Beautiful. Youthful. All natural. Classy dame. L’Acadie baddie. These are just a few ways to describe Sami Landri, Canada’s Drag Race season six runner-up and fan-favourite, whose trash-chic style and desperate need for “et tu cigarette” has stolen the hearts of our nation. And maybe our wallets, too

The Dieppe native is both the first Acadian queen to grace the workroom of Canada’s Drag Race, as well as the first from New Brunswick. Winner of season six’s Fan Favourite award, Landri’s first brush with fame actually came well before her time on the show. TikToks of the queen asking for a cigarette in a thick Acadian accent, enshrouded in darkness, decked out in cheetah print glam and a strong, overlined lip garnered millions of views and likes across platforms.

In other videos, she channels the spirit of a middle-aged conservative Quebecois diva (still in full trash-glam in complete darkness), declaring her pronouns “QUE/BEC. EN/FRANCAIS.”

Landri uses her off-the-wall sense of humor, internet savvy, Acadian culture and Venus-like beauty to create something mesmerizingly unique. Something Sami.  

The Watch chatted with Sami Landri from her new hometown of Montreal to talk life post-Drag Race, the Maritimes, cigarettes and beauty advice. Get it while it’s hot. 

SALLY SKINNER: Season six of Canada’s Drag Race just finished airing. How’s it been going?

SAMI LANDRI: It’s been quite busy. One of the reasons why I did it was to further my career, and my career is being furthered, for sure. I’m heading to Ottawa tomorrow. I was in Moncton for the finale. A lot of inquiries all around, which is really great. Actually, I just announced that I’ll be doing a big show at the Club Soda, which is a really huge venue here in Montreal. I’m really excited about that one, ’cause it’s my show, Sami Party, which I have been on tour with, and to bring it back to Montreal, it’s such a great venue. It’s, like, major.

SS: How does it feel to be both the first Acadian and New Brunswicker on the show?

SL: It feels great. It’s such a measure, it’s such a huge representation. Even in Canada, not a lot of people know what Acadians are. They might have heard of it, but don’t know much more than that. And so to have the opportunity to show it is really great for me. And being the first New Brunswicker is huge as well because I think when people think of drag, they think of it as something that only exists in large urban centers. I started my drag with the scene that exists in Moncton, and it’s growing in Moncton today. So it’s great representation, as well as a great platform.

SS: How did growing up Acadian in the Maritimes influence your sense of humor?

SL: My culture and my background is so integral to what I do, and it’s not even on purpose, you know. It’s not like I sit down, and I try to figure out how I can incorporate it. It just comes out naturally. To me, my Acadian-ness and my Maritimer-ness, is at the forefront of what I do. My drag would not be anything like it is without me being so Maritimer and so Acadian. And so to me, it’s really important to put that right to the forefront.

SS: Why does local drag in the Maritimes matter?

SL: I’m of the belief that drag is one of the ultimate representations of its region. When you travel from city to city, from place to place, the drag changes. It’s a reflection of where it is. For the Maritimes, its reflection through drag is great because one of the roles that drag plays is to mock society, to kind of play the clown. And to make fun of — heavy on the fun — society and stuff going on around it. The Maritimes having their version of drag, so they can also have that mirror where we can laugh at each other, is all in good fun.

SS: What’s the secret to natural beauty?

SL: A little mascara and a little lip gloss can go a long way, but the true secret is a smile.

SS: Which was your favourite of your looks this season? 

SL: My “Perp Walk to Remember.” The big lips and the botched body and all that. I thought that was just so fun, and I love the silhouettes and I love the construction of it. And I think my actual, top favorite one was my finale dress for the final runway. Purely because I think it’s so cool that it’s Sami Landri at its highest degree. It could not have been more perfect of a look, because it’s all the elements of what I do, but put through the lens of high drag.

SS: Best kind of cig?

SL: A lot of people have been giving me the skinny European ones with menthol lately. You can’t get those in Quebec anymore. I really enjoy those. They’re fresh, fresher.

SS: You were at the Canadian premiere of Heated Rivalry. How was that?

SL: It’s funny because I had no context. I didn’t know what it was. I had seen some posts about it because the premiere happened a week before it freaking blew up online. I had seen that there was this new hockey gay show coming out. So when I got the invite, I was like oh, that’s cool. But when I got there, the auditorium was full. There were invites, but there were also people who bought tickets for the premiere, and it was just packed full of teenage girls. And they were freaking out at every moment. I was like: Oh, that’s exciting. I think this show is gonna be quite popular. And actually, I remember the creator, Jacob Tierney, at the beginning, he’s making a speech, and he saying something like, “a few years ago, a show called Schitt’s Creek, a Canadian TV show, took over the world by storm, and I’m telling you now, this show is gonna do the same.” And part of me was like: yeah, right.

SS: Would you ever go back to Drag Race for an All Stars season?

SL:  I would do it if the timing was right. Yeah. What’s fun about doing the Drag Race multi-industrial complex is that there’s so many routes to come back. It can be [Global All Stars], it can be yada yada. There’s so many different ways to come back. I want to do it again because it was such a positive experience for me, but I would evaluate if the timing and the context is right.

SS: Describe Sami Landri in one song. 

SL: Give Me More by Britney Spears.

SS: Do you think your experience on Canada’s Drag Race has changed Sami Landri, or made her more herself?

SL: Sami Landri has evolved. And to me, that’s so important because we have to evolve as people, obviously. Doing this show, this boot camp of drag, definitely made me evolve exponentially. It’s been great, actually. I’ve grown so much as a person, as an artist, as a drag queen. It’s sharpened my perception of what I do. It’s sharpened my taste. It’s sharpened my brand. When I [started Drag Race], one of the comments that I got a lot was that I know my character, that I have a distinct identity. And now that I’ve done it, I feel like it’s even more sharp. I know my drag identity even more. And to me, it’s even more precise.

SS: Any plans to visit Halifax anytime soon?

SL: Oh, absolutely. Me and my team have been working really hard, taking every request that comes in very seriously. What’s the word in English? We consider it. A lot of requests coming in from the Maritimes. A lot of stuff that should be announced very soon. It’s gonna be a big summer for me. It’s gonna be jam-packed, and I will be coming home, that’s for sure.