Katya Zamolodchikova
American drag queen (born 1982)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Brian Joseph McCook (born May 1, 1982), better known as drag persona Yekaterina Petrovna Zamolodchikova or Katya, is an American drag queen, actor, author, recording artist, podcaster, and comedian. Katya is best known for placing fifth on the seventh season of RuPaul's Drag Race (2015), and she placed as a runner-up on the second season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars (2016). She is also known for appearing in the World of Wonder web series UNHhhh (2016–2023) and the Viceland series The Trixie & Katya Show (2017–2018) with co-host and fellow season 7 alum Trixie Mattel.[2][3] Trixie and Katya often appear together as a popular comedy duo. Katya is a Daytime Emmy Award nominee.[4]
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May 1, 1982
- Drag queen
- comedian
- actor
- reality television personality
- author
- music artist
Katya Zamolodchikova | |
|---|---|
Katya Zamolodchikova in 2018 | |
| Born | Brian Joseph McCook May 1, 1982 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Education | MassArt (BFA) |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2006–present[1] |
| Known for | |
| Title | Miss Congeniality |
| Predecessor | BenDeLaCreme |
| Successor | Cynthia Lee Fontaine |
| YouTube information | |
| Channel | |
| Subscribers | 281k |
| Views | 20 million |
| Last updated: November 21, 2025 | |
| Website | welovekatya |
Early life and education
Brian Joseph McCook was born on May 1, 1982,[5] to Pat (née Moran) and Dan McCook.[6][7] McCook is of Irish descent and was raised Catholic.[8] His father bought him a cheerleader outfit as a child, sparking his interest in dressing up.[9] He described his parents as "accepting" and his father also bought him his first wig.[7][8] He came out as gay at age 15.[10] He has two siblings.[8] McCook was raised in Marlborough, Massachusetts, and graduated from Marlborough High School in 2001.[11] In a 2019 interview, McCook described growing up as "boring, nondescript, [and] a boiler-plate white suburb".[9] He then attended Boston University for one year before transferring to Massachusetts College of Art and Design, where he studied video and performance art with a minor in psychology, and first became interested in drag.[11][12]
Career
Early drag career
McCook created the Russian drag character Yekaterina Petrovna Zamolodchikova in 2006, taking the stage name from a combination of Russian names and one of his favorite gymnasts, Elena Zamolodchikova.[13] When creating his drag character, McCook stated that he was inspired by "female comedians and just funny interesting women like Tracy Ullman, Maria Bamford, Lana Del Rey [and] Amy Sedaris."[14] McCook stated on Drag Race that the Russian-based aspect of his persona was inspired by a professor he had while studying at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, who "never left the house without a full face of makeup [with] six inch stilettos in the snow."[15] McCook is not of Russian descent, but took several Russian language courses and used a cassette tape called "Pronounce It Perfectly" to master the accent.[16]
As Katya, McCook hosted a monthly drag show called "Perestroika" at Jacques Cabaret.[17] Katya became known on the local drag scene in Boston for performing songs by popular Russian artists such as Alla Pugacheva, t.A.T.u. and Glukoza.
RuPaul's Drag Race
Katya auditioned for RuPaul's Drag Race on Logo TV four times before being chosen to participate in season 7.[18] She was first seen auditioning for the show back in Season 3's Casting Extravaganza. She won two challenges before being eliminated in episode 11, finishing in fifth place after losing a lip-sync against Kennedy Davenport. The decision to eliminate her was controversial, as she was popular among viewers.[19] During the Season 7 reunion, she was voted Miss Congeniality by fans. On May 16, 2016, Katya appeared at the finale of RuPaul's Drag Race season 8 to crown the next Miss Congeniality: Cynthia Lee Fontaine. On June 17, 2016, Katya was announced as one of the cast members on the second season of RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars.[20] She placed in the top three times throughout the season, and eventually finished as a runner-up along with fellow contestant Detox.
