Kelly Mantle

Early life

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

Mantle's uncle was professional baseball player Mickey Mantle, who played for the New York Yankees. Mantle graduated with a BFA in Theatre from the University of Oklahoma. She is the second Drag Race contestant of Native American descent, following Stacy Layne Matthews of season 4, who is Lumbee. She was followed by Trixie Mattel of season 7 and All Stars 3, who is Ojibwe, and Shuga Cain of season 11, who is Apache.

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. 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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

''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. She was eliminated in the first episode, lip-synching to "Express Yourself" against Vivacious.

''The Kelly Mantle Show''

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.

Personal life

Mantle has been dating USMC veteran James Janny since around 2017. For their first date, he invited her to a marine ball in Albany, Georgia, where he was stationed.

Discography

Albums

• Ever Changing (2002)
• Rock-N-Glow (2004)
• Satellite Baby (2006)

Singles

Music videos

Filmography

Film

Television

Web series

Podcasts

Theatre

Awards and nominations

References

References

1. "Kelly Leroy Mantle". Ancestry.
2. "She was always my biggest cheerleader. It's been exactly one month today, and I miss her more than words can say. But I know that her spirit & her love are with me everyday. Happy Mother's Day Linda Lea and to all the Moms with us and beyond, but never far away.".
3. Normal, Abby. (December 29, 2013). "Kelly Mantle Stars on RuPaul's Drag Race". [[Yahoo! Voices]].
4. (2021-11-10). "Native American queens who rocked RuPaul's Drag Race".
5. Bommer, Lawrence. (May 25, 1998). "Mickey Mantle's Nephew Has 2 Gay-Themed Plays in Chicago". [[Playbill]].
6. "About".
7. "Kelly Mantle bio". KellyMantle.com.
8. Deluxe, Bijoux. "Girltalk Magazine". KellyMantle.com.
9. Rauzi, Robin. (October 15, 1998). "Campy Neck-Biting: Physical comedy makes lesbian vampires' rivalry hilarious.". [[Los Angeles Times]].
10. Wadewitz, Mikel. "The Right Kind of Attention". Kelly Mantle website.
11. Debonne, Greg. (2007). "TheBarbarellatones". The Music Manor.
12. Lecaro, Lina. (May 2, 2011). "L.A.'s A Drag: The Reign of Raja, Tranzkuntinental (and Adam Lambert) On Stage and the Dance Floor". [[LA Weekly]].
13. Horbelt, Stephan. (October 13, 2011). "Scream Queens: Meet the Ghouls of Tranzkuntinental". [[Frontiers (magazine).
14. Spargo, Chris. (November 21, 2012). "Tammie Brown's Holiday Show Is The Event of the Season". [[Logo TV.
15. Tapley, Kristopher. (December 9, 2016). "Gender-Fluid Actor Kelly Mantle Makes Oscar History".
16. (November 2, 2021). "Drag Duo Tammie Brown and Kelly Mantle Return for Second Season of 'The Browns'".
17. (April 5, 2022). "Review: Trixie and Katya Go Above and Beyond at Auditorium Theatre".
18. Beard, Lanford. "'RuPaul's Drag Race': Check out the sickening season 6 supertease and meet the queens – EXCLUSIVE VIDEO".
19. (February 26, 2014). "Last Words With RuPaul's Drag Race's Kelly Mantle".
20. "@Drag_Crave: "Kelly Mantle announces her new podcast "The Kelly Mantle Show", executive produced by Trixie Mattel & Katya. Premiering December 11 on Spotify & Apple Podcasts."".
