You gotta give Trixie Mattel credit: the girl can work. Not only can she work, but that work has made her one of the most popular queens to ever come out of RuPaul's Drag Race, and in three short years she has proven to be not only a force in the drag world, but the music and television world as well.
Trixie was a fan favorite on season seven of RPDR, where she was tragically eliminated very early on which led to a major social media meltdown from her thousands of fans online. Luckily, she was given a second chance and returned to the competition where she made it all the way to the top six.
Even though she didn't win the season, she won in many other ways. Trixie continued to work on the Drag Race circuit, touring with the other girls while developing a massively popular YouTube show with fellow season seven queen Katya called UNHhhh which eventually led them to have their own show on Vice called The Trixie and Katya Show.
Her first album,the critically acclaimed Two Birds, landed at number one on the iTunes charts and number two on the Billboard Heatseekers charts. Not bad for a girl from Milwaukee, who started drag ten years ago.
Now, she's back in competition mode as she is one of the 10 queens competing on RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, which premieres this Thursday on VH1. Trixie chatted with us at the Meet the Queens special this past week, where she discussed being the favorite to win, her favorite moment since RPDR began, and why she think's she'll win the big prize. Take a look.
You've heard of Instinct Magazine right?
Sure, it's porn right?
Eh… depends on the day and articles we put out.
I jerk off to it regardless.
Great! You're favored to be the one to beat, is there pressure for that?
It’s sort of like, does Mery Streep feel pressure every time she goes to the Oscars? Kidding, obviously, I’m not Meryl Streep. I always say this: to walk into a room with Shangela, Morgan McMichaels, Aja, etc: if you don’t feel threatened, you’re an idiot. These are extremely talented people.
That's a smart way of thinking. Did you think at all when you walked into season seven that all of this would happen years later?
No, especially after I lost a couple of times. I was like, well I had one opportunity and I messed up. Between season seven and All Stars, I figured out the best ways to continue my career. I felt like an All Star even before All Stars, with the Trixie & Katya show and my album being so successful.
All Stars is amazing, but I think RuPaul chose us because he sees us as people who can make the most out of a bad situation. The only people in our season who came close to winning were Kennedy Davenport and Chi Chi DeVayne, the rest of us were top 6 or top 8, so this is kind of the season of comeback queens.
Do you have a favorite moment since this is all began?
May 2nd of last year, I landed in the United Kingdom and my album released while I was on the plane . I got off the plane, wore off my eyes, and I looked at iTunes, specifically singer/songwriter, and I was number one, and then I looked at overall album sales and I was number two. It was the Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack, me and then Kendrick Lamar and I was sobbing.
When you're a little faggot playing your guitar in the country like I was, you never think this would ever happen.
Finally, why do you think you are going to win All Stars 3?
Oh my god, because I've already stolen the money straight out of RuPaul's Venmo, so I don't care if I win… I've got the money.
For more on Trixie Mattel, click here, and for more on All Stars 3, click here.