The wait is finally over! Season 4 of the Emmy, Peabody, and GLAAD Media Award winning series We’re Here premieres Friday, April 26th on HBO and Max.
The new season will star Ru Paul’s Drag Race alum Sasha Velour, Priyanka, Jaida Essence Hall, and , as they continue the show’s mission of spreading love and connection through the art of drag across small-town America.
From Murfreesboro, Tennessee to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to several cities in between, the new cast of queens will help participants put together a drag show, take an up-close look at anti-LGBTQ legislation, and help to show members of the community that drag isn’t only harmless, but a beautiful form of expression.
Watch the season 4 trailer here:
To talk about the new season, GLAAD’s Tony Morrison had the chance to chat with not only the stars of the show, but the people who made this incredible series possible. Morrison was joined by creators & executive producers Johnnie Ingram and Steve Warren, as well as Peter LoGreco, the director & showrunner of We’re Here.
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“This season is so special to us,” Warren begins. “It really had impacts on all of us that were unexpected,” he says about the season’s new format, where they spend more time with each community they visit. “This is a moment of urgency, we are at a pivotal point as a society both culturally and politically… hopefully seeing these stories that we are telling from Tennessee and Oklahoma, will have an impact on people throughout the world.”
Ingram adds that, “We were able to create a show that’s not only entertaining but highlights really important stories that are really close to home for the LGBT community.” He hopes this season demonstrates the real world impact this anti-LGBTQ movement is having on people all throughout the United States. “We are stronger in numbers, when we unite; the L’s, the G’s, the B’s, the T’s, the Q’s, everyone together, we are a force to be reckoned with.”
LoGreco, director and showrunner, praises the new queens featured on this season. “I have tremendous respect for them. We are so grateful for this cast; Latrice, Priyanka, Sasha, and Jada in the way they’ve embraced the mission of the show and working with their drag kids and working with the issues that we’re addressing and provoking.”
Morrison was also joined by Jaida Essence Hall to talk about her experience on the show. Watch the interview here:
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Hall talks about what it was like to come in as the new hosts of such an iconic show. “Trying to fill those shoes, but then then doing it in our own way. And I feel like we turned it. That was fierce. And it was good because we had each other’s backs and got to do that together.”
Jaida goes on to say that, “What I want is for my sisters and my brothers or anybody, for all of us in total, we should be able to be able to walk down the street and live in a world and know that just because you exist does not put a target on your back.”
To close, Jaida reminds fans, “I think it’s important that we all know that it’s okay for you to express yourself in whichever way you choose. Even if that starts out being something as simple as painting your nails or doing a fun hair color or trying something different. Allowing yourself to be free and who you are, only opens up more little doors and those doors get bigger and bigger and bigger. And next thing you know, you might be a drag queen!”
The iconic Priyanka also joined GLAAD to talk about working on the show!
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Priyanka is proud to be bringing queer Indian representation to people everywhere. “My goal all the time is just existing as I normally do. But also performing a Bollywood song on an HBO show… I never thought that would be ever something that I would say out loud!”
Priyanka goes on to say that her biggest takeaway from working on We’re Here is to have patience. While it wasn’t always easy, she says, “The one thing I learned to do was just be patient and ask curious questions.”
Priyanka was moved by the people they met while filming. “It was really cool to experience that there is still queer joy in these places even though it’s so hard for them.” She goes on to say that for queer people in these small, conservative towns, “The answer is not escaping. The answer is; ‘how do we just be more integrated into our normal day-to-day society where I want to be? Why do I have to run away?’ And I love that that’s what the show can capture.”
Next, Morrison was joined by the one and only Latrice Royale!
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“This show is so important,” Latrice starts by saying. “The mission needs to continue. It’s wild to see how far we’ve come and how far we still have to go… But the show gave me hope.”
“I knew that we were dealing with some serious, extreme opposition,” Latrice says. “I’ve already been in this fight. This is just an extension of what I’ve been doing but the mission is the same, so it felt right.”
The biggest piece of advice Latrice has for those trying to break through to people with opposing views is “To listen. And not interrupt. To let them be heard.” Watch the full interview here!
Last, Morrison spoke with Drag Race royalty Sasha Velour!
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“This world is full of hate unfortunately,” Velour starts by saying “There is some painful and violent stuff out there that we all have to find a way to survive.” But at the same time, she has hope, “We have heroes, and resilience, and life in the most surprising places. Places where you don’t expect there to be queer power… That’s the hope we need to keep pushing through.”
Velour explains why she was the perfect addition to the show. “I actually love to argue,” they reveal. “I think like Latrice says at one point in this show; you don’t wanna start an argument with a drag queen because we do not back down in the face of injustice and misinformation.”
Velour then talks about her love for the art of drag. “I love the traditions of drag. I love the radical activist part of drag. And I believe in celebrating the heroes who came before, who really made it possible for us to do drag at all today.”
Season 4 of We’re Here premieres on April 26th on HBO and will be available to stream on Max, with new episodes debuting weekly. Catch up on seasons 1-3 now!