Trixie Mattel

What's Been Going On: A Look at Trixie Mattel's Life and Career

What was Trixie Mattel's life like from 1989 to 2014?

Brian Michael Firkus was born on August 23, 1989, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and raised in Silver Cliff by a single mother with an older brother and two younger sisters. He is a quarter Ojibwe, with his maternal grandmother being a member of the Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians. An abusive stepfather, who would call him "Trixie" when he acted feminine, later inspired his drag name. Firkus had an unsettled childhood, with his stepfather once pointing a gun to his head and threatening to pull the trigger, leading to Firkus being put in his grandparents' care. His last name was inspired by his affinity for Barbie dolls and toy company Mattel. Before deciding on "Trixie Mattel" as his drag name, he originally considered the name Cupcake. At 15, Firkus moved in with his grandparents, where he was taught how to play guitar by his grandfather, a country musician. After graduating from high school, Firkus studied at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, earning a BFA in musical theatre and discovering drag while attending a screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. He began performing in drag at LaCage NiteClub in Milwaukee, becoming a regular performer in the city's drag scene. Firkus performed with fellow drag queens Kim Chi and Shea Couleé in both Milwaukee and Chicago. Prior to competing on RuPaul's Drag Race, he attended beauty school in 2014 before withdrawing to pursue his drag career. Outside of drag, Firkus worked in cosmetics, freelancing at Sephora and working at Ulta and MAC.

What was Trixie Mattel up to between 2015-2017?

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, ultimately placing sixth overall and becoming the first queen to last more than one episode after returning to the competition. In October 2015, Mattel guest-starred in a special edition of WOWPresents' Fashion Photo Review with fellow seventh season contestant Katya Zamolodchikova. World of Wonder later launched UNHhhh, a comedy web series featuring the duo. The series became the most successful show on the WOW Presents YouTube channel and earned them their first Streamy Award nomination for Show of the Year at the 7th Streamy Awards. In November 2016, Mattel had a guest appearance as herself on American Horror Story: Roanoke. She self-released her debut studio album Two Birds on May 2, 2017. The album debuted at number 2 on the Heatseekers Albums chart, number 6 on the Independent Albums chart, and number 16 on the Americana/Folk Albums chart. In December 2017, Mattel released Homemade Christmas, an EP of three recorded Christmas songs that featured Zamolodchikova. 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. 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. Also in November 2017, Mattel produced a video for GQ Magazine called Trixie Mattel Makes a PB&J (and More Importantly, a Cocktail), earning a nomination from the James Beard Foundation Awards in the humor category.

What did Trixie Mattel's 2018-2020 period bring - a trifecta of all-star moments, one stone to stand on, and many moving parts?

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. 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. 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. She released her second studio album, One Stone, on March 15, 2018, the same night as the All Stars finale. 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. 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. 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. The documentary was made available on Video On Demand platforms on December 3, 2019. An accompanying acoustic soundtrack was released later in December. In a September 2018 interview with Billboard, she announced that she was working on her third studio album, Barbara, featuring an "electro-folk" sound. "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. 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. 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. Mattel and Zamolodchikova resumed filming the fifth season of UNHhhh later in 2020 and launched their podcast The Bald and the Beautiful. 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 Times best-seller. 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.

What's Next for Trixie Mattel: Full Coverage, Vol. 1, The Blonde & Pink Albums, Trixie Motel, and Working Girls?

In February 2021, Mattel released a cover of the Violent Femmes track "Blister in the Sun." She also announced the EP Full Coverage, Vol. 1, which included both singles "Video Games" and "Blister in the Sun," as well as a cover of "Jackson" with Orville Peck. The EP was released on April 30, 2021. In May 2021, Mattel announced that she would star in Trixie Motel, a reality series on Discovery+. The series would follow Mattel, her (at the time) partner David, and "famous" friends as they renovated a motel in Palm Springs. The renovations began in the fall of 2021, and the series premiered on June 3, 2022. In August 2021, Mattel and Zamolodchikova launched their newsletter Gooped, which includes light-hearted advice. In November 2021, Mattel announced "The Trixie Doll," a collectible fashion doll in her likeness, in collaboration with Integrity Toys. In September 2021, Producer Entertainment Group debuted a vodka line in collaboration with the Mexican distillery Casa Maestri. The line, titled SERV Vodka, consists of six flavors each inspired by a drag queen on the PEG roster: pink lemonade (Mattel); pineapple (Manila Luzon); mixed berries (Trinity the Tuck); blood orange (Sharon Needles); green apple (Monét X Change); and original unflavored (Alaska Thunderfuck 5000). 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. 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. 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." 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. In the spring of 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. 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. In 2023, Mattel announced partnerships with Etsy, Maybelline, LinkedIn, and The Sims. Mattel was featured on the cover of the June 2023 edition of Los Angeles magazine. Also in June 2023, Mattel partnered with the online survival horror video game Dead by Daylight to co-host its annual Into the Rainbow charity event with streamer Negaoryx in support of Pride Month and the It Gets Better Project. 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 as Shazam in the FX comedy series English Teacher.

What's Next for Trixie Mattel: A Look at Her Business Ventures?

Is Trixie's Beauty Empire a Game-Changer?