Other projects
Web series and digital media
McCook launched the YouTube channel welovekatya, where he created several original web series, including RuGRETs, RuFLECTIONS, Drag 101, Total RuCall, and Irregardlessly Trish, an improvised comedy about a Boston hairdresser who lives in a dumpster.[21] He improvises some material and also writes with creative partner Avi Paul Weinstein.[citation needed]
In March 2016, McCook and fellow RuPaul's Drag Race contestant Trixie Mattel debuted UNHhhh, a comedy web series on World of Wonder's YouTube channel.[22] In late 2018, they revived UNHhhh on WOW Presents Plus as well as YouTube.[citation needed] In November 2019, they launched I Like to Watch on Netflix's YouTube channel, in which they react to films and television series available on Netflix.[23]
Television and film
In August 2017, Viceland announced The Trixie & Katya Show, starring McCook and Mattel, which premiered on November 15, 2017.[24]
The following year, McCook appeared in the comedy film Hurricane Bianca 2: From Russia with Hate, directed by Matt Kugelman and starring fellow drag performer Bianca Del Rio.[citation needed]
In 2026, McCook guest-starred as himself in the eighth episode of the fifth season of Hacks, where he appeared opposite the fictional comedian Deborah Vance, played by Jean Smart.[25]
Music
In November 2015, McCook appeared on the Christmas Queens album, performing a parody of "The Twelve Days of Christmas".[26] He later appeared on Mattel's album Homemade Christmas, performing on the song "The Night Before Contact".[27]
In October 2020, McCook announced his debut extended play (EP), Vampire Fitness, which was released on November 13.[28]
Live performances
In spring 2019, McCook announced the comedy tour Help Me, I'm Dying. The tour was filmed during its run and released as a comedy special of the same name. It premiered on OutTV in Canada in October 2019, became available on demand four months later in February 2020, and aired on Logo TV the following month, on March 4, 2020.[29][30]
Podcasts
In 2018, McCook and filmmaker Craig MacNeil launched the podcast Whimsically Volatile.[31] In November 2019, McCook announced on the podcast that he would be leaving the show.[32]
In 2020, McCook and Mattel launched the weekly podcast The Bald and The Beautiful.[33]
In 2024, McCook began hosting the sex-positive podcast Who's the Asshole? for Grindr. Early guests included Orville Peck, Jordan Firstman, Trace Lysette, and Saucy Santana.[34]
Writing and publishing
On July 14, 2020, McCook and Mattel released their first book together, Trixie and Katya's Guide to Modern Womanhood.[35] Published by Plume Books, it debuted at number two on The New York Times Best Seller list in the "Advice, How-To, and Miscellaneous" category.[36]
The following year, in August 2021, the pair launched the Substack advice newsletter Gooped, which ran for nearly a year before ending in July 2022.[37]
Personal life
McCook was raised Catholic.[8][38] He has attempted suicide and said, "I think about suicide every day. ... I've spent a ton of my life extremely suicidal."[39] He is gay.[8] He has been a sex worker where he was paid to have sex with men while dressed in drag.[39]
McCook has spoken openly about his experiences with substance abuse, including addiction to alcohol, cocaine, and crystal meth.[40] In January 2018, McCook announced a hiatus from drag for mental health reasons, and his comedy tour as Katya, "Help Me, I'm Dying", was postponed until spring 2019.[41][42] In the first episode of Whimsically Volatile in March 2018, McCook discussed the hiatus in detail. He described suffering a psychotic break after a methamphetamine relapse and briefly returning to live with his family in Massachusetts before entering a rehabilitation center in Arizona.[43] As Katya in a 2022 episode of UNHhhh, McCook shared that he had gotten his tattoos during a manic episode while on drugs but that he did not regret getting them.[44] In April 2024, McCook announced that he would be returning to rehab, postponing upcoming "The Bald and The Beautiful" tour dates.[45]
McCook became friends with Brian Firkus (Trixie Mattel) after they starred on the seventh season of RuPaul's Drag Race. Reflecting on their first joint appearance on World of Wonder's Fashion Photo RuView web series, McCook said: "We weren't that close of friends in the beginning, we didn't know that much about each other. It was never pitched as 'two iconic best friends', it actually turned into a close friendship."[46]
McCook can speak French.[47] While he often performs Russian songs, he is not fluent in the language.
