“It burns!” It only took two words delivered with such comedic force in the 1999 gay cult classic Trick to propel Miss Coco Peru from New York notoriety to world famous drag performer. As Out on Film reaches into the vault, emerging with some gay-faves as part of this year’s 25th anniversary celebration, Miss Coco and director Jim Fall are scheduled to speak with audience members when Trick screens Wednesday October 10th.
But hold onto your wigs Atlanta . . . that’s not all. Miss Coco also makes her performance debut in Atlanta the next night at Mixx. David Atlanta caught up with Miss Coco to talk about the show, her infamous Trick monologue and just when we can expect the Girls Will Be Girls sequel.
Miss Coco, how are you?
Interrupted by phone recording notification
She was rude! (laughs)
Yes, quite rude. So it’s shocking to me you’ve never been to Atlanta.
No, I’ve never been invited.
(Laughs) Well it’s about time and we’re excited you’re coming.
I’m really excited too.
Well you’ll be here for two reasons, so let’s talk about Trick first. Would you say the cameo in Trick changed your life?
Trick totally changed my life in a lot of different ways. I always think about it. It changed my life because I was a performer in New York and popular in New York but outside of New York, not really. But suddenly I could go to other cities as Coco and people would recognize me and knew who I was because of that monologue in [Trick].
It really opened up the world to me and because of Trick I came out here to work in LA and realized how much I really loved LA so I moved out here. So it really changed my life in a lot of ways.
Speaking of your monologue, how much input did you have in your scene?
I was lucky enough to be working with friends who knew I was a writer and they gave me the bones of a monologue and just said these are the couple of points you have to hit and then I read it and said ‘that’s not funny . . . can I rewrite it?’ (laughs). They said sure, so I rewrote it.
But we had like 5 years trying to get the movie made so I had a long time to memorize it and work on it. Of course the day we filmed it I thought I did the worst job ever and cried myself to sleep that night. But it all worked out in the end.
Those fears were unfounded because it was a total scene-stealer. Other than the Q&A for the film, you’re also performing a show at Mixx. Can you tell us about the show?
I’m coming there finally and I’m very excited to be performing because I’ve had a lot of fans write me over the years when they see me posting about all these other cities and they say ‘why isn’t Atlanta on there’ so now I finally- THEY BETTER COME BY THE WAY. THAT’S ALL I’VE GOT TO SAY! All I need is some queens to go ‘when are you coming to Atlanta’ two weeks after I’ve been there.
I’m doing my sort of best-of show. Whenever I go to a new city I do my best-of show and if they like me and want to have me come again then I’ll come and do a full show. I have more shows that are a bit more theatrical but this will be a combination of 4 of my shows.
Well it sounds like we are getting the best of Miss Coco. Let’s talk about Girls Will Be Girls such a hilarious film. What’s up with the sequel?
It was filmed . . . (laughs) . . . and it was filmed for very little money and Richard Day, who wrote and directed the first film, did the second one as well. This time he had no budget except what we raised on Kickstarter, so he’s having to do everything by himself and that’s why is taking so long to edit it.
It’s one of those things that’s going to take long and there’ll be all this anticipation and hopefully when it’s done it won’t be horrible and disappoint everyone.
I’m sure it won’t be-
If it does . . . lie to me.
Who knows, maybe you’ll be back next year and we’ll be screening it at Out on Film?!
Hopefully.
So, if Miss Coco could makeover any celebrity who would it be and why?
I think I’m far too self-absorbed to makeover anybody. If I’m going to makeover anybody, I need to spend the money on myself. I gotta worry about my tired old drag queen ass (laughs).
But I do feel bad for Lindsay Lohan who just got in another car accident and was arrested but I don’t need to make her over, I’d just like to slap the shit out of her (laughs).
If Miss Coco could write a letter to her 13-year-old self what would it say?
Honestly, I would just say you have no idea how wonderful life is going to be and stop worrying about what those other kids are calling you at school because someday they’re going to apologize . . . which has really happened. A lot of those kids have either written to me or run into me when I’m home visiting family.
I would tell my 13-year-old self that someday you’re going to go back to your old neighborhood and these people are going to congratulate you and you are going to be very nice about it. You’re going to be very ladylike even though you want to take a huge shit on them (laughs).
You were married a few years ago . . . in Spain?
In 2007, I got married to my partner in Spain. My husband Rafael . . . who by the way is not imaginary. I do autobiographical shows where I spill my guts and hearts out on the stage and people come up and ask ‘do you really have a husband named Rafael?’
In one of my shows I talk about performing at Bea Arthur’s memorial. I show a video clip of me at the memorial and some queen comes up and asks ‘did you really speak at Bea Arthur’s memorial’ and I’m like what do I have to do, raise Bea from the dead?
Do you spend a lot of time in Spain?
We do during the summers. A lot of the beaches there are nude so it’s a lot of fun and a lot of uncut cock . . . this is a gay publication, right?
(laughs) Yes, we are!
Whew, here I was talking filthy.
The Atlanta community can take it! We know how to get dirty. Any parting words for people coming out to your show?
Turn off your phone. No texting. No one gives a shit if you’re at my show!
But honestly, I’m really excited to get to Atlanta. I’ve never even been there as a tourist and all I hear about Atlanta is how great it is. I’m ready to experience it finally.
So you need to get some southern food . . . we’ve got some great fried chicken!
Yeah, so when I can’t fit in my dress or come out and puke grease all over the stage, I’ll know who to blame.
Miss Coco will be present for a Q&A for the movie “Trick” with the film’s director Jim Fall October 10th at 9:15pm at the Midtown Art Cinema, followed by an after party at Mixx Atlanta. She’ll also perform her one-woman show at 8 p.m. at Mixx Atlanta on October 11th. Tickets available at Mixx for $25 in advance/ $30 at the door.
