Trixie Mattel

Trixie Mattel is the drag persona of Brian Michael Firkus (born August 23, 1989),[1] an American drag queen, singer-songwriter, comedian, author, actor, and television personality from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Mattel is best known for being the winner of the third season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars and for placing sixth on the seventh season of RuPaul's Drag Race. In June 2019, a panel of judges from New York magazine placed her fourth on their list of "the most powerful drag queens in America", a ranking of 100 former Drag Race contestants.[2]

Trixie Mattel
Mattel at RuPaul's DragCon LA 2018
Born
Brian Michael Firkus

(1989-08-23) August 23, 1989
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
EducationUniversity of Wisconsin, Milwaukee (BFA)
Occupation
  • Drag performer
  • singer-songwriter
  • comedian
  • television personality
  • author
  • YouTuber
  • businessperson
Years active2008–present
Known for
PredecessorAlaska
SuccessorMonét X Change and Trinity the Tuck
Musical career
GenresCountry folk, Americana, surf rock
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • clarinet
  • autoharp
Labels
Associated acts
YouTube information
Also known asTrixieCosmeticsTV
Channel
Genre
  • Music
  • Beauty
  • Comedy
Subscribers1.2 million subscribers
Total views97 Million
100,000 subscribers 2016
1,000,000 subscribers 2020
Updated: February 1, 2021

Mattel co-hosts the web series UNHhhh and previously co-hosted its Viceland spin-off, The Trixie & Katya Show, alongside Katya Zamolodchikova. Mattel's first studio album, Two Birds, was released in 2017, followed by her second album, One Stone, in 2018. Her third album, Barbara, was released in 2020. In 2020, she and Zamolodchikova wrote the New York Times best-selling book Trixie and Katya's Guide to Modern Womanhood.[3] Mattel is also the CEO and founder of Trixie Cosmetics. Mattel operates a YouTube channel where she showcases the brand's products, reviews products from other brands, posts new music, and posts episodes of her podcast.

Early life

Firkus was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.[1] He is half Ojibwe and comes from a Native American family living in Crivitz, Wisconsin.[4][5] He had an abusive stepfather who would call him a "trixie" when he acted feminine, which would later inspire his drag name. He almost went by the name Cupcake before deciding on Trixie Mattel.[6] After graduating from high school, Firkus attended the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, where he received a BFA in Music Theatre[7] and was introduced to drag while performing in a production of The Rocky Horror Show at the Oriental Theatre.[8]

He first performed in drag in 2008, at LaCage NiteClub in Milwaukee.[9] Firkus became a staple of the Milwaukee drag scene while also performing in Chicago alongside other acts introduced on RuPaul's Drag Race, such as Kim Chi.[10][11] In 2014, Firkus attended The Institute of Beauty and Wellness before withdrawing later that same year to participate in RuPaul's Drag Race.[12]

Career

RuPaul's Drag Race

As a competitor in Season 7 of RuPaul's Drag Race, Mattel was eliminated in episode four and later reentered the competition in episode eight by winning the "Conjoined Twins" challenge with Pearl Liaison. Mattel was once again eliminated in episode 10,[13] placing sixth overall and becoming the first queen to last more than one episode after returning to the competition.[13]

Mattel later returned for the third season of RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars, which started airing on January 25, 2018. On March 15, 2018, her fellow competitors voted for her to advance to the final two, where she ultimately won against runner-up Kennedy Davenport in the final lipsync battle.[14][15]

She competed in the 2018 television special RuPaul's Drag Race Holi-slay Spectacular and won alongside the other competitors.[16][17]

Other ventures
Katya Zamolodchikova with Trixie Mattel

After competing on Drag Race, on December 31, 2015, Mattel guest starred in a special edition of WOWPresents' Fashion Photo Review[18] with fellow season seven contestant Katya Zamolodchikova, which later launched UNHhhh, that premiered on March 25, 2016 and received a Streamy award in December 2020 for best unscripted show. The duo later went on to star in The Trixie & Katya Show, which premiered on Viceland on November 15, 2017.[19][20] Also in November 2017, Trixie and Katya starred in a drag stage adaptation of the 1997 cult film Romy and Michele's High School Reunion, entitled Trixie and Katya's High School Reunion.[21][22]

Mattel has toured around the world with her stand-up comedy show called "Ages 3 and Up".[23] In October 2017, Mattel streamed on the live video gaming platform Twitch alongside 8BitDylan to raise money for the GaymerX foundation and many other charities before and since.[24]

Trixie produced a video for GQ Magazine Trixie Mattel Makes a PB&J (and More Importantly, a Cocktail),[25] earning a nomination from the James Beard Foundation Awards in the humor category.[26]

Trixie has toured on the "Haters Roast: The Shady Tour" with other queens from RuPaul's Drag Race, such as Jinkx Monsoon and Thorgy Thor for their 2017 and 2018 alumni tours.

