From Suit to Speedo: 'Drag Race' Pit Crew Member Bryce Eilenberg's Career Balancing Act

This piece is part of EDGE's 2023 Rewind series. We're reaching into our archives and sharing some of our favorite stories from the past year.

Bryce Eilenberg may have one of the most unique dual careers in show business. The hot ginger remains one of the longest-running members of the Pit Crew on "RuPaul's Drag Race." For those who don't know, the Pit Crew offer support for RuPaul and the contestants on the show, likely appearing in designer underwear.

To read more about the Season 15 Pit Crew, click here.

But his other job is as an aerospace engineer for a major Southern California company. A UCLA graduate, he also models and is a runner who participates in marathons.

He came to "RPDR" after he posted a pic to Instagram in 2014. At that time, he had been dumped after a seven-year relationship. Eilenberg identifies as straight and considers himself a gay ally. On the IG of the photo he wrote: "In 2014 I got dumped after being in a relationship for 7 years so I pretty much said "fuck it I'll do whatever I want" and decided, among other things, to be an underwear model and a photographer. So I copied a David Beckham underwear ad from Emporio Armani by ordering the same pair of underwear from Amazon, using my first camera on a timer on a crappy tripod, a lamp from my room for lighting, and some spray on sunscreen for that extra shine. Then I put the picture up on modelmayhem and got an email from drag race a few weeks later. Now I've been on the show for multiple seasons, and I've developed my photography skills to the point where I can have fun shooting just about anything."

Since joining "RPDR,' Eilenberg has become a fan favorite largely due to his sweet manner and ripped physique.

In 2018, he spoke with the Daily Bruin, his alma mater's newspaper, about his diverse interests, calling his work on "RPDR" "a fun and exciting side job that allows him to break the mold of his day-to-day engineering career." Adding, "Right now I'm trying to keep it as big as it can be without actually interfering with my career as an aerospace engineer," he said.

He turned to photography and modeling after realizing that just an engineer was probably going to be a pretty boring next 30 years of my life."

He first appeared on season 7, which featured popular drag queens Katya Zamolodchikova and Violet Chachki. One of Eilenberg's favorite memories, he told the Bruin, involves a remark made by Katya during one of the challenges – "I believe it was Bob Ross who said, 'The key to a swollen vagina is courage.'"

He also experienced culture shock becoming a Pit Crew member, noting that those he worked with on his day job tended to be older and quieter (to say the least) than those on "RPDR." Jason Carter, another member of the Pit Crew, told the Bruin that Eilenberg definitely came across as shy and timid when he first joined the cast; however, as the show has progressed, he's gotten more and more comfortable.

He is able to balance both jobs because his work on "RPDR" only requires about 10-20 days on the set.
Despite his dedication to the Pit Crew, Eilenberg told the Bruin that "RuPaul's Drag Race" is likely to remain more of a side project for him. Although he enjoys working on the show, he said he feels satisfied with his current balance between the Pit Crew and engineering, so as of right now, he doesn't plan on getting further involved in television.

"'RuPaul's Drag Race' is the fun on the side, unless they want to ... pay me enough to buy a house and retire – by all means they can do that," he said.

Check out these pics from Eilenberg's Instagram: