Drag Queen of M-City Oz

James Palacio may not be the star of "Oz," but he plays one of the show's most colorful characters: Fiona, the prison's resident transvestite and a member of the gay gang. While Fiona rarely has lines, she is one of a handful of inmates we regularly see on the series.

An openly gay man, Palacio, who bills himself as an "actor/actress," has portrayed Fiona since the second season of HBO's gritty drama. He was cast because of his experience as an actor as well as a gender illusionist. Born and raised in the Bronx, Palacio has performed in drag since the late '80s under the name Fiona James. Serving as queen of the Imperial Court of New York is among the highlights of Palacio's drag career.

In full drag, Palacio is a knockout who could easily pass as a woman, but the Fiona we see on "Oz" isn't quite so glamorous. "The audience has to be able to look at Fiona and know she is really a guy," Palacio explains. "She is not a post-op tranny. If she were, she'd be in a women's prison."

Meanwhile, given her limited resources in prison (high heels are not an option "because they could be used to gouge somebody's eyes out"), Fiona makes do with makeup, hoop earrings and midriff-baring tops. "As it was described to me, my character is supposed to be this Puerto Rican cha-cha hooker queen," Palacio says.

Despite his getup on the show, fans constantly recognize Palacio, who lives in New York City. "I had this man say to me the other day, 'Are you a bitch in real life like your character is on the show?'" Palacio says. "Actually, he used nastier words. But he meant it in a good way. He wasn't insulting me. He just said, 'You play this part in such a convincing way. You come across as being really nasty and vicious.'"

For his part, Palacio likes to think of Fiona as "a bitch with a heart."

So why is Fiona in prison? "That's a question fans always ask me," Palacio says. We've never gotten an official explanation on the show, but Palacio has concocted his own backstory. "I'm in for double homicide and prostitution," he says, speaking as if he was Fiona. "I killed my pimp and the new queen that thought she was going to take my place, and I did it with a knife."

That's certainly a plausible theory.

Fans also routinely ask Palacio if he has "Oz" star Christopher Meloni's phone number. "If one more gay man asks me that ... " Palacio says. (By the way, yes, he does have Meloni's number. No, you're not getting it.)

He is willing to share that Meloni, Lee Tergesen (Beecher) and all of the other actors on "Oz" are amazing performers as well as people. "The majority of the people on the show are straight, and I'm very open about my sexuality, and I have to say they are very accepting. Every single one of those guys hugs me and kisses me hello, and they play with me, and I flirt with them shamelessly," Palacio laughs. "I'm such a big whore. But it's all in fun."

"Oz" actually wrapped production this past July. Palacio reported that he attended the series wrap party in full drag, wearing "a black-and-white prison-striped couture outfit with knee-high black patent leather boots."

Those of us who weren't at the wrap party will have to say so long to Fiona and our favorite "Oz" inmates when HBO airs the show's 100-minute series finale on Sunday, February 23 at 9 p.m. ET.

Now that he's been sprung from his cell on "Oz," Palacio says he will continue to pursue acting jobs (look for him to appear in drag as Marilyn Monroe in HBO's upcoming film "Angels in America"). But it'll be hard to find a gig as great as "Oz." "I'm truly appreciative of the experience," Palacio says. "There are plenty of other queens out there that would have killed for the part I had."

Fans who want to reach Palacio can e-mail him at fionainoz@aol.com .

And if you find yourself suffering from "Oz" withdrawal after the show ends its six-year run, perhaps you'll find some comfort in the pages of "Oz: Behind These Walls: The Journal of Augustus Hill." This "Oz" companion guide -- billed as the "secret journal" of Augustus Hill (played by Harold Perrineau), the show's wheelchair-bound narrator -- will be published this month by HarperEntertainment (an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers).