Brian Michael Firkus (born August 23, 1989), better known by the stage name Trixie Mattel, is an American drag queen, television personality, makeup entrepreneur, and singer-songwriter originally from Silver Cliff,[2] Marinette County, Wisconsin.[a] She[b] is known for her exaggerated, 1960s-influenced style, distinctive eye makeup, and musical repertoire that blends of comedy with acoustic pop and folk-country music. Mattel sings and plays guitar[7] and the autoharp.[8][9] In 2015, she competed in the seventh season of the drag reality television competition series RuPaul's Drag Race, finishing in sixth place. In 2018, she won the third season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars. Mattel has also made guest appearances in various iterations of the Drag Race franchise.
Mattel's music style began as primarily folk and country, with her first and second studio albums, Two Birds (2017) and One Stone (2018), both charting on the Billboard Folk Albums chart at No. 16. She went on to star in the documentary film Trixie Mattel: Moving Parts (2019). Her third studio album, Barbara (2020), featured an "electro-folk" sound, while her EP, Full Coverage, Vol. 1 (2021), consisted of covers of various songs. Her musical comedy special, Trixie Mattel: One Night Only (2020), was nominated for a Critics' Choice Television Award and she appeared as a judge on the competition series Queen of the Universe (2021–2023). Mattel's fourth studio album, The Blonde & Pink Albums (2022), was a double album featuring a "power pop" sound. She also produced and starred in the renovation docuseries Trixie Motel (2022–2024), which chronicled the opening of her own Palm Springs resort of the same name.
Co-published with Zamolodchikova, Mattel's first book, Trixie and Katya's Guide to Modern Womanhood (2020), became a New York Times bestseller. She appeared on New York Magazine's list of "The Most Powerful Drag Queens in America", ranking fourth.[10] She also operates a YouTube channel focused on beauty, featuring frequent collaborations with fellow drag queens and various celebrities such as Iggy Azalea, Nicole Byer, Brittany Broski, and Margaret Cho. Mattel's business ventures include being the founder, sole owner and CEO of Trixie Cosmetics, a cosmetics brand launched in 2019.[11][12] Her persona is inspired by her love of Barbie dolls; she owns a large collection of Barbies that she has shared in videos on her YouTube channel.[13]
Life and career
1989–2014: Early life and career beginnings
Brian Michael Firkus was born on August 23, 1989, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin,[14][15] and raised in Silver Cliff,[2] a small town in Marinette County, Wisconsin,[a] by a single mother with an older brother and two younger sisters.[4][16] He is a quarter Ojibwe; his maternal grandmother was a member of the Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians.[17][18][19] He had an abusive stepfather who would call him a "Trixie" when he acted feminine, which later inspired his drag name. His stepfather pointed a gun to his head and threatened to pull the trigger, which led to Firkus being put in his grandparents’ care.[citation needed] His last name was inspired by his affinity for the Barbie doll and toy company Mattel.[20] Before deciding on "Trixie Mattel" as his drag name, he originally considered the name Cupcake.[21] He moved in with his grandparents at age 15.[22][23] His grandfather was a country musician who taught him how to play the guitar.[24]
After graduating from high school, Firkus studied at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, where he received a BFA in musical theatre and was introduced to drag while attending a screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Oriental Theatre.[23][25] He first performed in drag at LaCage NiteClub in Milwaukee, becoming a regular performer in Milwaukee's drag scene.[26] Firkus would perform with fellow drag queens Kim Chi and Shea Couleé in Milwaukee[27][28] and occasionally in Chicago.[29] He attended beauty school in 2014 before withdrawing to participate in RuPaul's Drag Race.[29] Outside of drag, he worked in cosmetics, freelancing at Sephora and working at Ulta and MAC.[30]
2015–2017: RuPaul's Drag Race, UNHhhh, Two Birds, and The Trixie & Katya Show
Mattel first gained widespread attention as a competitor on the seventh season of RuPaul's Drag Race (2015). She was initially eliminated in episode four but later re-entered the competition in episode eight by winning the "Conjoined Twins" challenge with Pearl Liaison. Mattel was eliminated again in episode 10,[31] ultimately placing sixth overall and becoming the first queen to last more than one episode after returning to the competition.[31] Mattel, who is of Ojibwe descent, was the third Native American queen to compete on Drag Race following Stacy Layne Matthews, who is Lumbee, on season 3 and Kelly Mantle, who is Cherokee, on season 6.[32] After her run on the show, Mattel performed her stand-up comedy tour, Ages 3 and Up, from 2015 to 2017.[33]
Trixie and Katya's High School Reunion in November 2017
In October 2017, it was announced that UNHhhh would end after its second season. Shortly after, a television spin-off of UNHhhh for Viceland called The Trixie and Katya Show premiered. The show ran until March 2018. Midway through the season, Zamolodchikova suffered a mental health crisis triggered by a relapse into addiction, which caused her to be replaced by Bob the Drag Queen for the remainder of the season.[42][43] Mattel and Zamolodchikova reunited in October 2018 for a third season of UNHhhh.
