Trixie Mattel

Brian Michael Firkus, professionally known as Trixie Mattel, is an American drag artist, singer-songwriter, television personality, DJ, and entrepreneur. Originating from Marinette County, Wisconsin, Mattel is recognized for an exaggerated, 1960s-inspired aesthetic featuring distinctive eye makeup. Her musical performances merge comedy with acoustic pop and folk-country styles, frequently incorporating the guitar and autoharp. Mattel gained widespread national visibility through her appearances on the reality competition series RuPaul's Drag Race, later winning the third season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars.

Born on August 23, 1989, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Firkus is of Ojibwe descent through his maternal lineage. He moved to his grandparents' home at age 15, learning the guitar from his grandfather, who was a country musician. Firkus attended the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, graduating with a Fine Arts degree in musical theatre. He began performing in local drag venues in Milwaukee while working in retail cosmetics at MAC, Sephora, and Ulta before focusing full-time on drag. His stage title was inspired by a childhood insult combined with his fondness for Barbie dolls produced by Mattel.

Mattel's television breakthrough arrived in 2015 when she competed on season seven of RuPaul's Drag Race. She returned in 2018 to win season three of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, becoming the first winner of Indigenous descent in the show's history. Alongside fellow drag performer Katya Zamolodchikova, Mattel formed a popular comedy duo. The pair co-hosted the digital series UNHhhh, the Viceland program The Trixie & Katya Show, the Netflix review series I Like to Watch, and the podcast The Bald and the Beautiful.

Beyond television, Mattel established a music career, debuting with the folk-country albums Two Birds in 2017 and One Stone in 2018, both reaching number 16 on the Billboard Folk Albums chart. She subsequently released the electro-folk album Barbara in 2020 and the power-pop double album The Blonde & Pink Albums in 2022. Her career and personal struggles were documented in the 2019 film Trixie Mattel: Moving Parts, while her 2020 musical comedy special, Trixie Mattel: One Night Only, earned a nomination for a Critics' Choice Television Award.

Mattel has expanded into business and publishing, launching the brand Trixie Cosmetics in 2019 as its founder and chief executive officer. She co-authored the New York Times bestselling book Trixie and Katya's Guide to Modern Womanhood and the follow-up book Working Girls alongside Zamolodchikova. From 2021 to 2023, she served as a judge on the singing competition Queen of the Universe and starred in the renovation series Trixie Motel, detailing the opening of her Palm Springs resort. Additionally, she operates a YouTube channel focused on beauty and doll collecting, and was ranked fourth on New York Magazine's list of America's most powerful drag queens.