Durian Lollobrigida didn’t name himself after “the king of all fruits” for nothing; his resume boasts the titles singer, actor, TV host and drag queen. And over the past few years, Lollobrigida has transformed from a local hero for Tokyo’s gay community into an increasingly familiar figure in mainstream media.
I first encountered Lollobrigida (whose real name is Masaki Otake and who uses he/him pronouns in and out of drag) in 2020, when he was working at the well-known fetish party Department H — just months before the COVID-19 pandemic erupted in full. Lollobrigida was part of an entourage of drag queens — decked out in shiny, gaudy fabrics and sporting huge wigs — marching across the stage to signal the beginning of the night.
In the four years since, we’ve continued to cross paths — at balls and drag shows — and I’ve watched him go from stage to screen, including a role in Daishi Matsunaga’s 2022 queer drama, “Egoist.”
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.