In November 2017, Mattel and Zamolodchikova starred in a drag stage adaptation of the 1997 cult film Romy and Michele's High School Reunion, titled Trixie and Katya's High School Reunion.[44][45] Also in November 2017, Mattel produced a video for GQ Magazine called Trixie Mattel Makes a PB&J (and More Importantly, a Cocktail),[46] earning a nomination from the James Beard Foundation Awards in the humor category.[47]
Mattel later returned to the Drag Race franchise 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.[48][49] She became the first winner of Drag Race to be of Indigenous descent. In December 2018, she competed in the television special RuPaul's Drag Race Holi-slay Spectacular and won in a tie with the other competitors.[50][51]
On February 3, 2018, Mattel released an acoustic version of her song "Moving Parts," which is also the name of her documentary, as a tease for her upcoming album. It became her first charting single, peaking at number 83 on the Scottish Single Chart.[52] She released her second studio album, One Stone, on March 15, 2018, the same night as the All Stars finale.[53] The album peaked at number 16 on the Folk Albums chart, number 10 on the Independent albums chart, and number 1 on the Heatseekers chart, becoming Mattel's first album to reach the top spot on a Billboard chart.[38][37][39] In April 2018, she launched her new comedy world tour Now with Moving Parts, followed by the Super Bowl Cut tour later that same year.[54] 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.[55] The documentary was made available on Video On Demand platforms on December 3, 2019. An accompanying acoustic soundtrack was released later in December.[56] Mattel's first comedy special, Trixie Mattel: Skinny Legend, aired on OutTV in Canada on September 26, 2019.[57]
In a September 2018 interview with Billboard, she announced that she was working on her third studio album, Barbara, featuring an "electro-folk" sound.[58] "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.[59] The album received a GLAAD Media Award nomination for Best Breakthrough Artist.
In January 2019, Mattel and Zamolodchikova launched the fourth season of UNHhhh. In June 2019, Mattel was one of 37 drag queens featured on the cover of New York magazine. The magazine ranked America's 100 most powerful drag queens and placed Mattel at number 4.[60]
During the COVID-19 pandemic, filming of the fifth season of UNHhhh was put on hold. In its place, Mattel and Zamolodchikova launched Trixie and Katya Save the World, a spin-off filmed from their homes. Mattel also took the time to start building her YouTube channel, which previously featured make-up tutorials and music videos. She expanded the channel to include content reflecting her pastime as a toy collector, with videos reviewing new Barbie collections, discussing doll history, or baking with Easy-Bake Ovens.[61] Mattel and Zamolodchikova resumed filming the fifth season of UNHhhh later in 2020 and launched their podcast The Bald and the Beautiful.[62] On July 14, 2020, Mattel and Zamolodchikova released Trixie and Katya's Guide to Modern Womanhood, an affectionate parody of women's self-help books. The book was a New York Timesbest-seller.[63]
In September 2020, Mattel released a cover of Lana Del Rey's "Video Games", which ranked 66 on the Scottish singles chart and 89 on the UK Downloads chart. In December 2020, Mattel and Zamolodchikova co-hosted the 10th Streamy Awards in Los Angeles. In the same ceremony, the duo was nominated for Show of the Year and Unscripted Series for UNHhhh, winning the latter category.[64][65]
2021–present: Full Coverage, Vol. 1, The Blonde & Pink Albums, Trixie Motel, and Working Girls
In May 2021, Mattel announced that she would star in Trixie Motel, a reality series on Discovery+. The series would follow Mattel, her partner David, and "famous" friends as they renovated a motel in Palm Springs.[67][68] The renovations began in the fall of 2021, and the series premiered on June 3, 2022.[69]
In August 2021, Mattel and Zamolodchikova launched their newsletter Gooped, which includes light-hearted advice.[70] In November 2021, Mattel announced "The Trixie Doll," a collectible fashion doll in her likeness, in collaboration with Integrity Toys.[71]
In December 2021, the drag queen singing competition Queen of the Universe premiered, featuring Mattel as one of the four judges. The second and final season, which premiered in June 2023, also featured Mattel on the judging panel.[73]
On November 12, 2021, Mattel released the single "Hello Hello," loosely inspired by 60s power pop. The single's music video was choreographed by fellow drag race alumna Laganja Estranja.[74] Joseph Longo of Them said: "With "Hello Hello," Mattel makes her case for pop star status — elaborate choreography, suave backup dancers, expressive makeup, and a sparkly mini-dress."[75] The single "This Town" featuring Shakey Graves followed on January 28, 2022, along with the announcement of her fourth studio album, a double album called The Blonde & Pink Albums. The third single, "C'mon, Loretta," was released on April 15, 2022, with the full 14-track album following in June 2022.[76]
