Quick Facts
Biography
Hedda Lettuce is an American drag queen comedian and singer who lives and works in New York City. The New York actor Steven Polito debuted his character Hedda Lettuce in 1991 on the Manhattan Cable TV show The Brenda and Glennda Show. She is one of the few drag queens who actually sings live using her voice instead of lip syncing. Lettuce's appearances include MTV, Comedy Central, The People's Court and a cameo on Sex and the City as Samantha's ex-beau turned Bingo Drag impersonator. Film appearances include To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar; Cruise Control; The Look; Red Lipstick, and Musical Chairs.
Early life
Hedda Lettuce was born Steven Polito in New York City, but was raised on Long Island. Polito earned a bachelor's degree at the Fashion Institute of Technology. His first performance in drag was with a friend at Sheridan Square to raise money for Queer Nation. Polito later became an assistant to Lypsinka.
Career
Lettuce also was a model and client of Suede during a challenge in the fifth season of Project Runway. While on the show, she had several disagreements with Suede, especially over his not designing gloves for her, which caused her to call him "lazy". This led to designer Jerell Scott dubbing the name "Hedda Lettuce" as a term for a model that is hard to work with.
Lettuce appeared on the April 27, 2009 show of The Tyra Banks Show. The guests on the show took part in a social experiment called Gay Kingdom. They voted on roles for each member of the kingdom ranging from King and Queen to Concubine and Pauper; Lettuce was labeled as the jester of the kingdom.
Lettuce appeared on an episode of Ugly Betty entitled "Chica and the Man" in which Wilhelmina Slater discovered she had a drag impersonator named Wilhediva Hater. Although she had little dialogue, Hedda can be seen in the majority of the scenes that take place in the drag bar.
In 2010, Lettuce was featured in the web series Queens of Drag: NYC by gay.com in 2010. The series featured fellow New York drag queens Bianca Del Rio, Dallas DuBois, Lady Bunny, Mimi Imfurst, Peppermint, and Sherry Vine.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar | Himself | |
| 2000 | Red Lipstick | Bonnie | |
| 2001 | Cruise Control | Short film | |
| 2003 | The Look | Himself | |
| 2005 | Dangerous Liaisons | Himself | |
| 2006 | The Making of Michael Lucas' Dangerous Liaisons | Himself | |
| 2009 | Ptown Diaries | Himself | |
| 2009 | What's the Name of the Dame? | Himself | |
| 2010 | Stand-Up 360: Inside Out | Himself | |
| 2010 | Stood Up | Himself | Short film |
| 2010 | Violet Tendencies | Himself | |
| 2011 | Go Go Crazy | Himself | |
| 2011 | Musical Chairs | Drag Queen #1 |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Sex and the City | Drag Queen #1 | Episode 21: "Old Dogs, New Dicks" |
| 2004 | Cooking's a Drag | Himself | |
| 2008 | Project Runway | Himself | Episode 6: "Good Queen Fun" |
| 2008 | Hot Gay Comics | Himself | Episode 3 |
| 2009 | The Tyra Banks Show | Himself | |
| 2010 | Queens of Drag: NYC | Himself | |
| 2010 | Ugly Betty | Himself | Episode 13: "Chica and the Man" |
| 2011 | One Night Stand Up | Himself | Episode 10: Dragtastic NYC |
| 2011 | Unleashed by Garo | Himself | Episode 1 |