As part of the Pilot Showcase, Courtney Act is bringing Courtney’s Closet to 10 play, a series where well-known Aussies arrive as themselves, and undergo a major transformation, emerging as their ultimate drag fantasy.
Speaking to 10 play, Courtney's Closet Executive Producer and Roving Enterprises’ Hunter Smith said that the idea came together after he had travelled to Alice Springs with Courtney for The Project in 2021.
“If there’s two things I love on TV it’s a chat show and a big reveal,” Hunter said, “after a few days together, I came away thinking she was the perfect person to combine good conversation with an even better transformation.”
In the pilot, which is free to stream exclusively on 10 play from July 4, Courtney is joined by Have You Been Paying Attention? fave and Rosehaven star Luke McGregor.
“Shooting was an absolute hoot,” Hunter said. “Luke’s drag look was top secret and making sure he didn’t spot himself in any reflective surfaces was a top priority.
“At one point, I had to throw myself in front of a mirror, like a bodyguard taking a bullet for the president… but camp.”
A household name since she burst onto the TV scene during the first season of Australian Idol in 2003. Years later, appearing on Season 6 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, Courtney became a name known around the world — and her star was still on the rise when, in 2018, she won Celebrity Big Brother UK.
A year later, Courtney competed on Dancing With The Stars where she and her partner Josh made history as the first same-sex pairing in the Aussie version of the series.
During DWTS, Courtney performed both in and out of drag, often speaking openly about her journey to accept her gender identity and fluidity with fans across the world.
“Drag is a great way to try out a whole new persona,” Hunter told 10 play. “It may not be a conscious decision but, each day we use our clothes and look to tell the world the sort of person we really are.
“Drag gives you a chance to blow all that up and start again, even if it’s only for a night.”
During the first episode, Courtney explains that being put in drag is something of a privilege. “Especially when it’s the full three-hour transformation,” Hunter added. “This ain’t no Footy Show drag!”
As for future guests Hunter hopes to see Courtney transform, “Two words: Judith Lucy”.
Pilot Showcase premieres Monday, July 4. Free to stream exclusively on 10 play