In spring 2022, it was announced Mattel would co-star with Zamolodchikova in the dating show From Katya with Love to help her find a partner, although the series was later cancelled.[77][78] On April 8, 2022, Entertainment Weekly (EW) announced the then-upcoming release of Trixie and Katya's second book, Working Girls: Trixie & Katya's Guide to Professional Womanhood. EW reported that the book includes "advice for people entering the modern workplace, including satirical tips for choosing a career path, navigating the 'Nine Circles of Retail Hell,' corporate culture, grappling with suspicions that your colleague 'doesn't really hope their emails finds you well,' and the inevitable sailing into one's retiree era." The book also included quizzes and an aptitude test.[79][80]
In June 2024, a second season of the renovation reality series Trixie Motel premiered on Max, following the renovation of Mattel's own home. Mattel also guest starred in the FX comedy series English Teacher.[87]
Business ventures
Trixie Cosmetics
On May 1, 2019, Mattel announced that she would be releasing her makeup brand, Trixie Cosmetics, later that month, and it would be available at RuPaul's DragCon LA on May 24, 2019.[88] Mattel had previously dipped into the makeup industry with her Oh Honey! collaboration with independent makeup brand Sugarpill Cosmetics in 2018.[89]
In 2020, Trixie Cosmetics launched a collaboration collection with Zamolodchikova called "Red Scare".[62] The brand has also released collaboration collections with Juno Birch[90] and Laganja Estranja.[91]
This Is It!
In February 2021, Mattel announced that she had become co-owner of Wisconsin's oldest LGBTQ+ bar, This Is It!, located in Milwaukee.[92]
Mattel and her partner David Silver bought a fixer-upper motel in Palm Springs, California, originally named Ruby Montana's Coral Sands Inn, for $1.9million. Initially, she had planned to transform it into an Airbnb rental but changed her mind after viewing the property. Instead, Mattel decided to renovate the motel to reflect the aesthetics of her drag persona, enlisting designer Dani Dazey to collaborate on the project. The renovation process was the subject of the Discovery+ original docuseries Trixie Motel, which aired in 2022.[93] In 2024, Mattel and Silver produced a spin-off series, Trixie Motel: Drag Me Home, which followed the renovation of their own home. At the conclusion of this 4-part series, Silver announced that he and Mattel planned to renovate another motel in the future.[94]
Artistry
In addition to her comedic drag persona, Mattel is also a country folk singer-songwriter. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Mattel recounted that her grandfather was a country singer who taught her how to begin playing guitar. But, growing up, she hated country music and thought it was "old people music." However, she grew to love and appreciate country as an adult, recognizing its depth, complexity, and humor with artists like June Carter Cash and Dolly Parton especially contributing to her newfound appreciation. Mattel also said that she learned guitar by listening to George Jones, Conway Twitty, and Johnny Cash. Although she learned to play folk-country, the type of music she listened to on the radio was folk-pop from performers such as Jason Isbell, Kris Kristofferson, Aimee Mann, Michelle Branch, and Kacey Musgraves.[95] Currently, Mattel finds that her music is inspired by Miley Cyrus and Kacey Musgraves, referring to them as "two fringe-country kindred spirits."[96] Several of Mattel's influences for the finished version of her third studio album, Barbara, include The Go-Go's, Blondie, The B-52's, Fountains of Wayne, Weezer, Aimee Mann, and The Click Five.[97]
Firkus is gay.[99] Since 2016, he is in a relationship with filmmaker David Silver, who also produced his documentary Moving Parts.[100][101] He is a vegetarian,[102][103] an atheist,[19] and a collector of Barbie dolls.[104]
I Like to Watch is a 2019 American web series hosted by drag queens Trixie Mattel and Katya Zamolodchikova. The series was created by Netflix, and streams on the company's YouTube channel. I Like to Watch films its hosts as they view and react to various Netflix Original Programming and licensed films streaming on Netflix. The first season aired from November 21, 2019, to March 21, 2020. A second season, recorded in the duo's homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, premiered on May 23, 2020. The third season, still recorded from home but with the hosts together in person before moving to a new set, premiered on February 20, 2021. The series won a People's Voice Webby Award in 2022. In 2023 the series won a Bronze Anthem Award in the Awareness & Media categories for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.
