Queer Voices
Queer Voices
October 26, 2024 QUEER VOICES - Grey Matter from DRAGULA! A HALLOWEEN SPECIAL
Happy Halloween, Uglies! This is a podcast exclusive just in time for spooky season! Broadway World writer Brett Cullum gets a chance to sit down with Houston's competitor on THE BOULET BROTHER'S DRAGULA this year! The show is streaming currently on AMC+ and SHUDDER platforms.
What happens when a scare actor and manager from Houston's infamous Phobia Haunted Houses becomes a groundbreaking drag performer on Dragula Season Six? Meet Grey Matter, whose unique journey is redefining what it means to be a drag artist. With a style that's equal parts horror and non-binary, Grey shares how his background in scare acting informs his special effects makeup and creature-inspired performances. His signature looks, often crafted in collaboration with designers like Yahaira DeHill, challenge traditional drag norms, bringing a fresh and inclusive perspective to the scene.
The conversation takes a personal turn as we explore the intersection of queerness and horror, discussing how these elements have intertwined throughout Grey's life. From childhood memories that sparked fear and fascination to the acceptance of one's own identity! As we wrap up, we offer a peek behind the scenes of reality TV, sharing the unexpected moments that occur when the cameras are always rolling and the excitement for future fan interactions.
Grey Matter is here, Baby! And QUEER VOICES HAS HIM!
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gray matter is a houston drag performer who is appearing in the current dragula season six now. Gray took an unusual route to make it to this competition and is the franchise's first bona fide scare actor. He has worked with houston's phobia haunted houses since he was a teenager. Gray surprises all of the traditional drag queens that are on that show with his immaculate looks and wild performances. That proves that drag is not able to be put into one box. Please welcome Gray Matter to Queer Voices.
Speaker 2:Hello everybody. It's a pleasure to be here.
Speaker 1:Now I was curious how did you get started doing drag here in Houston? I had read a profile of you that mentioned Meteor. Did you actually perform there?
Speaker 2:So I did not perform at Meteor, but it was, I think, 2016. Every, I think, thursday night we would just go out in drag and that's kind of when I was playing with the high femme drag and the heels and that. But those were good times. But I was very sad when Meteor closed. I was too.
Speaker 1:I miss it. Well, actually when they first opened, it was opened by these two lawyers. They were so nice. And then it kind of went through a couple of incarnations and Charles Armstrong ended up doing it. But I loved that space. It was really great.
Speaker 2:It was great and that was so you Think you Can Drag. So it was an amateur drag night. So I was kind of just feeling the waters when it came to doing drag. And it was a lot less stressful if I just show up in drag because you know I was going to be there anyway. So I didn't get on stage there and but here I am now yeah, no, and it's impressive.
Speaker 1:how did you learn to do these effects, makeup, I mean, that's not a traditional skill that most people have, so I started playing with special effects makeup the first time.
Speaker 2:I think I was 13, going to a Halloween party and I bought some pre-made prosthetics that had skin with safety pins going through them. And then I fell in love with haunted houses. I started as a scare actor when I was 16 at Phobia Haunted Houses. The following year I became a supervisor. The year after that I became a manager.
Speaker 2:My monsters kind of just had a transition in them where I was more masculine and just male presenting and then it kind of just got weirder and weirder and I realized, like you know, I love Drag Race, I love drag, I can contour my face, I can wear lashes and it's still considered drag. So I've pretty much done every character I can think of and I really do like just mixing and doing masculine, feminine, but pretty much everything I do is just a weird creature and it's pretty genderless. Drag has been very binary, like in its roots, and we're moving to more of a non-binary, inclusive society, well, as the LGBT community is. I don't know about the rest of the world, but the whole argument that what I do isn't drag doesn't bother me. I know what I do and it's fun and I love it and I like doing whatever the hell I want to do.
Speaker 1:Well, did you ever hear from like traditional drag queens? When they found out, did they like kind of come at you or anything like that. I know there were some conversations I heard.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, I have been a fan of Dragula since 2016,. So I saw it with previous contestants a lot with Dolly and Orgotic, and you know it's just a tired conversation and a couple of girls did bring it up. It wasn't personally from them, but they're just like how do you explain this to a drag queen that does pageants and is full traditional drag?
