Trixie Mattel to play football coach in gay comedy English Teacher

RuPaul’s Drag Race legend Trixie Mattel is set to star in Brian Jordan Alvarez’s new FX comedy English Teacher, about a gay teacher navigating working in a Texas high school.

English Teacher will see comedian and Will & Grace star Alvarez play, you guessed it, an English teacher named Evan Marquez, “who often finds himself at the intersection of the personal, professional and political aspects of working at a high school,” according to the official synopsis.

The show’s first episode will see the school’s peace-seeking principal Grant Moretti (Westworld star Enrico Colantoni) alert Evan that he is being placed under investigation for a long-since-passed incident which saw him kiss his boyfriend Malcolm (Rotting In The Sun’s Jordan Firstman) in front of students.

Speaking to Vanity Fair ahead of the series premiere on 2 September, Alvarez revealed that everyone’s favourite drag star, Drag Race All Stars 3 winner and YouTube sensation Trixie Mattel, will be starring as a central character in episode two.

Trixie will reportedly play a drag football coach of sorts, helping the school’s football team to excel their cheer skills ahead of a “politicised powder-puff game”.

English Teacher’s showrunner Paul Simms explained that Trixie Mattel was “number one on the list” of drag stars they wanted to play the role.

“People from every different part of life are basically forced to come together for a common goal, which is just to educate these kids,” Alvarez added of the series.

“What we enjoy is this idea that obviously the teachers are teaching the kids, but sometimes the kids are teaching the teachers how to live in this modern world that’s moving so fast, [where] it feels like the rules change every day.”

The comedy will include pertinent episodes on issues including tackling gun violence and so-called culture wars, while Alvarez’s character will form bonds with fellow teachers – particularly Gwen Sanders (played by Lessons In Chemistry star Stephanie Koenig).

After being placed under investigation, Evan will have to contend with being “targeted for his sexuality” at school, while also potentially entering dangerous territory when the arrival of a “charming new teacher” piques his interest. 

The synopsis continues: “Over the eight-episode season, we follow Evan as he navigates his relationships, his students and his fellow faculty and tries to answer the question: can you really be your full self at your job?”

It’s unlikely that Trixie Mattel will be doing much promotion around her surprise appearance in English Teacher, as she is currently on a three month career break from all drag-related endeavours.

The first two episodes of English Teacher will stream on FX on 2 September and will then stream on Hulu. 

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