McCook underwent hip replacement surgery in 2023.[48][49]
In 2025, McCook spoke out against the mass deportations of immigrants and condemned ICE.[50]
In June 2019, a panel assembled by New York magazine ranked McCook 13th on its list of the 100 most powerful drag queens in America, a ranking of former RuPaul's Drag Race contestants.[51]
In December 2020, McCook and Mattel co-hosted the 10th Streamy Awards in Los Angeles.[52]
Filmography
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | RuPaul's Drag Race | Herself (in drag) | Season 3 - Episode 1, audition clip | |
| 2015 | RuPaul's Drag Race | Herself (in drag) | Season 7 – placed 5th, won Miss Congeniality | [53] |
| RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked | Herself (in drag) | Season 7 | ||
| 2016 | RuPaul's Drag Race | Herself (in drag) | Season 8, Episode 10: "Grand Finale" | [54] |
| Gay for Play Game Show Starring RuPaul | Herself (panelist) | Season 1, Episode 2: "Featuring Amber Rose" | [55] | |
| RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars | Herself (in drag) | Season 2 – Runner-up Season 8 – Special Guest; Episode: "Carson Kressley, This Is Your Gay Life" |
[56] | |
| 2017 | Playing House | Herself (in drag) | Season 3, Episode 8: "Reverse the Curse" | |
| Christmas Queens | Herself (in drag)/Trish | Holiday special | ||
| @midnight | Herself (in drag) | Season 4, Episode 121 | ||
| 2017–2018 | The Trixie & Katya Show | Herself (co-host in and out of drag) | Co-host, 9 episodes | |
| 2018 | America's Next Top Model | Herself (in drag) | Cycle 24, Episode 6 | |
| RuPaul's Drag Race | Herself (in drag) | Season 10, Episode 1 | ||
| Room 104 | Ochin'priyatna | Season 2, Episode 3: "Swipe Right" | ||
| 2019 | Tales of the City | Wedding officiant | Episode 7: "Next Level Sh*t" | |
| RuPaul's Drag Race UK | Herself (in drag) | Season 1, Episode 6 | ||
| Help Me, I'm Dying | Herself (in drag)/Trish | Television comedy special | [30] | |
| EastSiders | Summer Clearance | 2 episodes | ||
| 2020 | AJ and the Queen | Magda | Episode 2: "Pittsburgh" | |
| Love, Victor | Herself (in drag) | Season 1, Episode 8: "Boys' Trip" | ||
| 2021 | Full Frontal with Samantha Bee | Herself (in drag) | Season 6, Episode 2 | |
| Lucifer | Drag Queen | Season 6, Episode 2: "Buckets of Baggage" | [57] | |
| The Browns | Matchmaka | Season 2, Episode 5: "Family Function" | ||
| 2022 | Ziwe | Herself (in drag) | Season 2, Episode 6: "Gay Pride!" | [58] |
| Trixie Motel | Herself (in drag) | Episode 8: "Pride Grand Opening" | [59] | |
| RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race | Herself (in drag) | Season 2, Episode 4: "Drag Duet" | [60] | |
| Dr. Jackie: Unlicensed Psychotherapist | Herself (in drag) | Episode 1 | [61] | |
| Sketchy Queens | Herself (out of drag) | Episode 3: "Stage Moms Are People Too" | ||
| The Boulet Brothers' Dragula: Titans | Herself (in drag) | Episode 6: "The Ugly Ladies of Wrestling Rematch!" | [62] | |
| From Katya with Love | Herself (co-host) | 8 episode reality series on OutTV USA | [63] | |
| 2023 | Dirty Laundry | Herself (in drag) | Season 3, Episode 3: "Who Came Out to Their High School Girlfriend Via Jesus Christ?" | [64] |
| The Boulet Brothers' Halfway to Halloween TV Special | Herself (in drag) | Halloween special | ||
| Trixie & Katya Live: The Last Show | Herself (in drag) | Veeps special | ||
| 2025 | After Midnight | Self (out of drag) | Panelist, Season 2, Episode 51 | [65] |
| 2026 | Very Important People | Linda Elizabeth Marie Baintree | Season 3, Episode 12: "Linda Elizabeth Marie Baintree" | [66] |
