‘The Mob’ Exit Interview: Willam Belli on Serving Looks, Competing Like a Powerhouse, and Going Out with Honor

The Don took out a queen, but Willam Belli went out exactly as expected: serving looks, speaking the truth, and refusing to compromise for a place in the game. From a grand entrance out of a trunk to an exit made with honor, Willam brought an unmistakable presence to The Mob, delivering sharp reads, fearless humor, and some of the season’s most memorable fashion.

Hulu’s The Mob brings together twelve celebrities for a game of shifting allegiances, high-stakes jobs, and ruthless power plays, all under the rule of a Don who can reward loyalty, whack the competition, or be overthrown. Behind the quick wit was a formidable competitor who proved to be an asset on every job, found a trusted confidante in Debi Mazar, and recognized the house’s dominant alliance before the numbers became impossible to ignore.

Pop Culturalist chatted with Willam Belli about saying “yes to success,” missing those crucial first moments of alliance-building, opening up about the journey toward starting a family, navigating the game’s shifting power structure, and why The Mob should have crowned its first Italian American drag queen Don.

PC: You did. You opened up to Shane [Parton] about your hopes of starting a family and how that was part of why you were there. How did having such a personal reason for competing shape the way you played?
Willam: Opening up about my IVF journey was pretty vulnerable for me because I’ve gone through it before. Every time you try and it doesn’t work, someone brings it up, and you’re like, “Not yet.” You spend all this money and have all these hopes, and then it doesn’t happen. It’s pretty devastating. All you can do is move forward and hope for the best. I’m glad it made it into the episode.

PC: You and Debi [Mazar] seemed to click right away. What was it about her that made you think, “I want to work with her”? And when Demi [Engemann] whacked her, did you start to feel like your own days were numbered?
Willam: I knew. When there were seven people left, I was like, “Okay, four of these people are in an alliance, and the rest aren’t.” So I knew which two were going to go next: Debi and me. I’ve been on reality TV before. It’s not hard to see the writing on the wall.

I was so happy Debi was there. She became my confidante and sounding board because sometimes she’d be like, “You’re being a cnt.” [laughs] She’d say, “You don’t need to be such a cnt, girl. You’re fierce, but don’t be a c*nt.” I was like, “You’re right.”

PC: You’re the dynamic duo we needed. I wish one of you had become the Don. It would have changed the game completely. You built that bond with Debi in the house, while some players came in with ties already in place. Shane and Maria both came from Bachelor Nation, and Chelsea [Lazkani] and Harry [Jowsey] already knew each other. How differently would you have played if you’d walked in with a close friend you already knew you could trust?
Willam: Those alliances were established within the first few moments of the show. If I’d known somebody from my world outside of the show, it would’ve been nice to team up like everybody else did. But I’m also a pretty good lone wolf. I can do my own thing and see the forest for the trees. Hopefully, the woods are cruisey.

PC: By the halfway point, Chelsea, Shane, Maria, and Harry had the numbers, but there were cracks within that alliance. Could you see them coming together while you were in the house, and did you see any of those divisions as an opening for you?
Willam: Honey, Helen Keller could see that alliance. What confused me was that Maria was trying to bring me into the alliance. But I was like, “Wait, you’re all working with Demi.” She was like, “I’m not.” I was like, “Well, you voted her Don. You’re definitely working with her.” So I didn’t really trust Maria. She had already lied to me once. She was being cagey about it because she didn’t want to show all her cards.

But I’m more than happy with how I performed and how I did. I played an exemplary game. I was forthright, honest, and an asset in every situation they put me in. Did you see me kick ass on the show and with my outfits? Parker [Posey], Debi, and I were dressed to the nines.

Everybody looked good, but the boys were so boring. Joe [Gorga] was in that fedora and those white sneakers. Harry looked like a Marlon Brando pimp. It was strange when he became the Don and had all that gel in his hair. They should’ve made me the first Don. It would’ve been cool to see an Italian American drag queen.

PC: Once Joe was overthrown, the Don kept changing, but your approach stayed consistent. If the Don rewarded you for what you brought to the jobs, you were willing to give them your loyalty. Did you ever consider adjusting that approach depending on who was in power? What do you think Maria read differently about it?
Willam: I wasn’t in her alliance, so I never thought I was going to be a finalist. For that reason, I didn’t think changing my gameplay would’ve been advantageous. What was I going to do? Lie and still get kicked out? Beg and still get kicked out? I went out with honor.

PC: You’re known for your quick wit, so I’ll leave you with this: If you had to sum up your time on The Mob in one Willam one-liner, what would it be?
Willam: If you can’t be good, be quick.

PC: You’re an absolute star. Where can we find you next?
Willam: Hopefully on TV soon. I don’t have anything planned, but I have a YouTube channel and a podcast where we talk about Drag Race and other pop culture things. I’m shopping my wares around because if I can’t sit on it, I’m going to sell it.

Make sure to follow Willam on Instagram. Stream The Mob on Hulu.

Photo Credit: Disney/Andrea Miconi