Chantaize Darius Jeremy Pierce, better known by the stage name Shangela Laquifa Wadley or simply as Shangela, is an American drag queen, reality television personality, TV producer, and actor best known for competing on RuPaul's Drag Race. Shangela was the first contestant eliminated in season two, and returned as a surprise contestant in the series' third season, placing sixth. She returned once again for the third season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars where she finished in joint-third/fourth place alongside winner of the first season, BeBe Zahara Benet. Shangela has also made several television appearances and regularly performs across the United States and Canada.
Delta Work is the stage name of Gabriel A. Villarreal, an Emmy Award-winning American drag performer and stylist, best known for competing on the third season (2011) of the reality competition television series RuPaul's Drag Race.
Brian Joseph McCook, known by his drag persona Yekaterina Petrovna Zamolodchikova, or mononymously as Katya, is an American drag queen, actor, author, recording artist, and comedian. Katya is best known for placing fifth on the seventh season of RuPaul’s Drag Race and placing as a runner-up on the second season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, as well as for appearing in the World of Wonder web series UNHhhh and the Viceland series The Trixie & Katya Show with co-host and fellow season 7 alum Trixie Mattel. Trixie and Katya often appear together as a popular comedy duo.
Christopher Delmar Caldwell, also known by his stage name Caldwell Tidicue and better known by his drag name Bob the Drag Queen, is an American drag queen, comedian, actor, activist, musician, and reality television personality. He is best known for winning the eighth season of RuPaul's Drag Race. As of 2020, he has more than one million followers on Instagram and was the first Black Drag Race queen to reach the milestone. After Drag Race, he pursued acting, appearing in television shows such as High Maintenance (2016), Tales of the City (2019), and A Black Lady Sketch Show (2019). In 2020, he began co-hosting We're Here on HBO alongside fellow Drag Race contestants Eureka O'Hara and Shangela.
Kimora Blac is the stage name of Von Nguyen, an American drag queen and television personality, best known for competing on the ninth season of RuPaul's Drag Race.
James Jeffrey Wirth, better known as Jaymes Mansfield, is an American drag queen, TV personality, and YouTuber. She is best known for competing on the ninth season of RuPaul's Drag Race, the eighth season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, and playing the part of Delia Von Whitewoman in the film The Bitch Who Stole Christmas.
The Trixie & Katya Show is an American comedy television series featuring drag queens Trixie Mattel and Katya Zamolodchikova, who both rose to prominence competing on the seventh season of RuPaul's Drag Race. The show is a spin-off of the YouTube series UNHhhh, which turned both Trixie and Katya into "viral internet stars".
Mo Heart, formerly Monique Heart, is the stage name of Kevin Leandrew Richardson, an American drag queen, reality television personality, and recording artist best known for competing on the tenth season of RuPaul's Drag Race (2018), the fourth season of RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars (2018–2019), and the first series of RuPaul's Drag Race: UK vs. the World (2022). Since first appearing on Drag Race in 2018, Mo Heart has appeared in a number of web series produced by World of Wonder, including a starring role in Manic Moments With Monique Heart, and hosted her own podcast, Ace of Hearts with Monique Heart. In January 2019, she released her debut single "Brown Cow Stunning", and later released her debut extended play Beloved SoS 6.3 in 2020.
Homemade Christmas is an EP by American drag queen Trixie Mattel, released on December 1, 2017.
UNHhhh is an American comedy web series starring drag queens Trixie Mattel and Katya Zamolodchikova. In the series, Trixie and Katya discuss a topic humorously in front of a green screen. UNHhhh premiered on March 25, 2016, one year after Mattel and Zamolodchikova appeared in the seventh season of RuPaul's Drag Race. The show is aired through World Of Wonder's YouTube channel, as well as through its video-on-demand service WOW Presents Plus. UNHhhh has been nominated for ten Streamy Awards throughout its run, winning Unscripted Series at the 2020 ceremony, which the duo also hosted.