In February 2018, she announced her new comedy tour "Now with Moving Parts", which began in April 2018.[27]

A documentary film titled Trixie Mattel: Moving Parts premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in April 2019, and screened until May 2019. It documents Mattel as she embarks on her "Moving Parts" tour following her All Stars win, as well as her personal struggles.[28] The documentary was made available on Video On Demand platforms on December 3, 2019. An accompanying acoustic soundtrack was released later in December.[29]

On May 1, 2019, Mattel announced that she will be releasing her make-up brand "Trixie Cosmetics" later that month, with the products launching at RuPaul's DragCon LA on May 24, 2019.[30]

In June 2019, Mattel was one of 37 queens to be featured on the cover of New York magazine.[31]

Mattel's first comedy special, Trixie Mattel: Skinny Legend, aired on OutTV in Canada on September 26, 2018.[32]

Mattel co-hosts the weekly podcast "The Bald and The Beautiful" with Katya Zamolodchikova.

In December 2020, it was announced that Trixie and Katya would co-host the 10th Streamy Awards in Los Angeles.[33]

Music

In addition to her comedic drag persona, Mattel is also a country folk singer-songwriter. Speaking to Rolling Stone, Mattel listed her primary influences as June Carter Cash and Dolly Parton and states that she grew up on the music of George Jones, Conway Twitty and Johnny Cash. She is also a fan of Jason Isbell, Kris Kristofferson, Aimee Mann, Michelle Branch and Kacey Musgraves.[34]

Mattel self-released her debut studio album Two Birds on May 2, 2017.[35] The album debuted at number two on the Heatseekers Albums chart, number six on the Independent Albums chart, and number 16 on the Americana/Folk Albums chart.[36][37][38] On February 3, 2018 Mattel released an acoustic version of her song "Moving Parts" as a tease for her upcoming album. It became her first charting single, peaking at number 83 on the Scottish Single Chart.[39] She dropped her second studio album, One Stone, on March 15, 2018, the same night as the All Stars finale.[40] The album peaked at number 16 on the Folk Albums chart, number ten on the Indpendent albums chart, and number one on the Heatseekers chart, becoming Mattel's first album to reach the top spot on a Billboard chart.[37][36][38]

In a September 2018 interview with Billboard, she announced that she was working on her third studio album, Barbara, featuring an "electro-folk" sound.[41] "Yellow Cloud" was released as the first single from the album on May 17, 2019, though it did not make the final cut. "Malibu" was released as the official first single on January 24, 2020 and the album was released a week later through Producer Entertainment Group and ATO Records.[42]

Personal life

Firkus is openly gay.[43] He has been in a relationship with filmmaker David Silver, who is the producer of his documentary, Moving Parts, since 2016.[44] He is a vegetarian.[45][46]

Trixie Mattel's persona is based on her love of Barbie Dolls, owning a wide collection of Barbies in her Los Angeles home.[47]

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2019 Trixie Mattel: Moving Parts Herself (in and out of drag) Documentary [48]

Television
Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2015 RuPaul's Drag Race Herself (contestant) Season 7, 6th place [49]
2016 Herself (guest) Season 8, Episode 10: "Grand Finale"
2015 RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked Herself Season 7
2016 American Horror Story: Roanoke Herself Season 6, Episode 10: "Chapter 10" [50]
2016 Gay for Play Game Show Starring RuPaul Herself Season 1, Episode 5: "Featuring Mindy Cohn"
Season 2, Episode 2: "Featuring Frankie Grande"
2017–2018 The Trixie & Katya Show Herself (co-host) 14 episodes [51]
2018 RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars Herself (contestant) Season 3, Winner [15]
2018 RuPaul's Drag Race Herself (guest) Season 10, Episode 1: "10s Across The Board" [52]
2018 Super Drags Champagne (voice) English dub; Main cast
2018 Larry King Now Herself Guest
2018 RuPaul's Drag Race Holi-slay Spectacular Herself (contestant) Joint Winner
2019 RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars Herself (guest) Season 4, Episode 10: "Super Queen Grand Finale"
2019 RuPaul's Drag Race Herself (guest) Season 11, Episode 5: "Monster Ball"
2019 Trixie Mattel: Skinny Legend Herself Television special [32]
2020 RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race Herself (mentor) Season 1, Episode 1: "Secret Celebrity Edition #101"; Winner [53]

Web series
Year Title Role Notes Ref
2015–2017 Hey Qween Herself (guest) 3 episodes
2015 Transformations with James St. James Herself Episode: "Trixie Mattel"
2016 Gay of Thrones Herself Season 6, Episode 4: "Thrust of the Stranger" [54]
2016–present UNHhhh Herself (co-host) 5 seasons, 136 episodes (incl. specials)
With Katya Zamolodchikova		 [55]
2018–19, 2020- The Pit Stop Herself (host) All Stars 4, Canada season 1 and Season 13 Host [55]
2019 The X Change Rate Herself (guest) Episode: "Trixie Mattel"
2019 That's Our Sally Herself Queerty Production
2019–present I Like to Watch Herself (co-host) Netflix YouTube show [56]
2020 Trixie Mattel: One Night Only Herself Musical comedy special [57]
2020 Trixie & Katya Save the World Herself (co-host)
2020 Gayme Show Herself Guest judge [58]
2020 Instant Influencer Herself Guest judge [59]

Discography
Main article: Trixie Mattel discography

Tours
  • Ages 3 and Up (2015–2017)[60]
  • Now with Moving Parts Tour (2018)[61]
  • Super Bowl Cut (2018)
  • Skinny Legend Tour (2019)[62]
  • Grown Up Tour (2020-2021)[63]
  • UNHhhh Tour (with Katya) (2021)[64]

Bibliography
  • Trixie and Katya's Guide to Modern Womanhood. Plume. 2020. ISBN 9780593086704.

