A Chat with Murray Hill, the Hardest Working Man in Show Business

Over his 30-year career as a drag king, actor, and comedian, Murray Hill has become a staple within New York City’s queer, comedy, and cabaret scenes. Self-described as the “hardest working middle-aged man in show business,” for a while, Hill was hailed as the city’s best-kept secret. That is no longer the case, since he now seems to be everywhere.

As someone who puts in the extra work to dominate the stage and screen, we are excited to see the fruits of Hill’s labor paying off. Just this year alone, he returned to the ensemble cast of HBO’s new season of the critically acclaimed series, Somebody Somewhere, and on Hulu, he can be seen as the host with the most in the new one-of-a-kind competition series, Drag Me to Dinner, which is chaotic in the best ways possible.

No matter what Hill does, he is ready to leave his indelible mark as the one and only Mister Showbiz, and we cannot wait to see what’s coming up next.

OFM had the opportunity to sit down with the queer icon and talk more about his entertainment career and current projects, as well as the cultural touchstones that helped him build his signature Vaudevillian persona, and representation for drag kings and trans masc performers.

As a comedian and drag king entertainer, you have become a legend within the New York nightlife scene. Have you always had a passion for performing?

Oh, good question! I grew up in a pretty conservative New England town, and obviously, that wasn’t an option to perform, but I did start making jokes and being funny, so to speak, in elementary school to kind of disarm people. I was always a little different, if you know what I’m saying. I looked the same then as I do now, except I now have no cheekbones and a mustache (laughs). So, I kind of developed a sense of humor as a survival/coping mechanism.

In those days, as far as what people thought of me, you were either a faggot or a tomboy. Those were the words that were used. I played sports, but I decided to try out for this theatre group in high school. I couldn’t do it because of practice, but because I made everybody laugh, the theatre teacher, surprise, he was a huge gay guy, he asked me to host the Battle of the Bands. That was my first hosting gig. I was performing in my life to survive, but I didn’t know I had this in me, and I didn’t make it into a career until I moved to New York City.

When and how did drag come into play?

Wow, you’re going deep with your questions! Everybody thought I was a boy growing up because I would wear boys’ clothes, and I still do. So, in a sense, drag started early. Like, first grade. I was comfortable, but nobody else was comfortable with me wearing those kinds of clothes. I remember going to junior prom with a guy, and I had to wear a dress. I joke about it now, and although it was a very traumatic experience for me, that was also kind of drag.

Long story short, I got to New York as a photography student, and I was taking photographs of drag queens. Some friends of mine from Boston, that’s where I went for undergrad, they started a nightclub and wanted me to be a part of it, photographing and all that stuff, but they also wanted me to be this character, like a cigarette girl. I was like, uhhh. So, my friend got me a men’s suit instead, and I said, OK, I would be more comfortable with that.

Since I was taking pictures of drag queens, I began to understand and see the process. It was so camp and so fun, and I didn’t see that represented on the other side. I saw a big hole there, and I became the subject matter I didn’t see.

Is that how you evolved into the signature Vaudevillian persona you are best known for?

Yes. In the beginning, it was overtly more about feminist performance artists, and then I became very influenced by drag queens. I’m still friends with many of the old-school queens, like Jackie Beat and Lady Bunny, and that drag mentality evolved to where I became Murray all the time. Back then, it wasn’t necessarily about revealing your gender or proving you’re a drag king or trans masc performer. It’s evolved, and it’s a lot more mixed now, but I come from a time where people were like, what the hell is this guy’s real name? What’s his life like? I’d be like, I’m Murray Hill, and this is who I am. Very showbiz.

Murray became this persona, and I didn’t break him. I personally thought that the more real Murray could be without doing a reveal or showing certain things, I felt that was a more powerful display of activism. To be in a room and have people laugh, rather than be like, ‘I’m gay! I’m trans! Fuck you!’ I’m more like, we’re going to sit at the table and break bread. Then as my career evolved, and I got more into the gay clubs and strip clubs, I started hosting more, and it just fit like a glove.

Drag kings have usually remained in the margins and on the outside. Do you believe that is still true today, or is it getting better?

I get asked that a lot, and I know you can’t tell with my 85 Zoom filters and 14 ring lights, but I’m middle-aged now. I started doing this in the late 90s, so in some ways, it’s gotten better. Drag as a whole–and we’re talking from then to now, so about 25 years–drag queens are totally mainstream and a part of culture. There’s a whole economy around drag queens now. They’re working; they’re touring; they’re in shows; they have comedy specials; they’re on TV, and we’re on season 566 of Drag Race. But for drag kings, we’re out there, but you still can’t even compare it.

After 25 years, I’m just now getting a little nod. I got to be involved with Hulu’s Drag Me to Dinner, and I am very happy and thankful that they asked me to host because they didn’t have to do that. They could have asked a drag queen or gay man to host, but the fact that they reached out to me, that was huge. It’s like they were saying, “Hey, we see you; you’re good at hosting; you haven’t been represented in this drag spirit, so come on and enjoy this.”

