Trixie Mattel talks second 'Drag Race' elimination

Kennedy Davenport, Dallas, TX. April 25 at South Beach nightclub. Kennedy Davenport, Dallas, TX. April 25 at South Beach nightclub. Photo: Mathu Andersen Photo: Mathu Andersen Image 1 of / 107 Caption Close Trixie Mattel talks second 'Drag Race' elimination 1 / 107 Back to Gallery

Trixie Mattel is haunted by Houston.

The "two-time loser" of "RuPaul's Drag Race" appeared at South Beach nightclub in Montrose the same week she was originally eliminated from the competition. She drew a big crowd, sauntered out after midnight and promptly fell off the makeshift stage.

"Oh, no. You were there. You deserve better," she says. "Before I went on, they said, 'Trixie, now it's a runway stage, and it's speakers, don't walk off the end of the stage. I did exactly what they told me not to do. But it was fine."

RELATED: Trixie Mattel talks first 'Drag Race' elimination

Stumbling and picking back up is a running theme for Mattel. She was brought back into the competition two weeks ago by RuPaul only to get the boot again this week after a dancing and half-drag challenge.

"RuPaul was like, 'Get that bitch outta here.' Then for a second, he was like, 'Did I make a mistake?' And then he was like, 'Oh, yeah, get her outta here,'" Mattel says.

True to form, our Q&A was punctuated with fits of laughter. Wait until you get to the part about Miss Fame.

Were the dynamics different when you returned?

On a friend level, many of those girls were so pleased to have me back. They didn't show this, but everybody separately, including some of the girls who I didn't even think liked me that much, said, 'If anybody had to come back, we wanted it to be you.' That was a beautiful thing to feel. But if you need to be mad at somebody, be mad at the 'Race' because I didn't invent the rules. I didn't invent the conjoined twin challenge. When queens were acting shady because I came back, I'm like, 'Girl, you signed up for this competition. And part of the competition is one person comes back.'

Were you shocked to be back in that position two weeks later?

Girl. Girl. Girl. In the episode (prior to my second elimination) I was partners with Ginger, and they judged us individually. They said, 'Trixie, you got outshined by your partner.' This challenge, I partner with Ginger again. I shine brighter. I get all positive critiques on my dance and my look that I had to make. 'Your robot was great. You made this big square-dancing dress, and everyone else just glued fabric and stones to a bodysuit.' They were so impressed. I actually thought I might win the challenge. I was feeling more secure than I had in any other challenge. And then to have them be like, 'Tonight you're being judged as pairs' – oh, it's that kind of thing. Sure. Got it. I wasn't happy at all. I guess on 'Drag Race' if you do well in the challenge and the runway you still just might lip-sync for whatever random reason. YOLO.

Were you surprised at the outrage over your original elimination?

When I left 'Drag Race' on episode 4 – you know, the first time – I got home, and my boyfriend was like, 'What happened?' I didn't know. I thought I did well in the challenge. My runway was beautiful. And I love Pearl, but I felt 9,000-percent I could kill her in the lip sync. Still watching it, I don't get it. For people to see through that and feel that they want some kind of justice and closure, it was so beautiful. I called my manager the next day and was like, 'Did everybody cancel the gigs?' It was the opposite. It was amazing. RuPaul was blocking people for (continuously tweeting him #justicefortrixie).

Your story about the origins of the name Trixie, which your abusive stepfather used as an antigay insult, touched a lot of viewers.

Everywhere I go, people say they felt like they were right there with me, holding my hand, because they've been there. Trixie Mattel is a product of bad things that happened to me, and it's how I deal with things. It's wonderful. Bad things can happen to you, but it doesn't mean you have to have regrets. It's all about what you do with it. I love my life so much. I wouldn't change anything.

Whose friendship do you cherish most from the show?

One of my trophies of 'Drag Race' is getting to meet Katya. I miss Ginger, too. We got really close during those two challenges. They made it look like she couldn't dance and I was annoyed the whole time. She was going through it, and I was rehearsing all night with her, helping her make her costume because I care for her, and it was hard to see her go through that. We were crying a little bit before we had to lip sync, and we were crying after we lip synced. When I won the reading challenge, I won a phone call home, and they never showed it. Because I had just been home, Ginger missed her husband so much I gave her my phone call. I felt so shaded. It's not because I want credit. It's just a beautiful moment I gave to Ginger.

RELATED: Miss Fame talks 'Drag Race' elimination

What prompted you to audition?

I always thought I was too weird. After (Season 6 contestant) Milk went on and was received so well and a comedian (Bianca Del Rio) winner, I was like, 'Maybe I can do this.' It sounds bad, but I kind of feel the energy of the world and whatever. I just knew it was gonna happen. I had a feeling. Miss Fame believes in manifesting your destiny, I guess, and so do I. They didn't show this, but all of 'Drag Race,' Miss Fame carried around a tiger's eye in her, like, bosom for luck and energy. Which I think is great. Fame, she's so amazing and nice and structured and perfect. They also didn't show -- whatever, I'm just gonna say it. I don't care. YOLO – I'm eliminated. She didn't, um, pleasure herself for basically the whole time she was there. She had read that in Greek times or whatever that Olympians and warriors who were going into battle wouldn't do it either because the pent-up testosterone made them stronger competitors. Meanwhile, I'm reading a '70s porn novel called 'You Give Good Head, Uncle.' When I'm done with pages, I'm ripping them out and giving them to Katya because she didn't have any porn. I guess I wasn't there to win. Saturdays and Sundays, when you're alone in a hotel room with nothing to keep you company but 'Keeping Up With the Kardashians,' I literally just laid in bed and touched myself all day.

You've already said there will be no post-show single, despite a pre-drag music career under your real name Brian Firkus. Standing by that?

Absolutely not. Did you watch episode 4? I can't sing, I'm not funny and I can't lip sync. I'm probably just gonna quit drag. And I fall off stages. I used to be a musician. I went to school for music. If you creep on me hard enough, Brian Firkus, I have albums online. Ugh. It's gross. For Trixie, that's just not what I do. I think drag music is 99.9-percent bad. I'd not be so bold to say mine would be any better.

What do you take away from your 'Drag Race' experience?

I'm a comedian, and I joke through the hard things in my life. I complain a lot. The whole experience was such a gift. RuPaul and World of Wonder and Logo handpicked me to show me to the world. Twice. I never thought about what kind of queen I am or what my real assets are that other people don't have or what really makes me different or special. Doing 'Drag Race,' I realized I have a type of humor that not many people have. I never thought of myself as a comedian until 'Drag Race.' I left feeling more centered on what Trixie is and why people respond to her. It's an embodiment of facing your fears with laughter.