Mattel announced on May 1, 2019, that she would be releasing her makeup brand, Trixie Cosmetics, later that month, with availability at RuPaul's DragCon LA on May 24, 2019. The company had previously explored the makeup industry with its Oh Honey! collaboration with Sugarpill Cosmetics in 2018. Trixie Cosmetics launched a "Red Scare" collection in collaboration with Zamolodchikova in 2020. The brand has also released collaboration collections with Juno Birch and Laganja Estranja.

Is This the End?

In February 2021, Mattel announced that she had become co-owner of Wisconsin's oldest LGBTQ+ bar, This Is It!, located in Milwaukee.

Is This the End of Trixie Mattel's Glamourous Getaway?

Mattel and her then-partner David Silver bought a fixer-upper motel in Palm Springs, California, originally named Ruby Montana's Coral Sands Inn, for $1.9 million. Mattel initially planned to transform it into an Airbnb rental but changed her mind after viewing the property. Instead, she 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 featured in the Discovery+ original docuseries Trixie Motel, which aired in 2022. Mattel and Silver later produced a spin-off series, Trixie Motel: Drag Me Home, in 2024, which followed the renovation of their own home. At the conclusion of this four-part series, Silver announced that he and Mattel planned to renovate another motel in the future.

Is Trixie Mattel's Artistry a Reflection of Her Unique Personality?

In addition to her comedic drag persona, Mattel is also a country folk singer-songwriter. She learned guitar by listening to her grandfather, who was a country singer, teach her how to play. Growing up, she hated country music and thought it was "old people music." However, as an adult, she grew to love and appreciate the genre's depth, complexity, and humor, citing artists like June Carter Cash and Dolly Parton as influences. Mattel has also mentioned learning guitar by listening to George Jones, Conway Twitty, and Johnny Cash. Her musical tastes are diverse, with a fondness for folk-pop from performers such as Jason Isbell, Kris Kristofferson, Aimee Mann, Michelle Branch, and Kacey Musgraves. Currently, she finds inspiration in Miley Cyrus and Kacey Musgraves, referring to them as "two fringe-country kindred spirits." Mattel's music influences include The Go-Go's, Blondie, The B-52's, Fountains of Wayne, Weezer, Aimee Mann, and The Click Five. In addition to her singing career, Mattel is also a DJ, posting remixes of songs like the Black Eyed Peas' "My Humps," Aqua's "Barbie Girl," and Megan Thee Stallion's "Her."

What's Behind the Glitter: A Peek into Trixie Mattel's Personal Life?

Firkus is gay. He was in a relationship with filmmaker David Silver, who also produced his documentary Moving Parts, from 2016 to 2024. He is a vegetarian and an atheist. He is also a collector of Barbie dolls.

What's in Trixie Mattel's Music Vault?

Two Birds (2017) One Stone (2018) Barbara (2020) The Blonde & Pink Albums (2022)

What's the Deal with Trixie Mattel's Unapologetic Queerness?

Modern Womanhood: A Guide Honey, you're a strong, independent woman, and we're here to help you slay the game! We know that being a modern woman can be tough, what with societal expectations, patriarchal norms, and all the drama in between. But don't worry, Trixie and Katya are here to guide you through it all. First off, let's talk about self-care. You are your own best friend, darling! Take time for yourself, indulge in face masks, and give yourself permission to be vulnerable. Don't let anyone make you feel like you're not good enough or that you're too much. You do you, sweetie! Now, let's get to the nitty-gritty of relationships. Honey, you deserve someone who loves and respects you for who you are. Don't settle for less! Be picky, be choosy, and know your worth. And remember, love is a choice, not an obligation. Next up, we've got career goals! You're a boss lady, after all! Don't let anyone tell you that you can't do something because of your gender or any other reason. You are capable and strong, and you deserve to be heard. So go out there and slay the game, whether it's in corporate America or running your own business. And last but not least, let's talk about mental health. Honey, taking care of yourself mentally is just as important as taking care of your physical health. Don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it, and don't compare yourself to others. You are unique and special, and that's what makes you beautiful. So there you have it, darling! Trixie and Katya's Guide to Modern Womanhood is all about empowering women to be their best selves. Remember to always prioritize your own needs, surround yourself with positive energy, and never settle for anything less than the best. You got this! Working Women: A Guide Hey there, working girls! We know that being a professional woman can be tough, but we're here to help you navigate it all. Trixie and Katya's Guide to Professional Womanhood is your go-to guide for success in the workplace. First off, let's talk about networking. Honey, building relationships with people in your industry is key! Attend conferences, join online groups, and connect with others who are doing what you're doing. Don't be afraid to ask for help or advice – everyone started somewhere! Next up, we've got career advancement. You're a go-getter, after all! Don't let anyone tell you that you can't reach the top because of your gender or any other reason. You are capable and strong, and you deserve to be heard. So go out there and crush it, whether it's in corporate America or running your own business. And last but not least, let's talk about self-care. Honey, taking care of yourself mentally and physically is just as important as being successful in the workplace. Don't burn out, darling! Make time for yourself, prioritize your well-being, and remember that you are enough – just as you are. So there you have it, working girls! Trixie and Katya's Guide to Professional Womanhood is all about empowering women to be their best selves in the workplace. Remember to always prioritize your own needs, surround yourself with positive energy, and never settle for anything less than the best. You got this!