I love that you are hosting Drag Me to Dinner, and it was exciting to chat with you, Bianca Del Rio, and Haneefah Wood during the press junket. For those who have not yet checked out the show, what can they expect?

They can expect total unscripted hilarity. It’s silly, fun, wild, it ruffled some of my feathers, and everybody looks gorgeous and beautiful. The concept is that drag queens are paired against each other to throw a big dinner party. They have to come up with cocktails, appetizers, main courses, talent, like doing a performance aspect, and they have to set up a party room. I don’t want to spoil anything, but there’s about 20 drag queens on the show competing, and I would say only one of them could cook anything edible (laughs). You’re going to see a lot of chaos, and it’s just so much fun.

You can also be seen in HBO’s Somebody Somewhere as Fred Rococo. How did it feel to come back for the show’s second season, which premiered in April?

You know, in this business, it’s always exciting to get a second season, and I think this show is kind of an underdog. You’ve got And Just Like That…, Succession, The Last of Us, all these huge shows that cost millions and millions of dollars, and then you have our little show with no super big stars, but it’s kind of like a slice of life show. It’s super cool that HBO is supporting us, and so many people have really been behind this show.

What do you enjoy the most about playing Fred?

I love that Fred just gets to be himself. The show is placed in this rural setting, and Fred is totally comfortable with who he is. He lives his days just like Sam and Joe live their days. He has his ups and downs, romances, problems, so my favorite thing is that he gets to be like all the other characters. He’s not a transmasc token or getting beat up in an alley.

Yeah, Fred is the kind of character that could easily become a stereotype, but he’s not. He’s celebrated for who he is. What kind of message do you hope that says for transmasc representation on television?

I think it says, “Hire us more; show us more, and then develop more storylines around us.” I’m not bitter about it, but I just want to point out that representation in the queer community is not equal. I believe there’s been so much progress with trans representation, but not for everybody. So, it would be great for Fred to have an even bigger storyline or somebody like Fred to have their own show or central story. It’s slowly happening, and I think it’s very validating for HBO to have this character on the show.

Some might think because it’s TV and pop culture, it doesn’t mean anything, but if you’re part of the community, it does mean something because you’re finally getting a little light on you. I got an Instagram message from a parent saying, “Thank you so much. My son grew up in Kansas, and to see somebody like you and Fred on TV, I can’t tell you how much of a difference it made for him.” It gave me all the feels! Representation matters!

You’ve always had a commitment to supporting and celebrating LGBTQ youth, haven’t you?

Oh, yes. I love the kids. I keep dating myself, not literally, but when I was growing up, we didn’t have any gay groups, the internet, or books on LGBTQ issues. If you mentioned anything, you were made fun of and ostracized. I was even estranged from my own family.

I remember when I was in college and in the process of coming out, I went to the library, and I could only find these two books from God knows when, like the 1800s, about gay conversion. That’s how different things are now. One of the books was all screwed up with dark homophobic shit, but there was a case study talking about two women, two college roommates cuddling in bed. I was so intrigued (laughs). This book is saying gay people should have a lobotomy, but here’s two women cuddling in bed, and I’m like, “Tell me more!”

Speaking of books, is it true that you are currently writing a memoir?

Yes! As I kind of mentioned before, you would go to New York to find yourself and kind of reinvent yourself, live the life you want to live and leave everything bad and negative behind. Create a persona, do whatever you must do to survive and be yourself. So, the book is going to focus on how I became Murray and my life growing up because people have been interested in that. When I do talk a little bit about that stuff, they’re like, “What the hell?” I’ve been kind of close to the vest, no pun intended, about that part of my life.

The younger generation, they may be a bit too open and too sharing, but they’ve taught me that everybody’s story is important. I’ve only really told my story from when I first got to New York, and I’m now at this age where I’m kind of a relic to the old times and what it was like growing up then, what it was like getting gay bashed and being estranged from your family. All that stuff contributed to me becoming Murray. This book is about the origin story of Murray and will focus on some of the questions you asked earlier.

What are some future goals you hope to accomplish with your career and platform?

I grew up watching Johnny Carson, and the late-night talk show landscape has certainly changed over the years, but I still want my own talk show, and it represents people who represent. A talk show that’s in the know and features the kids that aren’t seen all the time. I would love to put a light on all the cool, underground things that are going on, so I just want to be Johnny Carson! Only a lot shorter, more Italian, and a lot gayer!

Before we wrap up, are there any other upcoming projects or anything else you’d like to mention or plug?

Ah, there’s a joke in there somewhere (laughs). I just shot a Paul Feig movie called Grand Death Lotto, which stars Awkwafina and John Cena, and I’m very excited about that because Paul Feig is a genius, but also, I just get to be Murray playing this character that was created. It’s not trans this or drag king that. This is a character in this world that Paul created. I’m very excited.

Stay up-to-date and connect with Hill by following him on Instagram @murrayhill.

Photos courtesy of Murray Hill