Trixie Mattel

Brian Michael Firkus (born August 23, 1989), better known by the stage name Trixie Mattel, is an American drag queen, television personality, and singer-songwriter originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She is known for her exaggerated, high-camp, 1960s-influenced style, distinctive eye makeup, and her blend of comedy, acoustic pop, and folk-country music; Mattel sings and plays guitar and the autoharp. In 2015, she competed in the seventh season of the drag reality television competition RuPaul's Drag Race, placing sixth. Then, in 2018, she went on to win the third season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars.

Together with fellow drag queen and frequent collaborator Katya Zamolodchikova, Mattel has formed one-half of the World of Wonder web series UNHhhh (2016–present) and its Viceland spin-off, The Trixie & Katya Show (2017–2018). The pair have also appeared on the Netflix review web series I Like to Watch (2019–present) together and with other queens. They form the popular comedy duo known as Trixie and Katya. Mattel's music style is 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, respectively. Her third studio album, Barbara (2020), featured an "electro-folk" sound; her EP, Full Coverage, Vol. 1 (2021), consists of Mattel's covers of various songs. Her comedy special, Trixie Mattel: One Night Only (2020), was nominated for a Critics' Choice Television Award. She went on to appear 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. Additionally, she produced and starred in the renovation docuseries Trixie Motel (2022), which also chronicled the planning, construction, and opening of her own Palm Springs resort, the Trixie Motel.

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. She also operates a YouTube channel focused on beauty and music, 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 and CEO of Trixie Cosmetics, a cosmetics brand launched in 2019. 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.

1989–2014: Early life and career beginnings
Brian Michael Firkus was born on August 23, 1989, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and raised in Silver Cliff, Wisconsin by a single mother with an older brother and a younger sister. He is Ojibwe and comes from a Native American family in Crivitz, Wisconsin. He had an abusive stepfather who would call him a "Trixie" when he acted feminine, which later inspired his drag name. Her last name was inspired by her affinity for the Barbie doll and toy company Mattel. Before deciding on "Trixie Mattel" as his drag name, he originally considered the name Cupcake. He moved in with his grandparents at age 15. His grandfather was a country musician who taught him how to play the guitar.

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 performing in a production of The Rocky Horror Show at the Oriental Theatre. He first performed in drag at LaCage NiteClub in Milwaukee, becoming a regular performer in Milwaukee's drag scene. Firkus would perform with fellow drag queens Kim Chi and Shea Couleé in Milwaukee and occasionally in Chicago. He attended beauty school in 2014 before withdrawing to participate in RuPaul's Drag Race. Outside of drag, he worked in cosmetics, freelancing at Sephora and working at Ulta and MAC.

2015–2017: RuPaul's Drag Race, UNHhhh, Two Birds, and The Trixie & Katya Show
Mattel first gained widespread attention as a competitor in Season 7 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. Mattel, who is Ojibwe, 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. After her run on the show, Mattel performed her stand-up comedy tour, Ages 3 and Up, from 2015 to 2017.

In October 2015, Mattel guest-starred in a special edition of WOWPresents' Fashion Photo Review with fellow season seven contestant Katya Zamolodchikova. World of Wonder later launched UNHhhh, a comedy web series featuring the duo. The series became one of the most successful shows 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 two on the Heatseekers Albums chart, number six 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.

2018–2019: All Stars, One Stone, and 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 ten on the Independent albums chart, and number one 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. Mattel's first comedy special, Trixie Mattel: Skinny Legend, aired on OutTV in Canada on September 26, 2019.

2019–2021: Barbara, Trixie & Katya's Guide to Modern Womanhood, The Bald and the Beautiful, and Full Coverage, Vol. 1
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.

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 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.

2021–present: 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. The renovations began in the fall of 2021, and the series premiered on June 3, 2022.

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 spring 2022, Mattel co-starred with Zamolodchikova on the dating show "From Katya with Love" to help her find a partner.

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.

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.

In 2024 a second season of Trixie Motel was aired on Max.

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. Mattel had previously dipped into the makeup industry with her Oh Honey! collaboration with independent makeup brand Sugarpill Cosmetics in 2018.

In 2020, Trixie Cosmetics launched a collaboration collection with Zamolodchikova called "Red Scare". The brand has also released collaboration collections with Juno Birch and Laganja Estranja.

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.

Trixie Motel
Mattel and her partner David Silver bought a fixer-upper motel in Palm Springs, California, originally named Ruby Montana's Coral Sands Inn, for $1.9 million. 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. 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 Trixie planned to renovate another motel in the future.

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 funness with artist 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. Currently, Mattel finds that her music is inspired by Miley Cyrus and Kacey Musgraves, referring to them as "two fringe-country kindred spirits." 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.

Mattel is also a DJ, posting a remix of the Black Eyed Peas song "My Humps" in July 2023.

Personal life
Firkus is gay. Since 2016, he has been in a relationship with filmmaker David Silver, who also produced his documentary Moving Parts. He is a vegetarian, an atheist, and a collector of Barbie dolls.

Discography

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

Headlining tours

 * Ages 3 and Up (2015–2017)
 * Now with Moving Parts Tour (2018)
 * Super Bowl Cut (2018)
 * Skinny Legend Tour (2019)
 * Grown Up Tour (2020–2022)
 * Solid Pink Disco Tour (2022–2024)

Co-headlining tours

 * Trixie and Katya Live! (with Katya) (2022–2023)
 * The Bald and the Beautiful Tour (with Katya) (2022–2024)