21. (6 November 2017). "I had the most magical weekend at the Marine Corps Ball with my amazing sexy boyfriend Sgt. James Nanney, Jr.".
22. (22 May 2025). "Kelly Mantle Talks Beating Meryl Streep". Monét Talks.
23. Joey Nolfi. (October 29, 2021). "RuPaul's new Christmas movie unites the largest Drag Race cast in history".
24. Rudolph, Christopher. (September 2, 2020). "Tammie Brown Is a Kick-Ass Action Star in "Queen With a Cause"". NewNowNext.
25. (November 11, 2021). "Browning Out (w/ Tammie Brown and Kelly Mantle)". The Dipp.
26. (December 3, 2021). "HOT GOSS #127: Thank You God For All This Pod, The Browns Season 2, and Pegging Advice (w/ Tammie Brown & Kelly Mantle)". Moguls of Media.
27. (July 29, 2022). "HOT GOSS #158: "A Doctor's Note, See You In The Magazines, and an Update From Reseda" (w/ Kelly Mantle)". Moguls of Media.
28. (December 10, 2021). "Kelly Mantle and Tammie Brown". Starburns Audio.
29. (February 11, 2022). "An Actor Prepares (w/ Kelly Mantle)". Moguls of Media.
30. (May 17, 2022). "Eating Cheetos on the Floor of the Met Gala with Kelly Mantle and Katya {{!}} The Bald & The Beautiful".
31. (May 7, 2024). "Kelly Mantle & Two Space Heaters to the Face with Trixie {{!}} The Bald and the Beautiful Podcast".
32. (January 7, 2025). "Kelly Mantle's Trixie the Cable Girl Nightmare with Trixie and Katya {{!}} The Bald and the Beautiful".
33. (July 31, 2023). "Very Delta #55 with Kelly Mantle: "Are You Very Delta Fan Favourite Kelly Mantle?"".
34. (December 11, 2024). "Tammie Brown Spins Kelly's Head Round And Round".
35. Brandenburg, John. (February 25, 1994). "Comedy of Manners Provides Delights". [[The Oklahoman]].
36. Brandenburg, John. (May 13, 1994). "Stone Soup's Blacklisting Era Satire Tries a Bit Too Hard". [[The Oklahoman]].
37. Brandenburg, John. (July 7, 1993). "OU Comedy Rousing Melodrama". [[The Oklahoman]].
38. (September 9, 1995). "OU's "Lysistrata" a Comic Treat". [[The Oklahoman]].
39. (June 27, 1995). "The Nerd delivers guffaws, fun". [[The Oklahoma Daily]].
40. (April 7, 1995). "OU's "Lysistrata" a Comic Treat". [[The Oklahoman]].
41. Smith, Sid. (August 7, 1996). "Chaotic 'Convention' Hopelessly Dated, Unfunny". [[Chicago Tribune]].
42. Smith, Sid. (July 9, 1997). "'Royal' Struggles Under The Weight of Its Ideas". [[Chicago Tribune]].
43. Bommer, Lawrence. (August 15, 1997). "Oklahoma-texas Laugh Track". [[Chicago Tribune]].
44. Jones, Chris. (January 20, 1998). "A Sardonic Look at Hollywood Culture". [[Chicago Tribune]].
45. Shaner, Madeleine. (July 21, 2004). "DEAR BERNARD". [[Backstage (magazine).
46. Titus, Tom. (April 28, 2006). "Comedy, heartache blend in 'Last Easter'". [[Los Angeles Times suburban sections.
47. Holder, Travis Michael. (December 6, 2007). "ALL THIS, AND HEAVEN TOO". Entertainment Today.
48. "Kelly Mantle Theatre Credits and Profile". About the Artists.
49. (April 1, 2010). "Theater Reviews: The Confusion of My Illusion, The Psychic, Sweet Sue". [[LA Weekly]].
50. Morris, Steven Leigh. (July 19, 2010). "Stage Raw: Procreation". [[LA Weekly]].
51. "ACME Comedy Hollywood :: HOLLYWOOD DREAM ROLE!". [[ACME Comedy Theatre]].
52. Gans, Andrew. (September 17, 2012). "Casting Announced for Staged Reading of 'Valley of the Dolls'". Playbill.