MANILA -- Filipino drag queen Turing Quinto looked back on her life and career before she decided to venture into the drag industry.

In an exclusive interview with PUSH, Quinto said she actually didn't plan on doing drag.

“Naghahanap lang talaga ako ng stable job. Kasi I was a struggling artist. So I was doing woodworking back then – gumagawa ako ng furniture. Pero it’s like per commission lang. So kapag walang kumuha, gawa ka lang nang gawa,” she said.

Due to the lack of stability in her previous job, she remained open to other opportunities.

“So, one night, I was with my friends and then my friend was scrolling through Facebook and nakita niya lang, ‘Oh heto, O Bar, nagpapa-audition sila ng drag queen,’” she recalled.

“I mean alam ko na kung ano ‘yung drag back then pero hindi ko alam kung ano ang drag dito sa Pilipinas. So, sabi ko, ‘Game na ‘yan! Laban na ‘yan! Audition lang naman at performance lang 'yan. Kaya ko 'yan!’”

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The only challenge she encountered then was learning how to perform in high heels.

“‘Yun ‘yung requirement sa drag na hindi naman ginagawa sa theater. So ‘yun lang 'yung prinactice ko, inaral ko. Pero yeah, I got in. I trained and yeah, I am an O Diva,” she said.

According to Quinto, her degree and background in theater immensely helped her in her drag performances.

“It’s basically the same preparation when you study a show, when you study a script. Basically, drag and theater are the same –– same fundamentals, same theory. Magkaiba lang talaga sila ng platform or ng entablado. So the way I prepare for a piece or a number or a performance sa drag is basically how I prepare when I study a character, a script, sa theater.”

Now that she’s already a part of the industry, Quinto said she hopes to meet Sharon Cuneta one day.

“Kamukha ko daw siya, may anggulo na kamukha ko. Tapos sa ‘Drag Race,’ ginawa ko rin Sharon Cuneta. Pero, may isang fan na nag-message sa ’kin na ‘Mami, nandito kami sa concert ng K-something. Korean na group…’ Malapit daw sa kanila si Sharon saka si Kakie tapos parang napag-uusapan daw nila ako,” Turing recalled.

Aside from looking up to Cuneta herself, Quinto said her mom is also a Sharonian.