https://trixiemattel.com/about/
Trixie Mattel, born Brian Michael Firkus on August 23, 1989, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and raised in Silver Cliff, Wisconsin. He is of Ojibwe descent and belongs to a Native American family from Crivitz, Wisconsin. During his childhood, he was subjected to abuse by a stepfather who derogatorily called him "Trixie" when he exhibited feminine behaviors, a name he would later adopt as part of his drag persona. The surname "Mattel" was chosen due to his fondness for Barbie dolls and the Mattel toy company. Initially, he toyed with the name "Cupcake" before settling on "Trixie Mattel." At 15, he moved in with his grandparents, where his grandfather, a country musician, taught him how to play the guitar.
Firkus pursued higher education at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, earning a BFA in musical theatre. His involvement in a production of The Rocky Horror Show at the Oriental Theatre marked his introduction to drag. He made his drag debut at LaCage NiteClub in Milwaukee and soon became a staple in the local drag circuit, performing alongside notable drag queens such as Kim Chi and Shea Couleé in Milwaukee and occasionally in Chicago. In 2014, he attended beauty school but left to join the cast of RuPaul's Drag Race. Beyond his drag career, he worked in the beauty industry, freelancing at Sephora and holding positions at Ulta and MAC.