Bob The Drag Queen on the origins of his stage name

The name Bob the Drag Queen might not exist today without a drunken joke in a bar during the early years of his career.

Bob reflected on the origins of his stage name during an appearance on “Late Night with Seth Meyers” just before making its Broadway debut this week.

During the conversation, the reality star reflected on his move to New York to pursue an acting career.

He reflects on the early challenges he faced and how those formative years also helped shape the artist and brand he became.

During his appearance on “Late Night,” Bob detailed how a drunken interaction at a bar led to the birth of his now-iconic stage name.

Bob remembers being introduced to a crowd by a drunk man who repeatedly got his name wrong. “This drunk guy said to me, ‘Guys, you need to give it up for your host, Kate!'” he told Meyers.

Bob saw the humor in a drag queen taking on the most ordinary name possible, and he decided to lean into the moment and amp up the joke throughout the night.

“I kept saying it more clearly: ‘Give it up for me, your host, Joe the Drag Queen,’” Bob continued. “And at the end of the night, I was like, ‘And give it up for me, your host, Bob the Drag Queen.'”

Before landing on Bob the Drag Queen, the future TV personality starred under the direction of Kittin Withawhip, a nod to the 1964 crime drama “Kitten With a Whip,” starring Ann-Margret.

Bob (born Christopher Caldwell) was even featured in his character Kittin in photographer Leland Bobbé’s 2012 photo series “Half-Drag.”

In fact, the drunken confusion the night he became Bob stemmed from the fact that he often told people to call him Cait or Cat as shorthand for Kittin.

According to Bob, that particular name stuck for about three to four years, until that dramatic encounter in a Chelsea bar changed the entire trajectory of his career.

By the end of his hosting duties that evening, Bob said he was already falling in love with the idea of ​​changing his name.

“I thought, ‘Oh, my God, that’s a great name,'” he recalls, explaining that he immediately told his friends about his plans.

Their response was overwhelmingly negative, which Bob said only strengthened his resolve.

“They all said, ‘Don’t do that. It’s a horrible name,'” Bob said. “And all I need is one person to say, ‘Don’t do it.'”

Beyond the origins of his stage name, Bob also joked with Meyers about his physical appearance during his New York debut.

“Do you know what a twink is?” he asked. “Yeah, I was a big 6’2” twink!

The couple then discussed Bob’s life after moving to New York, including stories of mouse-infested apartments and living with several roommates, including a pregnant wife and her husband.

At the time, Bob dreamed of making it on Broadway, although he admitted he didn’t really understand what it would take to succeed on that path.