode · as Annabelle

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

Career shape

Star power in the 75th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 35 titles from 1993 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Magic Hour (2025)

$24K worldwide

Highest rated

We're Here (2020)

Midcredits 66th

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting31 of 35: 30 only acting, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score64thDirecting1 of 35: 0 only directing, 1 with another roleWriting2 of 35: 0 only writing, 2 with another roleProducing4 of 35: 1 only producing, 3 with another roleOther crew2 of 35: 1 only other crew, 1 with another role

35 titles, 3 with more than one role — acting and producing overlap on 1 of them.

By decade

1990s1 · acting2000s6 · acting2010s21 · 18 acting · 4 crew2020s7 · 6 acting · 1 crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do D.J. 'Shangela' Pierce's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 20th percentile, the median of all 9; across their 5 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 24th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

24thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Approval · how many liked their films

30thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Reach · how many have seen their films

39thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Midcredits score across 27 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up9
  • 50th to 74th6
  • 25th to 49th4
  • Below 25th8

Shape of the crowd

14 of their 27 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved6
  • Divisive4
  • Crowd Pleaser2
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed14

Most divisive · actor

This Is Drag (2015)

98th percentile spread · 55% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

A Star Is Born (2018)

Midcredits 95th · 82% liked

Reviewers score the acting 49/100 in their films, across 3 reviewed titles; fans 64, detractors 27. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is D.J. 'Shangela' Pierce's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 27 · mildMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity3 titlesmedian 55 · moderateMedian of all films: 32
Profanity3 titlesmedian 69 · intenseMedian of all films: 36
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 31 · mildMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does D.J. 'Shangela' Pierce work with?

People who share at least 2 of D.J. 'Shangela' Pierce's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Alyssa Edwards shares the most, 2.

Actors

Mixed roles