Speaker 1:and I'm like, just open up your mind a little bit well, there's so many and even with you mentioned drag race, yeah, the big mothership, that kind of started this tv craziness. But I really think the bouleys and one of the things that I love about dragula is from the jump. They included all genders, they included kings, they included people that were non-binary, they included like everything they just said you know what? Rupaul's not going there. Let's just crack this nut wide open. So inclusive already, I mean, and now the drag race is kind of scrambling to catch up. I mean, honestly, you see them kind of trying to go down some alternative paths and it's not quite working out. In fact, even one of your fellow contestants this season did drag race, felt boxed in, ended up on dragula. So there you are. It's an interesting transition. Do you sew as well, because your costumes are amazing.
Speaker 2:I can sew but I'm not a seamster. I have Yajaira DeHill designs do most of my looks and she's incredible. I come at her with a vision and she can escalate it. I know she went through a lot of pressure getting Blackberry's package ready so I knew she was the one to go to.
Speaker 1:Blackberry's package was impressive, and yours so far has been just impressive too. I mean, I was just like my jaw just hits the floor when you come out. I'm just like what thank you, where is?
Speaker 1:this person? Where has he been right? One thing I'm noticing on the show, though your costumes always incorporate this color gray. It seems like there's a little touch of it somewhere, right. It's not all like. The first couple of looks I noticed were really prominent gray and then, like your easter rabbit, kind of just had a touch of it. It didn't have like a prominent thing. But I also noticed that you haven't exposed brain in most of them. Is that like a signature?
Speaker 2:so my signature headpiece is gray matter. It identifies me as I shapeshift and evolve into different characters, so I think it keeps me recognizable. It also really helps with my branding. So before I actually adopted that signature version of it, in my looks I'd always end up putting something down the center of my head. So I just unconsciously morphed into that and last year I did a couple looks without it and going back, I wish I incorporated them in that as well.
Speaker 1:It's very striking. It's immediately I know. Well, let's talk a little bit. I know we can't dive into the show because I know you're under this auspice of NDA and all that other stuff. So let's talk about Houston a little bit and the drag scene here. Are you a part of the alternative drag scene? Are you aware of it or what's that like?
Speaker 2:I'm definitely aware of it. I don't have a home bar here in Houston. Usually when I'm in character I'm doing it for the haunted house. I did recently. Well, in the last three years I got sober so I kind of took a step back from nightlife, but I know Houston has something going on every single night of the week. As far as drag and drag performances go, ripcord usually does the Dragula viewing party. I don't think they're doing it this year, but Annalee Taylor and Luna of the Lilies are some of my favorite drag performers here in Houston, always up to no good.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, it's interesting. I noticed Barcode is doing a lot with Preston's Cabinet of Curiosities like a theme show here and there and things like that. And really Houston is the first place that I saw this style of drag, I think, because I was used to, I came from the South and I saw lots of pageant-y female presenting. You know, all of that was associated with kind of the typical thing and I've been really proud of houston at least blowing it up a little bit.
Speaker 1:I'd love to see somebody come in and push even more, and I think you're definitely one of those people that could do that very easily. And actually I wanted to ask you, like, what are your plans to do after you finish slaying dragula? I mean, what happens after this?
Speaker 2:yeah, right now I'm getting through the busy October season and then, once my schedule frees up a bit, I will start touring a bit, you know, to small venues and other events, like I'm doing the one with the Boulets on the 26th of October. So I'm just going to see where life takes me. Obviously, I want to get in front of fans and be able to connect and relate with them. And be able to connect and relate with them that's kind of what this whole thing is about. Is being able to travel to different parts of the states or even abroad would be incredible. So that's what I have right now, but definitely just being able to show the world who Grey Matter is and what I'm capable of.
Speaker 1:Were you nervous before the show aired? Were you thinking, oh my gosh, how are they going to react to me?
Speaker 2:I think there's always that fear that who knows what's going to be said or how it's going to be shown or how it's going to be perceived, but so far it's been overwhelmingly positive. We've had a few toxic fans saying bad things about other performers, which I do not condone You're not supporting me by tearing down another artist but overall it's been incredible.
Speaker 1:It's tough and I think it's one of those things when you're online toxic fandom everybody has them. I mean it's, it's wild. Even on my little small scale stuff, my blogs and things like that I noticed there's people that are detractors and it's like they just exist for this. Yeah, and and always, and, and. Like the boule said in their podcast, they said you're kind of the anointed one. Right now, everybody really is feeling very positive about you. You made a real impact quickly and quickly became a fan favorite. I think I noticed that my boards are blowing up gray matter, gray matter, gray matter, and it's so fun to see because and I think blackberry was kind of similar in the trajectory of I was really nervous. I was like, oh, how's she gonna do on dragula? And then everybody just kind of embraced her. So houston I mean, don't underestimate the houston scene for producing really great competitors for this franchise.
