Joey Arias

Born: 1949-10-03

A fixture of New York City’s vibrant downtown performance scene for 30-plus years, Joey Arias is a bona fide NYC icon. Arias lived and worked with legendary musician Klaus Nomi until Nomi’s death in 1983. However, he has long since stepped out of Nomi’s shadow to gain fame in his own right as a performance artist, cabaret singer and drag artist. Arias has distinguished himself with scandalous wit, sleek style and an extraordinary voice... evocative of Billie Holiday yet uniquely his own. Arias has performed worldwide at venues including Carnegie Hall and the Freedom Theatre in London. Arias was tapped by Cirque du Soleil to originate the role of the emcee in their Las Vegas spectacular Zumanity. After 6 years in that role, Arias returned to New York where he became the star and co-creator of Arias With a Twist with master puppeteer Basil Twist. The show was a critical and commercial hit and extended repeatedly for a total of 8 months. On film, he has appeared in Mondo New York, Big Top Pee Wee, Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, Wigstock - The Movie, Flawless and To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar, among others.


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Elvira: Mistress of the Dark

as Hitchhiker
Released: 1988-09-30

Arriving in the small town of Fallwell, Massachusetts to claim her inheritance, horror hostess...

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To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar

as Justine
Released: 1995-09-07

Manhattan drag queens Vida Boheme and Noxeema Jackson impress regional judges in competition,...

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Big Top Pee-wee

as Shim
Released: 1988-07-22

Paul Reubens stars as Pee-wee Herman in his second full-length film about a farmer who joins the...

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Flawless

as Stormy
Released: 1999-11-26

An ultraconservative police officer suffers a debilitating stroke and is assigned to a...

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Wig

as Self
Released: 2019-05-04

Spotlighting the art of drag, and centered on the New York staple Wigstock, this documentary...

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The Nomi Song

as Self
Released: 2004-10-14

Looks like an alien, sings like a diva - Klaus Nomi was one of the 1980s' most profoundly...

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God Save the Queens

as uncredited
Released: 1995-06-23

Creative documentary on the drag queen movement and its origins in Paris, New York and Madrid.

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Naked in New York

as Self
Released: 1993-11-10

Naked in New York begins in the car of grown up Jake, he is talking to us about his girlfriend,...

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Drunks

as Ruby
Released: 1997-03-14

At the beginning of a nightly Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, Jim seems particularly troubled. His...

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Mondo New York

as Fish Out Of Water / A Hard Days Night
Released: 1988-04-22

A young woman wanders around New York City and stumbles across a number of strange characters...

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After Louie

as Jai the Chanteuse
Released: 2017-03-17

As an AIDS activist and member of ACT UP in the 1980s and 90s, Sam witnessed the deaths of too...

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Jobriath A.D.

as Himself
Released: 2012-06-15

Called "The American Bowie," "The True Fairy of Rock & Roll" and "Hype of the Year,"...

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Wigstock: The Movie

as Self
Released: 1995-06-09

The three-decade-old annual Manhattan gathering of drag queens and their fans is portrayed in...

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Deadly Game

as Ramirez
Released: 1991-07-10

A group of seven strangers, including a dancer, a doctor, a teacher, and a disgraced former...

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Cirque du Soleil: LoveSick

as Himself
Released: 2008-06-06

This fascinating reality program exposes the ups and downs of a group of Cirque du Soleil...

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The Zanctuary

as Dora Ramona del Pilar
Released: 2016-07-06

The Zanctuary is a decadent bar in Lower Manhattan owned by a former prostitute, Dora Ramona del...

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Dragtime

as Self
Released: 1997-10-11

A film that revels in the sheer delightful fabulousness of drag! A joyful look into the lives of...

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Vandemonium Plus

as uncredited
Released: 1987-12-31

Ann Magnuson is launched off the back of her boyfriend's motorcycle while doing a bong rip, and...

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Arias With a Twist

as Himself
Released: 2010-02-14

Focuses on the collaboration between cabaret and drag artist Joey Arias and master puppeteer...

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Mermaids on Heroin

as Meridian
Released: 1985-07-01

"Mermaids on Heroin" is a 1985 13-minute video written and staring New York performer Joey...

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Saturday Night Live

as Self - David Bowie Backup Singer (uncredited)
First aired: 1975-10-11

A late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels. The...

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She's Living for This

as Joey Arias / Various Characters
First aired: 2012-02-24

She’s Living for This is an American television comedy and variety series created by Keith Levy...

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