The name Brian Michael Firkus might not sound familiar. However, you may recognize him by his stage name, Trixie Mattel.
Firkus, a performer who is a drag queen, singer, and TV personality, has created a character in Mattel that is memorable for her voluminous blond tresses, dramatic black-and-pastel eye makeup, flamboyant outfits, and delightfully campy aura.
Mattel’s empire has continued to flourish and grow, extending to a YouTube channel and a cosmetics collection. She has sometimes collaborated with another drag queen, Katya Zamolodchikova. Their camaraderie led to the publication of a New York Times best-selling book, Trixie and Katya’s Guide to Modern Womanhood (2020).
David Silver has been at Mattel’s side throughout her ascent to stardom as a boyfriend, staunch ally, collaborator, and rock to lean upon. Here’s what we know about Trixie Mattel’s real-life love.
David Silver is a film and TV producer who was a production assistant for Batman Begins (2005) starring Christian Bale and Katie Holmes and The Break-Up (2006) with Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston.
Silver was a producer for Kittie: Spit In Your Eye (2000) with Fallon Bowman and executive producer for Please Baby Please (2022), whose cast included Demi Moore and Andrea Riseborough.
Sometimes, the pair gives fans a peek into their lives with snaps of their trips and activities on their Instagram accounts. Silver might even drop in on one of Mattel’s YouTube videos from time to time for a cameo appearance.
In 2020, Mattel confided to 48 Hills how she feels about Silver. “I love my boyfriend. He’s really my world and he comes on tour and stays on the bus with me.”
She also mentioned that she’s “pretty private” about him. “I don’t post a lot of pictures, but I definitely write songs about him.”
Silver was the executive producer for Mattel’s 2019 Netflix documentary, Trixie Mattel: Moving Parts, which revealed some aspects of their relationship.
As The WOW Report stated, Mattel summed up the essence of the film succinctly: “It’s a lot of what happens in the other 23 hours in a day of being a drag queen.”
Mattel admits that she was a bit wary of working so closely with the man in her life. She told The WOW Report, “Originally, I don’t like to work with anybody that I have a relationship with, but my manager at the time and David both came to me separately and said, ‘You should do a film about this section of your life because so many things are happening.’”
In the end, working with Silver turned out to be a great move. Mattel seemed very pleased with the result, even though being observed during awkward or personal moments while filming it wasn’t always easy for her.
“This is you in a cab with me, in a shower with me, backstage with me. Everywhere. I never once asked them to leave the room or stop filming. You got the best and worst of it. But there really were some moments where I’m watching it back, like, this is magical.”
In 2022, Mattel told The Cinemaholic that she lovingly wanted Moving Parts to be a major artistic triumph for Silver, rather than just a vehicle to make herself and her brand even more famous. Silver was actually one of the first people who encouraged Mattel to make a documentary about herself.
“Our relationship has been five years…of watching all my dreams come true,” Brian [Mattel] said, “…and this project is one of David’s dreams that I really, really want to see come true.”
Silver was an executive producer and starred as himself in Trixie Motel (2022), a Discovery+ reality TV show that depicted his and Mattel’s latest splashy adventure: renovating the run-down Ruby Montana’s Coral Sands Inn in tony Palm Springs, California, by imbuing it with outrageous, Trixie Mattel-style decor.
This project wasn’t any old fixer-upper, however. Silver and Mattel reportedly sunk a cool $2 million into the endeavor, according to Entertainment Weekly.
Thanks to Mattel, there was tons of over-the-top extravagance, plenty of wacky whimsy, and help from a bunch of famous folks like Lisa Vanderpump and Iggy Azalea. Voila—the perfect site for a glam getaway!
Mix it all together and you have a reality TV feast that was co-produced by Jonathan and Drew Scott of Property Brothers renown.
Mattel explained to Entertainment Weekly how the idea for the project suddenly popped into her and Silver’s minds. “My partner and I were watching A Very Brady Renovation during COVID, and we had a joke about a ‘Trixie Motel’ because of the play on the words. Then we were like, what if we actually did?”
She added, “I’m a drag queen. This motel is the ultimate stunt that no other drag queen or other celebrity would even attempt because it’s psycho. It’s psychotic to do this,” Mattel joked.
Mattel clearly took great pride in the whole effort from start to finish. It was probably even more special to her because she and Silver did it together. “We thought of something brilliant, we pursued it, and this is going to be the most lit thing that’s ever existed.”
Trixie Mattel and David Silver are successfully sharing their lives and careers. With Silver’s support and creative input, Mattel has risen to new heights of fame, fortune, and fantasy. We certainly want to see what this talented celebrity couple dreams up next!