Speaker 2:I cannot wait to let everybody down, just kidding, don't you haven't already done it. I know, I know Blackberry and Blackberry is so funny and just fun to be around and you did get to see a little bit of that on the show. But Blackberry is far more than what was just seen on her 10 episodes of Dracula.
Speaker 1:Well, well, that's a problem too is it's edited. They have a storyline. I mean they're gonna make you kind of a character and they're gonna keep that in there. So they probably couldn't get that. And then, plus, blackberry was doing a very specific thing for the show, right sometimes is out of her box. And I think this bearded beauty of texas I mean, come on, she's a little bigger in real life, you know broader, more of a comedy thing, and she brought that to dragula. But you're bringing the horror, you're bringing the scare actor and things like that. But you're an awesome performer and I think everybody was really surprised. Where did you learn to perform? Did you do theater, or is this just your scare actor?
Speaker 2:when I was 16 was the only time that I was actually a scare actor. The the rest of the time I've been able to interact with guests that are outside of the park waiting to go in the houses, and that kind of acting and performing is a lot different, because you're not jumping in and out of a dark hole. You're being seen 360. If someone's not scared of you, you're not jumping in and out of a dark hole, you're being seen 360. If someone's not scared of you, you interact with them, try and make them laugh. You're taking photos with people so you always want to look your best because you're representing yourself in a photo that someone else is going to take away. But basically just being able to do that over the past 15 years has really helped with the Just being in front of cameras and interacting with people.
Speaker 2:And underneath my scary exterior I'm really just a silly, wild little goblin. So I enjoy the more whimsical acting. Great, if you're scared, that's cool too, but I just like entertaining. So I think that definitely helped being on the main stage of Dragula and then or the Boulez Brothers Dragula and then also. I did a lot of videos with my friend Blacktip Betty that featured my art. So I already kind of knew how to work with the camera and stuff. So that definitely gave me a leg up.
Speaker 1:I'm going to go into your personal life just a little bit, if we can. When did you come out, as I mean? I suppose you identify as queer. I mean what? Yes, personal life just a little bit if we can, when?
Speaker 2:when did you come out, as I mean? I suppose you identify as queer.
Speaker 2:I mean what? Yes, yeah, so I'm a homosexual. Yeah, so am I. So I came out a little bit later in my teens I was, I believe, 19 when I first came out and I did not like the color pink, I did not like sparkly things, all these things that I kind of grew up to kind of push away, pushing away the gay, basically so. And then it took me several years to kind of embrace my queerness and that's when, you know, I started wearing makeup and playing with sparkly things and my love for drag kind of just started shifting around there. So I started playing with contour and that's really when I kind of started to enjoy life. A lot more is embracing my queerness, not trying to just fit in, rather to stand out. And you know, sometimes it can be scary, especially living in Texas, but I usually know when I can play up my acts and stuff like that.
Speaker 1:I'm amazed to hear you say that, because you're very emotionally mature. It took me a long time to be really comfortable on my skin, and it may have been just the areas that we both grew up in. I probably came out a little bit earlier than you, so it was a different world, you know obviously. And now it's it's I'm not going to gonna say it's embracing, but it's a little bit more forgiving than it was. Yeah, but all right I hear about.
Speaker 2:I hear a lot about people in grade school these days that, yes, you know, coming out is not even really a big thing anymore, and I know that changes depending on where you live, but I think we're headed in the right direction.
Speaker 1:Yeah, thank goodness for that because really like you, I of I hid into my late teens. I was terrified. Yeah, I didn't want to be identified as that. Yeah, but let's talk about horror too. Like, when did you get into horror, were you?
Speaker 2:always a horror kid. I was a horrible kid so I remember my brother. My older brother has a fascination for horror and he would have these books and I remember seeing like Freddy and Jason and being incredibly terrified but also very intrigued. But I was also the kid that would check the closets and under the bed and pray that a plane wouldn't crash into my house. As a kid, like I was, I was very scared but also very intrigued with anything that go bump in the night. I really liked goosebumps. So I think that's really kind of where my love and fascination came from.
Speaker 1:I think it's interesting. I think a lot of people. I have anxiety. Admittedly I'm even treated for it, but I love horror and that doesn't really make sense, because I'm one of those big scaredy cats that, like you, I would check under the bed. I'd check the closet. It can't be open, it can't be closed.
Speaker 1:It's got this you know, but I love the genre and I've always been a fan of it and it's always been one of those things and that's why, like when Dragula came out, like you mentioned, in 2016,. Wasn't that when the web series came out?
