Double Act! Drag sensation Courtney Act meets her wax double

Australian drag sensation Courtney Act, aka Shane Jenek, today came face-to-face with her wax-double for the first time, as she cut the rainbow ribbon to officially open the new Madame Tussauds Sydney PRIDE zone.

The multi-talented 40-year-old, global LGBTQIA+ icon and entertainer was joined by special guests and media for the world-first figure reveal and PRIDE zone opening ceremony, ahead of the 45th Sydney Mardi Gras and Sydney WorldPride 2023.

The perfect representation of Sydney’s WorldPride festival, Courtney’s figure stands front and centre of the Darling Harbour attraction’s interactive space that celebrates love, equality, diversity, and pays homage to Sydney’s LGBTQIA+ community.

Dressed in her iconic 2020 Mardi Gras rainbow outfit, wax Courtney wears a Swarovski covered Marco Marco dress and glitter Louboutins donated by Courtney, hair styled in her signature high ponytail.

“2023 is a non-stop celebration for Sydney-siders and the LGBTQIA+ community! Wax Courtney Act staring in the new PRIDE zone at Madame Tussauds Sydney is a big red, shiny cherry on the top of a glittering cake of a year! Anyone growing up in my generation thinks of being a Madame Tussauds wax figure as this unrealistic wild and crazy dream. I am incredibly honoured. I think I look uncomfortably unrealistic. It’s so anatomically correct, even capturing my webbed toe and I didn’t know my ass looked that good!”

Courtney Act

“We’re so proud to welcome such a fitting and fabulous leading lady for the launch of our new PRIDE zone, paying homage to Sydney’s LGBTQIA+ community, its struggles, and its achievements! “Courtney is a triple threat, and then some, an internationally celebrated icon, whose advocacy and passion for LGBTQIA+ visibility set the standard, and we can’t wait for guests to come and be inspired by our technicoloured tribute to this absolute Australian force and role model!”

Richard Dilly, General Manager, Madame Tussauds Sydney

During the morning’s double celebration, Courtney had some fun, prank Face-timing some of her internationally famous, drag queen friends. She asked Bianca Del Rio, “Have I frozen?” and Bianca asked her “Have you had some work done?” following up with “I can tell she has more personality than you!” before thanking her for sharing this special moment with her.

The journey of wax Courtney started taking shape, back in February, when a team of eight from Madame Tussauds took over 100 measurements and 300 photographs over a five-hour sitting, to ensure that an identical wax figure of Courtney could be created in the workshop in London.

As part of PRIDE zone launch, Madame Tussauds Sydney will be partnering with the charity Black Rainbow, a first nations LGBTQIA+ charity, to run a ticket donation during Sydney WorldPride, running from 20th – 26th of February 2023.