Awards and nominations
Year Award Category Work Result
2017 Streamy Award Show of the Year UNHhhh Nominated
2018 James Beard Foundation Journalism Award Humor Trixie Mattel Makes a PB&J (and More Importantly, a Cocktail) Nominated
2019 Streamy Awards Unscripted Series UNHhhh Nominated
2020 Show of the Year Nominated
Unscripted Series Won
2021 GLAAD Media Awards[65] Outstanding Breakthrough Artist Barbara Pending

References
  1. Monger, James Christopher (August 2017). "Trixie Martel : Biography". AllMusic.com (All Media Network). Retrieved August 18, 2017.
  2. The Editors (June 10, 2019). "The Most Powerful Drag Queens in America: Ranking the new establishment". New York. Archived from the original on June 10, 2019. Retrieved June 10, 2019.
  3. Melissa (July 23, 2020). "Trixie and Katya Guide Women All the Way to the NYT Best Seller List". Nerd Alert News. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
  4. Brooke, Zach (September 8, 2015). "Point of View: Trixie Mattel". Milwaukee Magazine. Quad/Graphics. Retrieved August 18, 2017.
  5. When you are true to yourself amazing things can happen | This We Believe Retrieved September 10, 2018.
  6. "Living Doll: Trixie Mattel". Metro Weekly. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
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  8. Yerxa, Mike (June 25, 2015). "A filthy, starry night with Trixie Mattel". Daily Xtra. Pink Triangle Press. Retrieved August 12, 2017.
  9. Christians, Lindasy (December 10, 2014). "Plan B host Trixie Mattel to strut her stuff on 'RuPaul's Drag Race'". The Capital Times. Retrieved August 18, 2017.
  10. Schumacher, Mary Louise (December 7, 2014). "Milwaukee drag queen Trixie Mattel wins spot on "RuPaul's Drag Race"". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Gannett Company. Retrieved August 18, 2017.
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  43. @trixiemattel (July 21, 2017). "I'm a gay person who specializes in gay activities" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
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  50. Avery, Dan (November 17, 2016). "Trixie Mattel Pops Up In The "American Horror Story" Season Finale". NewNowNext. Retrieved August 18, 2017.
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  54. Power, Shannon (May 18, 2016). "RuPaul's Drag Race alum Trixie Mattel goes Gay of Thrones". Star Observer. Out Publications. Retrieved August 18, 2017.
  55. "Trixie Mattel". Discogs. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
  56. Nolfi, Joey (November 21, 2019). "Trixie Mattel, Katya critique The Crown in new Netflix comedy series". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
  57. Mamo, Heran (January 28, 2020). "Trixie Mattel's 'One Night Only' Concert Brings House Full of Barbies Down: Watch". Billboard. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
  58. Curto, Justin (March 30, 2020). "Ever Wanted to Be (Honorarily) Gay? Quibi's Gayme Show Can Help With That". Vulture.com. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
  59. Denton, Elizabeth (March 3, 2020). "Exclusive: The First Look At James Charles' New Show Includes Paris Hilton & Trixie Mattel". Nylon.com. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
  60. Guerino, Adam (June 9, 2015). "Trixie Mattel from RuPaul's Drag Race to perform in Chicago". Time Out Chicago. Time Out Group. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  61. Lorusso, Marissa (March 23, 2018). "Trixie Mattel: America's Next Top Folk-Country Comedy Drag Artist". NPR. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  62. Duke, Simon (May 15, 2018). "Drag Race All Stars champion Trixie Mattel announces UK tour including date in Newcastle". Evening Chronicle. Reach plc. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
  63. Kile, Meredith B. (October 24, 2019). "Trixie Mattel Is All 'Grown Up': Her Relationship, New Tour and All the Other Moving Parts (Exclusive)". Entertainment Tonight. CBS Television Distribution. Archived from the original on December 17, 2019. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  64. "Trixie & Katya LIVE: The UNHhhh Tour! Is Coming To Australia". BroadwayWorld. July 15, 2019. Archived from the original on December 17, 2019. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  65. Ramos, Dino-Ray (January 28, 2021). "GLAAD Unveils Nominees For 32nd Annual GLAAD Media Awards; Deadline's New Hollywood Podcast Honored With Special Recognition Award". Deadline. Retrieved January 2021. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
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