| Hacks | Herself (in drag) | Season 5, Episode 8: "The Cube" | [67] |
Web series
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | RuFLECTIONS | Herself (in drag) | Chronicling her time on RuPaul's Drag Race season 7 | [68] |
| RuGRETS | [69] | |||
| Irregardlessly Trish | Trish | Series following one of her alter-egos, Trish | [70] | |
| Bestie$ for Ca$h | Herself (in drag) | 1 episode | [71] | |
| Transformations | Herself (out of drag) | 1 episode | [72] | |
| Fashion Photo RuView | Herself (in drag) | Guest co-host for one episode (with Trixie Mattel) | [73] | |
| 2015-2016 | Whatcha Packin' | Herself (out of drag) | 2 episodes | |
| 2016 | I'm Not a Doctor, with Dr. Katya | Herself (in drag) | Produced by World of Wonder | [74] |
| Drag 101 | [75] | |||
| Total RuCall | Chronicling her time on RuPaul's All Stars Drag Race season 2 | [76] | ||
| 2016–2017 | Hey Qween! | 2 episodes | ||
| 2016–2023 | UNHhhh | Herself (co-host in drag) | Produced by World of Wonder, with Trixie Mattel | [77] |
| 2017 | Painted by Fame | Herself (out of drag) | 1 episode | [78] |
| 2017, 2019–2022 | The Pit Stop | Herself (in drag) | 6 episodes | |
| 2018 | Fashion Photo RuView | Guest co-host for four episodes (with Violet Chachki) | [79][80] | |
| 2019 | Exposed | 1 episode | [81][82] | |
| Runway Rewind | Guest co-host for four episodes (with Violet Chachki) | |||
| 2019–present | I Like to Watch | Herself (co-host in drag) | Produced by Netflix, with Trixie Mattel | [83] |
| 2020 | Trixie and Katya Save the World | Produced by World of Wonder | [84] | |
| 10th Annual Streamy Awards | Co-host in drag with Trixie Mattel, aired on YouTube | [85] | ||
| 2021 | Out of the Closet | Herself (out of drag) | 1 episode | [86] |
| 2022 | Good for You | Herself (in drag) | ||
| 2023 | Sissy That Talk Show | |||
| Sissy That Talk Show/The After Show Podcast | ||||
| I've Had It | Herself (out of drag) | |||
| Just Sayin' | ||||
| 2024 | That's Personal! | Herself (in drag) | ||
| Very Delta | ||||
| Tammie Talks | Herself (out of drag) | |||
| Raw & Real: The Truth Be Told | Herself (in drag) | |||
| The Comment Section | Herself (out of drag) | |||
| 2025 | The Kelly Mantle Show | |||
| RnR with Courtney Act | ||||
| Criterion Closet Picks | ||||
| GymCastic | ||||
| Amy's Dead-End Dreamhouse | Herself (in drag) | [87] | ||
| Wild Wild Web | Herself (out of drag) | |||
| Monet Talks | ||||
| 2026 | Boyfriend Material with Harry Jowsey | |||
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Redmond Hand, Private Dick | Informant | Short film | [88] |
| 2017 | Sebastian | Xenia | [89] | |
| 2018 | Hurricane Bianca 2: From Russia with Hate | Katya/Mitya | [90] | |
| The Quiet Room | David | Short film | [91] | |
| 2019 | Trixie Mattel: Moving Parts | Herself | Documentary | |
| The Queens | Herself | [92] | ||
| Ru's Angels | The Wig Snatcher | Short film | [93] | |
Podcast series
| Year | Title | Role | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-2019 | Whimsically Volatile | Herself | |
| 2020–present | The Bald and the Beautiful | [94] | |
| 2021 | Hot White Heist | Sorokin | [95] |
| 2024–present | Who's the A**hole? | Host/Herself | |
| 2024 | Hot White Heist 2 | Sorokin |
Music videos
| Year | Title | Other artists |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | "Drag U" | RuPaul |
| "12 Days of Christmas" | ||
| 2016 | "Thigh High" | Electric Street Queens |
| 2020 | "Come in Brazil" | Alaska Thunderfuck |
| "Ding Dong!" | Trixie Mattel | |
| "Be Your Own Dentist" | ||
| 2022 | "Muscle Queen" | Vigiletti and Yangabang |
| 2024 | "O mio babbino caro" | Sapphira Cristál |
