Hilarious, inebriating and elegant all at the same time... If there were an award for most girlish and glamorous, funniest, mouthiest diva/icon/trannie/comedian, the inimitable Miss Coco Peru would win hands down. - L.A. Weekly
Storyteller/monologist Miss Coco Peru aka Clinton Leupp wrote, produced, directed, and starred in her first show Miss Coco Peru in My Goddamn Cabaret in 1991, which ran for two years in New York at Rosés Turn, and became a downtown cult favorite. She also wrote and performed Miss Coco Peru: A Legend in Progress, which received a 1992 Manhattan Association of Cabaret (MAC) Award and a Backstage Bistro Award. A 1995 MAC nomination followed for Miss Coco Peru at the Westbeth Theatre. Also in NY Coco appeared as Nurse Kitty in Jim Falĺs Off- Broadway extravaganza Blood Orgy of the Carnival Queens!
An avid traveler, Miss Coco has performed her one-person shows in Los Angeles, San Francisco, London, Lisbon, aboard a yacht in The Mediterranean, and in Evansville, Indiana. She has performed at Phoenix́s Little Theater, Sag Harboŕs Bay Street Theater, The Maui Arts and Cultural Center and enjoyed a critically acclaimed three-month run at Masquers Cabaret in Los Angeles (1997 Backstage Bistro Award). Also in L.A. she appeared in Blair Felĺs The Tragic and Horrible Life of the Singing Nun (Dramalogue Award) at the Coast Playhouse. In New York, Miss Coco Perús Liquid Universe was nominated for a 1998 GLAAD Media Award. She lost.
In 1999 Coco performed Miss Coco Perús Universe, at the Beverly Hills Playhouse, and was nominated for a 1999 Los Angeles GLAAD Media Award. She lost again. Undaunted, she wrote and then performed her new show Miss Coco Perús Glorious Wounds…shés damaged at the L.A. Gay and Lesbian Centeŕs Renberg Theater, and was nominated for a L.A. 2001 GLAAD Media Award. Again…she lost. Still undaunted, in 2002 Leupp wrote a new show for his Coco character and performed it at the legendary cabaret room, The Gardenia. The sold out show was called Miss Coco Peru is Undaunted. Miss Coco Peru is Undaunted was later moved to the L.A. Gay and Lesbian Centeŕs Renberg Theater and Coco finally received the 2004 GLAAD Media Award for Best L.A. Theater! In addition to the GLAAD Award she also received a 2004 L.A. Ovation Award nomination for Best Solo Performance. Undaunted later played a successful 5-week run in San Francisco at the New Conservatory Theatre.
On screen, Miss Coco is best known for her screen roles in Jim Falĺs Fineline Feature film, trick (1999 Sundance Film Festival) and Richard Daýs feature length comedy Girls Will Be Girls, (2003 Sundance Film Festival) For this film Coco shared the Best Actress Award with his co-stars at the HBO Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen as well as the Best Actor Award at Outfest, L.A.́s Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. Other film appearances include To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar, Nick and Jane, and Straight-Jacket. Coco can also be heard in the Disney feature film THE WILD as Mamma Hippo!
Coco has appeared on TV in Arrested Development, Twins, Will and Grace, New York Undercover, Showtimés Rude Awakening, Bravos Boy Meets Boy, Bravos Sexiest Moments in Film, and in an Orbitz commercial that was nominated for a 2005 GLAAD Media Award. In June 2005 she taped her very own half-hour television comedy special for LOGO. The special, part of the Wisecrack series, airs regularly.
Coco currently hosts an on-going live series of shows at the Renberg Theater called Conversations With Coco in which Coco interviews and celebrates the lives and careers of the GLBT communitýs favorite icons. Cocós guests have been the amazing Bea Arthur, the sassy Lainie Kazan, and drag legend Mr. Charles Busch.
In December '05 Coco appeared in a skit for The Trevor Project's Annual Cracked Xmas Show. The skit was written by Marc Cherry, creator of Desperate Housewives, and featured all the men of the popular series. Coco portrayed Bree Van De Kamp.
See Miss Coco perform "live" on MyGayWeb/Aquafest Halloween 2007 Cruise to the Caribbean. For details CLICK HERE.