Jared Johnson, best known by the stage name Jaida Essence Hall, is an American drag queen and reality television personality best known for winning the twelfth season of RuPaul's Drag Race, and later returning to compete on the seventh season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, an all-winners season. Since her season aired in 2020, Hall has been a staple of several domestic and international tours that feature Drag Race contestants, including Werq the World, A Drag Queen Christmas, and Drive 'N Drag. In October 2020, Johnson was a featured performer in Rihanna's Savage X Fenty Fashion Show Vol. 2.
The 10th Annual Streamy Awards was the tenth installment of the Streamy Awards honoring the best in American streaming television series and their creators. The ceremony was held on December 12, 2020, hosted by drag queens Trixie Mattel and Katya Zamolodchikova and streamed exclusively to YouTube. To adhere to social distancing restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the duo presented the awards from a party bus travelling around Los Angeles. The Streamys introduced the Creator Honor awards for the 10th Streamy Awards, presented by past Streamy Award winners to new or breakout creators that resonated with them in 2020. The show also featured "spotlight segments" in which content creators highlighted important social and cultural issues such as racial justice, COVID adaptability, and mental health.
Vampire Fitness is the debut extended play by American drag performer Katya Zamolodchikova, released by Producer Entertainment Group on November 13, 2020. The EP features guest appearances by fellow RuPaul's Drag Race contestants Alaska Thunderfuck and Trixie Mattel.
Producer Entertainment Group (PEG), also affiliated with Producer Entertainment Group Records (PEGR), is an American talent management firm and production company based in Burbank, California. The group manages LGBTQ+ talent across the globe, including past competitors from the Drag Race franchise.
Trixie and Katya's Guide to Modern Womanhood is a 2020 book by drag queens Trixie and Katya, published by Plume Books, an imprint of Penguin Group. It was published in the UK and Australia by Penguin's Ebury Publishing imprint. It is a parody of self-help and etiquette books for women. It includes both serious and satirical advice on housekeeping, fashion and relationships.
WOW Presents Plus is a subscription-based streaming service owned by production company, World of Wonder. The subscription service was founded in November 2017, by Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey. The service offers a multitude of original series, including shows like Painted with Raven and UNHhhh.
Trixie Motel is an American reality television docuseries that follows Trixie Mattel and her partner David Silver as they buy and renovate a rundown motel in Palm Springs, California.
The Blonde & Pink Albums are a double album and collectively the fourth studio album by American drag queen and singer-songwriter Trixie Mattel, released on June 24, 2022, by Producer Entertainment Group. The album was promoted by the singles "Hello Hello", "This Town", and "C'mon Loretta" prior to release and includes collaborations with Shakey Graves and Michelle Branch.
Trixie and Katya is a comedy duo consisting of drag queens Trixie Mattel and Katya Zamolodchikova. The two have been known for their individual careers as entertainers and often as a popular double act. They first met as contestants on the seventh season of RuPaul's Drag Race and quickly became audience favourites, developing an even larger audience as they began to appear together in December 2015 on YouTube.
↑ Collar, Matt. "Trixie Mattel Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Retrieved March 22, 2022. A drag queen, singer/songwriter, and comedian, Trixie Mattel is known for her unique variety-show blend of standup [comedy] and acoustic pop.
↑ Kiki with Kim Chi. March 3, 2020. Retrieved March 29, 2022. I was only show director of one show, and it was once a month in Milwaukee at the Hamburger Mary's. It was called 'Trixie's Dollhouse,' and basically I would just book you and Shea.
1 2 Guerino, Adam (June 9, 2015). "Trixie Mattel from RuPaul's Drag Race to perform in Chicago". Time Out. Retrieved August 18, 2017. This week, she comes to Roscoe's Tavern with the rest of the Rupaul's Drag Race Season 7 cast. Unlike most of the cast, she has performed in Chicago numerous times before.
↑ Lal, Kish (December 5, 2019). "I always wanted to make my own make-up – Trixie Mattel talks beauty". Dazed. Retrieved March 27, 2022. I used to work in cosmetics. I freelanced at Sephora, I worked at Ulta, I was at MAC for five years, so I used to watch people shop for make-up for a living and that's a very educational experience.
↑ Mattel, Trixie [@trixiemattel] (June 15, 2015). "I'm a vegetarian!" (Tweet). Archived from the original on May 19, 2018. Retrieved September 19, 2018– via Twitter.
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