Discography
Extended plays
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Vampire Fitness |
|
| Vampire Fitness (Remixed) |
|
Singles
As lead artist
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Come in Brazil" (featuring Alaska Thunderfuck) |
2020 | Vampire Fitness |
| "Ding Dong!"[96](Vigiletti Remix) (featuring Trixie Mattel) |
2021 | Vampire Fitness (Remixed) |
As featured artist
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Comedy Digital [97] | |||
| "Read U Wrote U" (RuPaul featuring the Cast of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars season 2) |
2016 | — | Non-album single |
| "The Night Before Contact" (Trixie Mattel featuring Katya Zamolodchikova) |
2017 | 5 | Homemade Christmas |
Guest appearances
| Title | Year | Other artist(s) | Album | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Drag U"[98] | 2015 | RuPaul | RuPaul Presents: CoverGurlz 2 | [99] |
| "12 Days of Christmas" | N/a | Christmas Queens | [100] | |
| "Merry Christmas, It's Whateva" (as Trish) |
2016 | N/a | Christmas Queens 2 | [101] |
| "Bossa Nova Christmas in Outer Space" | Jackie Beat | [101] | ||
| "Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel" | 2017 | Christmas Queens 3 | ||
| "I.D.F.T. (The Secret Track)" | 2021 | Leigh Allyce Canali | Light and Dark | [102] |
| "Random Ru Girl" | Ginger Minj, Stacy Layne Matthews and Eureka O'Hara | Gummy Bear | ||
Awards and nominations
Daytime Emmy Awards
| Year | Award | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Outstanding Makeup | EastSiders | Nominated | [4] |
Queerty Awards
Streamy Awards
| Year | Award | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Show of the Year | UNHhhh | Nominated | [109] |
| 2019 | Unscripted Series | Nominated | [110] | |
| 2020 | Won | [111] | ||
| Show of the Year | Nominated | [111] | ||
| 2021 | Nominated | [112] | ||
| Unscripted Series | Nominated | |||
| 2022 | Nominated | [113] | ||
| Editing | Nominated | |||
| Show of the Year | Nominated | |||
| 2023 | Nominated | [114] | ||
Webby Awards
| Year | Award | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Webby Awards | ||||
| 2022 | Podcasts, Best Podcast Ad | The Bald and the Beautiful | Won | |
| 2023 | Social, Television & Film (Video) | I Like To Watch | Won | |
| 2024 | Social, Television & Film | Won | ||
| Podcasts, Comedy | The Bald and the Beautiful | Won | ||
| 2025 | Won | |||
| People's Voice | ||||
| 2022 | Podcasts, Best Podcast Ad | The Bald and the Beautiful with Trixie and Katya | Won | |
| Social, Arts & Entertainment (Video) | I Like To Watch | Won | ||
| 2023 | Social, Television & Film (Video) | Won | ||
WOWIE Awards
| Year | Award | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Best Podcast | Whimsically Volatile | Won | [115] |
| 2020 | Outstanding Actor | Love, Victor | Nominated | [116][non-primary source needed] |
Miscellaneous awards and honors
| Year | Organization | Award | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Canadian Podcast Awards | Outstanding Foreign Series | The Bald and the Beautiful | Won | [117] |
| 2023 | Signal Awards | Best Video Podcast | Bronze | [118][119] | |
| Best Co-Host Team | Gold | ||||
| Best "Stan" Podcast | Silver | ||||
| Best LGBTQ+ Podcast | Silver | ||||
| Shorty Awards | Comedy Podcast | Audience Honor | [120][121] | ||
| GLAAD Media Awards | Outstanding Podcast | Nominated | |||
| 2026 | Pending | ||||
Bibliography
- Trixie and Katya's Guide to Modern Womanhood. Plume. 2020. ISBN 9780593086704.
- Working Girls: Trixie and Katya's Guide to Professional Womanhood. Plume. 2022. ISBN 9780593186114.
