Delta Work

Gabriel A. Villarreal, known professionally as Delta Work, is an Emmy Award-winning American drag performer and stylist, best known for competing on the third season of the reality competition television series RuPaul's Drag Race.

Work received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Hairstyling for a Multi-Camera Series or Special at the 70th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards (2018) for her work as a personal hairstylist for RuPaul on Drag Race.

Work hosted the podcast Very That alongside season-three winner and fellow drag performer Raja. She is the host the podcast Very Delta, following the end of Very That, produced by Moguls of Media (MOM) Podcasts.

Early life Villarreal was born in Los Angeles County, California. Her father was a veteran of the Vietnam War who was subjected to Agent Orange during his service. Villarreal grew up in Norwalk, California. She and her mother would go to Escondido, California to go to a bakery called Muffin Break.

Career Work's drag mother is Miss Coco Peru, whom she met in Los Angeles during the start of her drag career. She names Chad Michaels, her Dreamgirls Revue co-star, as a "mentor". Work started dressing in drag on Halloween night 1998, at age 22, when she attended a rave in a "Natalie Merchant" style dress. She had her real drag debut at Ozz in Buena Park at one of Raja Gemini's Sunday Night Drag shows, dancing to a CD of Katalina's "DJ Girl."

RuPaul's Drag Race Work was selected, along with twelve other contestants, for the third season of RuPaul's Drag Race, which began airing on January 24, 2011, on LOGO TV. During the season, Work chose to impersonate Cher (a celebrity she is not typically known for portraying) for the "Snatch Game" episode, where contestants embody a celebrity, in look and persona, and participate in an improv challenge similar to shows such as Hollywood Squares or Match Game. Bowen Yang wrote: "Delta barely made an attempt at all... Points for the wink at Bob Mackie with her look, but otherwise Delta just waded around in her nothing-doing. Snap out of it!" She placed seventh overall, losing a lip sync performance to Manila Luzon to Donna Summer's "MacArthur Park". Out called the battle "certainly one of the most famous lip syncs" of the show.

After season three, Work was seen as an audience member attending the season five (2013) and season six (2014) finale episodes, and was a guest with other Drag Race alumni for the first-episode challenge on season ten (2018). Work was hired as RuPaul's personal wig-stylist for her judges' panel looks beginning with the second episode of the ninth season (2017), with season two (2010) alumnus Raven styling Rupaul's makeup. Work appeared as a guest for the first challenge in the premiere of season eleven (2019).

In a 2023 interview with Joseph Shepherd, Work revealed that she did not work as RuPaul's wig stylist beyond the eleventh season. This was largely because of contractual disagreements over her involvement in RuPaul's Netflix series AJ and the Queen, which led to another wig stylist being hired, who continued to work with RuPaul after that. Work also stated that World of Wonder, the producers of RuPaul's Drag Race, intentionally refrained from submitting her name for Emmy consideration for the eleventh season, despite her having done the same job as the tenth season when she won the award, because she was no longer working with them. According to Work, during her last phone call with RuPaul, she was told in a casual manner, "If anything comes up, I'll let you know."

Post-Drag Race As a cast member of Drag Race, Work appeared on a 2011 episode of E!'s The Soup with RuPaul, Raja, and Shangela. She made recurring appearances on WoWPresent's internet show Fashion Photo RuView, filling in for Raja or Raven to critique looks from Drag Race alumni and various other celebrities, with her first appearance on November 19, 2014. However, this has ceased since Work no longer styles RuPaul. She also made regular appearances on the web show The Pit Stop, which reviews each weekly episode of Drag Race. She was on its debut episode on August 27, 2016.

Work appeared on the cover of Skorch Magazine in 2013. In August 2015, she headlined Palouse Pride in Moscow, Idaho. On August 6, 2016, she was invited on stage by Adele during a Los Angeles concert, while in full drag as an Adele impersonator. They took a selfie, which quickly went viral.

Work received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Hairstyling for a Multi-Camera Series or Special at the 70th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards (2018) for her work. Work performed with Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus at the MTV VMAs. where the duo discussed recent news and answer questions from fans. The podcast's executive producers included fellow RuPaul's Drag Race alumni Alaska Thunderfuck and Willam Belli, who now host their own Drag Race review podcast, Race Chasers.

While Raja was traveling, after competing on season seven of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, Work began hosting the spin-off podcast Very Delta, described as a "luxury public access podcast". The podcast continued after the eventual conclusion of its parent show Very That. On Very Delta, Work interviews celebrities, drag performers, and nightlife personalities from the Southern California area and beyond. Notable interviewees include Bianca Del Rio, Candis Cayne, Thorgy Thor, Jessica Wild and Margaret Cho.

In July 2023, Work began hosting More Very Delta, a supplement to the main podcast available exclusively to MOM Plus Gold subscribers.

Music Delta Work released her debut solo single, "The Walkin' Blues (Walk Right In, Walk Right Out)", on May 12, 2015. She had previously recorded music as part of The Heathers, with Manila Luzon, Raja, and Carmen Carrera. The group released their debut single "Lady Marmalade" on June 6, 2014.

On November 16, 2023, Work released the collaborative single "I Want House" with dance music duo BOY2K, based on a viral monologue from Very Delta.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 2018 Frankly a Mess Miss Edamame 2022 Sex with Sue Herself

Television

Music videos YearTitleArtistNotesRef.2014"Lady Marmalade"The Heathers 2019"Go Fish"Manila Luzon"You Need to Calm Down"Taylor SwiftAdele impersonator 2020"Ass Like Mine"Morgan McMichaelsHerself "Nerves of Steel" Erasure Herself

Web series

Podcasts Year Title Role Notes 2016 RuPaul: What's the Tee?Guest Episode: "Theraposer with Delta Work" 2019, 2021 Race Chaser with Alaska and Willam 3 episodes; Moguls of Media production 2020–2023 Very That with Delta and Raja Co-host With Raja; 115 episodes; Moguls of Media production 2020–2022 Sloppy Seconds with Big Dipper and Meatball Guest 3 episodes; Moguls of Media production 2022–present Very Delta Host Moguls of Media production 2023I've Had ItGuestEpisode: "Is It Still Mansplaining If You're in Drag? with Delta Work" 2023–presentMore Very DeltaHostMoguls of Media production; MOM Plus Gold exclusive extension of Very Delta

Discography

Singles YearTitleAlbum2014"Lady Marmalade" 2015"The Walkin' Blues (Walk Right In, Walk Right Out)"2023"I Want House"

Awards and nominations