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, I mean oh, web series came out, yeah, yeah, I mean I was, oh my gosh, thank goodness somebody married these two worlds and I think that the you know we talked about earlier about being gay and liking sparkly things and maybe ariana grande and things like that but I think that there is this whole subculture of queer people that embrace this kind of darker stuff too, and I think we get underestimated that. It's a part of our fabric as well, I mean, and queer horror, you know, I mean I think it's they kind of go hand in hand. You go back to the earliest stuff and Bram Stoker, the author of Dracula, was rumored to be homosexual. He was in love with Walt Whitman and supposedly I mean all of these different things were kind of woven in there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, it's totally it's, it's there, it's in the fabric of it. So it's it's interesting that you kind of gravitated towards that. I did too, and we both ended up here on this end of the spectrum and you know, we're kind of seen as outcasts by society and I don't know why it's a common, common thing for queer people to gravitate towards horror, because I feel like it's something that just came to me naturally. But I'm so happy that there is so much love and fascination for all things horror in the lgbt community all right, real quick.
Speaker 1:What's your favorite horror franchise?
Speaker 2:oh god you know if you have one. So when it comes to horror movies, the thing that I like the most is the artistry, and it can be a two-second moment of the film. So I don't think there's necessarily a favorite franchise or something that I'm obsessed with. I do like older movies, pre-cgi, because there's a lot more that goes into the set, design and construction and practical effects, and that's really what I live for. There is a place for CGI, obviously, but the original Aliens were great. Still, my favorite movie of all time is the Cell. It's just a wonderful masterpiece and that's what I love.
Speaker 1:All right, break some hearts. Single Relationship Married.
Speaker 2:I have been in a relationship with my boyfriend for over four years and I haven't told the world that yet. But you know it was coming anyway, so there you go what is his reaction to all of this?
Speaker 1:is he kind of a fan of this kind of stuff too, or he?
Speaker 2:has always watched brulee brothers dragula. He was listening to the podcasts before I was. He's kind of used to all my haunted house shenanigans so I think that kind of prepared him. It is a hard. It's kind of hard to deal with until you're actually dealing with it because you can only prepare yourself so much, but everything's been overwhelming. There have been a couple fans that just take things to the extreme, but I'm handling it all with grace and dignity and I appreciate all of the attention well, you're a handsome guy.
Speaker 1:I mean, let's face it when you get into your confessionals. It's kind of like dolly. It's kind of like oh my gosh, he's kind of cute out of drag yeah, because I have nothing.
Speaker 2:I have nothing of value to add, so all right.
Speaker 1:Well, thank you, gray matter, for talking about I could talk to you all day because I am such a horror fan and I've been such a new fan of yours and tell us about where we can go. Like I know I want to buy some of your merch because your shirts look incredible. Where can we find?
Speaker 2:you, it's at gray matter FX that's gray with an E, and then my website that I run and I ship out my own merch and everything is gray matter FXcom.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and you've got shirts. Do you have anything like special besides that?
Speaker 2:I saw the shirts but I have shirts, I have some enamel pins, I have signed Polaroids, I have a couple other little odds and ends. I do stickers, custom bolo ties. I'm just trying to do a little bit of everything.
Speaker 1:Yeah well, get ready, because I'm sure you're about to go into overdrive with these rabid fans. Oh my gosh, that's the goal. Well, you'll be there easily. So congratulations on making it to season six. It's a particularly wild cast. I can't wait to see how this all turns out. We're all rooting for you here, though, so you've already made us proud. I mean, it's already like everybody's like oh wow, he's doing so well hello, thank you so much.
Speaker 2:It's a pleasure being able to watch the show, kind of as a fan as well, because I don't remember what the hell happened in most. A lot of people say that If I said something and I have to send an apology text later, I will do it.
Speaker 1:A lot of people say that. I think it's one of those things you begin to forget that those cameras are picking up everything, right?
Speaker 2:Something very small gets picked up, and that's how it's seen. So far, I've been pretty good.
Speaker 1:Never read the comments.
Speaker 2:I learned that I'll read comments on my own posts, but it's just exhausting reading everything else.
Speaker 1:Yeah Well, good luck with all of that, and we'll see you on the. I'm sure there'll be a tour and you'll probably be on it, so we'll see you. I sure hope so, and if not, then just take over one of the bars.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you can't get rid of me, no, and I'm glad we can't. All right, well, thank you, of course it's been a pleasure, take care.
