Inspired by her own acclaimed book of essays, Michelle Buteau stars as Mavis Beaumont in the beloved Netflix comedy Survival of the Thickest. As well as co-creating, executive producing, and writing on the series, the third and final season sees Buteau take on directing duties for the poignant fifth episode. The series follows Mavis—Black, plus-size, and falling in love while loving herself—as she works hard to grow her brand as a stylist and designer. She’s determined to not only survive but thrive with the support of her chosen family, a body-positive attitude, and a cute v-neck with some lip gloss. Season three sees the return of Peppermint as herself as well as Anthony Michael Lopez as Bruce, plus appearances from Becca Blackwell, Mila Jam, Jonathan Van Ness, and Alex Newell. Read our season 2 interview with Peppermint.
With season three of Survival of the Thickest premiering on Netflix on Thursday, July 2nd, Michelle Buteau speaks exclusively with The Queer Review’s editor James Kleinmann about her commitment to inclusivity, directing on the show for the first time, and bidding farewell to Mavis, for now at least.
James Kleinmann, The Queer Review: Michelle, thank you so much for such a fun, uplifting, and meaningful series. Of course, it’s a little bit of sweet this time around because it’s the final season. How does it feel to be ending this particular chapter in Mavis’ life with season three?
Michelle Buteau: “I think you said it best, it is bittersweet. I’m so thankful that I got to really do it my way. I got to do the stories I wanted to do and I got to show the things I wanted to show. With three seasons, there are eight episodes per season, and they’re 20 or 25 five minutes each. So in less than 20 hours of television, I really got to show a world that I’m proud of, that I want to see more of on TV and film, and it’s the world that I live in.”
At one point this season Mavis says, ‘I’m creating to make the world a more inclusive place.’ That line really struck me and I wondered how far that mission resonates with you and what you want to achieve with your career?
“I mean, it’s everything. It’s not even just what I want to achieve in my career, it’s who I’ve always been since I can remember on the playground. Knowing what it feels like not to fit in, not to be accepted. Seeing how governments can make laws to control and exclude and belittle is just nuts to me. I’m like, still?! In this day and age, with what we know?! My goal has always been to bring people together, to disarm them with the charm, to make them laugh, to educate them through love and laughter.”
When we met at the New York Pride drag brunch, I thanked you for being such a great ally because being an ally is about action. I think you show that so much through this series with the jobs you’ve created for LGBTQ folks and by including so many LGBTQ characters. Why was it important for you to do that, especially given the context that you mention, of it being time when our community is under a lot of political attacks, particularly trans folks.
“Sometimes people don’t even know that they can do this, and these are people who are in positions of power. But I’m like, we can do anything. We don’t always have to go on to get along and make decisions out of a place of fear of losing our jobs. Leave the world better than how you found it. So my mission statement, especially with putting the show together after being on a lot of other projects, was that I didn’t want to be a résumé snob at all. If you’ve done the work and you want to learn and you’re hungry to do that, let’s set everybody up for success. Because that’s how we make better shows and better TV sets and better story lines. Over 70% of our department heads were either female or queer, and I’m like, yes! If you don’t understand how to treat people, then I’m more than happy to set an example so you can say, oh, I saw this happen before and it wasn’t even just good, it was amazing.”
I love that when a scene is set in a predominantly queer space like CC’s bar—which is like a queer Cheers on the show—it is filled with queer and trans folks. It feels so intentional and it’s something that we don’t get a lot of on TV.
“Thank you. When we were creating the world, I thought Friends has Central Perk and Seinfeld has a diner, and I’m like, my diner is drag. In my 20s when I was growing up in New York City, I was going to Therapy, I was going to Vinyl. I was performing at those places, and eating, and sleeping, and doing all the things. So it was really funny, and also kismet, having Peppermint on the show because her and I basically did most of the same places around the same time just on different nights.”
I love the on-screen relationship between Mavis and Peppermint. What has that been like to create across these three seasons?
“Peppermint is so special because she—like a lot of people on the show—cares about the cast and the crew and she’s such a beautiful New York staple. I also feel that her being a beautiful Black trans woman who is also a drag performer and what that means in the 191 countries that the show is in is a really important, beautiful conversation. A lot of the questions that I had for my parents growing up weren’t from things I learned in school, they was from a scene I saw in a movie or a lyric I heard in a song. That’s why the arts matter, because we influence culture. So let’s be a little bit more responsible and figure out how to make it good.”
Why is chosen family such an important theme in this series?
“Oh my goodness! Well, I’m an only child, so my friends really are my family and I wanted to showcase that. Also, no matter where you meet people in life, whether you’ve known them for 30 years or even for 30 minutes, you can have that connection. Especially in New York where all of our experiences are so shared. It gets very hard sometimes, but we can hold each other down while lifting each other up and not be in competition with one another. The more you shine, the more I shine too and that’s something that I hope people understand and get, not only through the TV show, but also my comedy. If you want to be in competition with something or someone, be in competition with yourself. I love when my friends and I can out kindness each other. It’s fun!”
We see that support from Mavis’ chosen family in episode five, which is the episode that you directed this season. It’s very raw and emotional and shows the power of this series that you’ve created in the way you’re able to shift tones like that. How was your experience of directing that episode?
“Episode five, the episode that I directed, is deeply personal subject matter. I knew I wanted to direct an episode and initially I thought it was going to be very over the top and funny. But then I thought, okay, I can’t get notes and take direction from somebody else when I am my own north star. So for anyone who’s interested in writing or directing, or doing something outside their box, embrace the imposter syndrome. It’s there for a reason. It’s just nerves because you care about something. But then get the fuck over it and go to the other side. It feels like you’re walking in a bathing suit for the first time from the water to the beach, back to your towel. It’s like, oh my God, are people looking at me? By the time you get to your towel though it’s like, yeah, you better look at me mother fucker! So embrace all the things that it is and that’s how you can really color with the rainbow in that crayon box. I really couldn’t have done it, not only without my crew, but my cast. Everybody was like, ‘Michelle, you got this.’ It was one of the best experiences of my life.”
Well, we are saying goodbye to Mavis with season three, but if the opportunity ever came up, how open would you be to returning to her story for a movie or another season?
“I’m wide open, definitely. I’m more open than Cardi B on a Friday night, honey! Like, let’s go. But it’s not up to me, it’s up to the fans to determine that. If you want to see more Mavis and her world, then let me know. But if that doesn’t happen, I am so very okay with what I got to do. Did I want to do more? Absolutely. Do I want to get into Peppermint’s storyline? Do I want to showcase what a Black trans woman should look and feel like moving in the world; loved on; working; setting up a house for other people and a home? Yes. And Marley and Khalil and all that? Yes. But what I got to do is pretty fucking cool. So I’ll take it.”
By James Kleinmann
The third and final season of Survival Of The Thickest premieres globally on Netflix July 2nd, 2026.
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