I actually grew up with all soap operas, so when I got the call that EastEnders wanted to work with me I was over the moon and so excited.
I grew up watching the show and so many actors and characters have inspired me – both as an actor myself and as a drag queen. I could only feel honored that they thought of me.
I was on the iconic set because EastEnders introduced a recurring character – Felix Baker (played by Matthew Morrison) – who tows? under the alter ego, Tira Misu. I think this is fantastic!
I was brought in as a mentor to help Matthew find his inner drag goddess and help him free her. This was mainly through useful tips and advice.
A little glam and glitz on our TV screens never hurts, even in Walford. I love seeing a strange, black, female character on our screen as a regular.
Aside from the fact that Felix is a drag queen, I’m personally much more interested in the man behind the drag. I want to learn what his story is and root for him through whatever storylines he goes through.
This is because not only does he represent the art of drag in the show, he also represents a queer person of color who is also an artist and an activist.
He is not portrayed or written to be weak, but loud and proud. For me that’s wonderful to see, because those voices are usually not heard or have to work harder than anyone else.
If I had seen this character when I was younger – especially in the 90’s – it would have really affected me in a positive way.
Yes, I saw small depictions of black people (usually late at night on BBC 2 to see strong funny black comedians) and small depictions of gays and drag (usually late at night or theatre), but never at the same time that they weren’t portrayed in a negative way.
I am a huge soap fan. My mom loves them too and we always planned our evenings around what was on the agenda.
My favorites growing up were EastEnders (obviously), Brookside, Neighbours, Home & Away, as well as what I would classify as ‘teenage soaps’ Hollyoaks and Byker Grove.
Through it all, soap operas lead the way in serving LGBTQ+ people a mirror for their own stories.
From Byker Grove’s gay kiss at the cinema to Anna Friel’s lesbian kiss in Brookside with a fiery red-haired lady.
For EastEnders in particular, there was Tiffany’s brother Simon who had a scandalous affair with her boyfriend, Christian and Syed’s gay love affair involving religion and homosexuality, or Mark Fowler’s HIV storyline.
For the latter, even though Mark was straight, an HIV storyline in a 90s household soap was groundbreaking at the time, and it was an important conversation to have. It would be interesting to see how that storyline would develop now, as the stigma, knowledge and treatments have evolved so much over the past 30 years.
All of this is why I was so proud to be invited on the set of EastEnders to film scenes with their new drag queen character.
The day was actually quite laid back and relaxed – the most hectic part was peeling myself out of bed at 7am to get my makeup done! Other than that, the day on set was brilliant.
I had some great conversations with Natalie Cassidy and Matthew Morrison in between takes, a private tour of Albert Square – which was completely surreal – and met some of the EastEnders cast.
As a fan it was a great opportunity to get some fresh air. As an actor it was great to see how it works behind the scenes.
My involvement was definitely more hands-on with Matthew helping him become his drag character and giving him some tips of the trade, helping him walk in heels.
He did a good job but thank the lord they filmed from the waist down – those cobblestones are a nightmare! I’d love to play a real character on the show one day and maybe cause some trouble in the Prince Albert pub.
I hope the show doesn’t just focus on Felix as a “fierce queen” or the next entrant to RuPaul’s Drag Race UK.
I want to know more about the man behind the wig – what brought him to where he is today and why he does what he does? Just because a man wears makeup and a wig doesn’t mean he isn’t flawed and vulnerable.
I think that’s what EastEnders does well – it creates characters that we advocate and fall in love with. That said, a little glam and camp would make me really happy too!
I’d also love to see an episode where Felix takes Phil Mitchell and some other macho boys in the Square in tow!
Do you have a story you want to share? Contact us by email [email protected]†
Share your thoughts in the comments below.
LAKE : Fans wonder if EastEnders forgot about its first drag queen actor in David Dale
LAKE : Drag queen drives audiences wild after sniffing poppers live on channel 4: ‘This must be a first’
LAKE : EastEnders And Drag Race UK’s Most Iconic Moments After Absolutely Epic Crossover Episode
The Soaps Newsletter
Contains exclusive content, spoilers and interviews before appearing on the site. Find out more “