Drag King Murray Hill is Having a Moment (and It's About Time)

One of the many delights of Max's sleeper hit "Somebody Somewhere" is Murray Hill, the drag king New York city comedian who plays the soon-to-be-married college professor on the Bridget Everett-helmed comedy. His character Fred Rococo's seemingly boundless enthusiasm for life points to how diversity thrives in the heart of Red State Kansas.

That Hill (along with out comic Jeff Hiller) are the two break-out personalities from the show shouldn't be surprising. Hill, who describes himself as the "hardest-working middle-aged man in show business," is a long-standing staple in New York's queer culture having been labeled "Downtown's New 'It' Boy" by the New York Times.

Hill can be seen on Amy Schumer's "Life & Beth," and guest-starred on "Welcome to Flatch" (FOX). And this summer, he hosts the new competition show "Drag Me To Dinner" (Hulu) (premiering May 31) and will be seen in Paul Feig's movie "Grand Death Lotto" (Amazon Studios) starring John Cena and Awkwafina.

He performed his solo comedy show at Just for Laughs, New York Comedy Festival, and Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Murray was awarded the New York Voices commission from Joe's Pub at The Public Theater, where he debuted "About to Break." His infamous holiday show "A Murray Little Christmas" has been a perennial sold-out destination for a decade at Joe's Pub in NYC.

For 10 years, Murray hosted Dita Von Teese's international tour "Strip Strip Hooray." He starred for two seasons at the Sydney Opera House in "Club Swizzle," which toured major festivals. He's in music videos for Peaches, Countess Luann, TV on the Radio, The Regrettes, Joan as Police Woman, Bridget Everett, and Gossip.

EDGE spoke to Hill recently about hosting "Drag Me To Dinner," being part of "Somebody Somewhere," and the war on drag culture.

EDGE: You're having a moment. How does it feel?

Murray Hill: I'm glad it is happening before I am 60. I've been hitting the pavement for a long time, and I've been wanting to be on TV since the Nineties. Television is a quicker medium for more visibility for guys like me. 25+ years in the business, and I've finally made a little crack in the glass ceiling.

EDGE: Tell us about "Drag Me To Dinner."

Murray Hill: Oh my God. It's total insanity. It is a drag queen cooking event and party competition. Each week, two queens with compete against another pair of queens. Their assignment is to create a theme, come up with a dinner menu, make a signature cocktails, and provide entertainment. It's controlled mayhem.

EDGE: The show is unscripted. Do you prefer that way?

Murray Hill: I do. For years, I've been hosting just about any kind of event that you can think of, and it is really my favorite way to host. There has to be a little structure, but I don't need much. For this show, they have to make food, drinks, and then throw a party. I just love working from the energy and the spontaneity that's happening because with drag queens, you never know what is going to happen.

EDGE: Can you tell me what it's been like working with the amazing judges Neil Patrick Harris, Bianca Del Rio, and Haneefah Wood?

Murray Hill: If you can believe it, we were the straight people on the show and that's a quote Steve. These poor judges had to eat and drink what the queens made. Talk about taking risks at work. Getting to work with Neil, Bianca, and Haneefah is a dream and it is never a bad day at work.

EDGE: The list of competitors is a who's who of drag, including "Drag Race" icons like Jinkx Monsoon, BenDeLaCreme, Biqtch Puddin', Merrie Cherry, Ginger Minj, and Alaska. Whose dish are you staying for?

Murray Hill: Well, I might get in trouble, but out of the 40 queens on the show only one can actually cook. I think the party that I would've stayed at was Merrie Cherry's party. I know her from Brooklyn, and she is a wild disruptor. With her, we are bringing a little Brooklyn into mainstream TV and that is one party I am not missing.

EDGE: You are throwing a dinner party. Who are you inviting, what's your theme, and what are you serving?

Murray Hill: Great question! Bette Midler, Bridget Everett, and Patty LuPone. I'm serving champagne and mac and cheese, and the mac and cheese is for me.

EDGE: We are in the midst of a social and political war on drag culture. What are you hoping this show will do to help drag?

Murray Hill: After I heard that Disney pulled a lot of their corporate development from Florida, I have never been prouder of an organization. As you know, Hulu and ABC are owned by Disney. I'm truly honored to be part of Disney right now because they're doubling down. To have a show with 40 drag queens and me on TV for the entire month of June is amazing. We are here and we're not going be stopped. We are going to show you who we are in all of our messy glory. We are fun. We preach positivity. We are not harming anyone. We are people to. I think this show is going to be an anti-hate campaign.

EDGE: I love you in HBO series "Somebody Somewhere." What has it meant to you to be playing Fred?

Murray Hill: I'm middle-aged now and I have I never seen anybody like me on TV before and I never thought it would happen. I never thought that same-sex marriage would be legalized, but here we are. So, to get to play a character like Fred, who's trans and lives in Middle America, is amazing. I love his storyline and how he's portrayed. I am trans. He's trans. I love that he's part of the community and He's part of the fabric of the show. He's treated just like the other characters and to me, I find that radical. It's a great honor to play him and I take the role very seriously.

EDGE: I read that you are working on writing your memoir. How is it going?

Murray Hill: I am writing a book, and I've got one hell of a story. I come from the generation where you keep everything close to the vest, but I feel it is time to share my story. I am going to tell you all how I got here, what I have had to deal with, and expose all my different layers. I think it is going to be a great read.

EDGE: What does Pride month mean to you?

Murray Hill: Pride month means visibility and equality. We're here, we're queer. So, lets enjoy it.

"Somebody Somewhere" airs on Max.

"Drag Me to Dinner" premieres on Hulu on May 31.