Courtney Act Biography: Net Worth, Real Name, Parents, Awards, Movies, Tv Shows, Age, Songs

Courtney Act is an Australian drag queen, singer and television personality who first rose to international recognition after competing on the first season of Australian Idol in 2003.

From that breakthrough she built a career blending performance, music and advocacy, becoming especially known after her participation on RuPaul’s Drag Race in 2014.

Profile

• Full name: Shane Gilberto Jenek
• Nickname: Courtney Act
• Date of birth: 18 February 1982
• Age: 43 years old
• Gender: Fluid (uses he/him when referring to Shane, she/her when referring to Courtney)
• Place of birth: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
• Nationality: Australian
• Profession: Drag queen, singer, television personality, entertainer
• Eye colour: Brown
• Hair colour: Dark (varies in drag as Courtney)
• Parents: Gill Jenek (father) and Annette Jenek (mother)
• Siblings: Kim Jenek (older sister)
• Spouse: N/A
• Children: N/A
• Relationship status: N/A
• Ethnicity: Mother of Danish descent, father of German descent
• Net worth: US$5 million

Early Life and Education

Shane Gilberto Jenek was born in Brisbane on 18 February 1982 and spent his childhood in the suburbs of Brisbane. His mother Annette is Danish-heritage and his father Gill is of German descent and worked as a naturopath and acupuncturist. Jenek has an older sister, Kim, and grew up in a family environment that celebrated difference and self-expression.

During his school years, Jenek attended Nashville Primary School in Brighton, then St Paul’s Anglican School in Bald Hills, later transferring to Sandgate District State High School. He performed in singing and drama classes at The Fame Talent School, where he befriended Lisa and Jessica Origliasso (later The Veronicas).

Though academically strong and accepted into medical school, Jenek chose instead to pursue the performing arts.

Personal Life

Courtney Act keeps a fairly private personal life. They publicly identify as pansexual and gender-fluid; for example, Jenek has described being introduced to the term “gender-fluid” by Chaz Bono in a pivotal moment.
They are vegan, and have spoken of their upbringing around healthy eating and wholefoods thanks to their father’s naturopathy practice. Their longest known relationship lasted about two years, though they are currently single.

Career

Courtney Act’s public career began in 2003 when Shane Jenek auditioned for Australian Idol and, after an initial audition as themselves, returned the next day in drag as Courtney Act and progressed to the live show stages.
After the show, Jenek signed with BMG Australia and released the single “Rub Me Wrong” which reached number 29 on the ARIA Singles Chart.
In 2014 Courtney Act joined the cast of the sixth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race and finished as a co-runner-up alongside Adore Delano.

Beyond competition shows, Courtney released EPs such as Kaleidoscope in 2015 and more singles, performed internationally, collaborated in the drag singer trio The AAA Girls (with Willam and Alaska) and appeared in television special programmes. She also won the UK edition of Celebrity Big Brother in 2018, further raising her profile.

More recently Courtney has appeared as a judge on shows, hosted podcasts, written a memoir and performed theatrical shows, demonstrating a diversified career.

Net worth

Courtney Act‘s net worth is estimated to be at least $5 million

Social Media

• Instagram: @courtneyact
• Twitter/X: @courtneyact

Filmography

Film

• Meet the Glamcocks (2013)
• Luna Goes Cruising (2015)
• This Is Drag (2015)

Television

• Snick Flicks (2000)
• Australian Idol (2003)
• Sleek Geeks (2010)
• Are You There, Chelsea? (2012)
• I Will Survive (2012)
• RuPaul’s Drag Race (2014)
• RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked! (2014)
• Single AF (2017)
• Celebrity Big Brother UK (2018)
• The Bi Life (2018)

Discography

• Rub Me Wrong (2004)
• Fight for Love (2018)
• Kaleidoscope (2015)
• Drop of Fluid (2020)

Books

• Caught In The Act: A Memoir (2021)