Elliot Page, who starred in films like “Juno” and “Whip It” before coming out as a trans man in 2020, founded his film production company Pageboy Productions, in 2021. The company currently has a number of projects in development, including a film, multiple series, and a number of documentaries.
Most recently, Page announced that his company would be signing on as executive producers of yet another documentary, focusing on the life and times of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” star, Peppermint.
Page Joins ‘A Deeper Love: The Story of Miss Peppermint’ as Executive Producer
News that Page would be joining the project, titled “A Deeper Love: The Story of Miss Peppermint,” came just days before its scheduled premiere at Frameline49, an international LGBTQ+ film festival that kicked off in San Francisco on Wednesday, June 18.
Getty Directed by Oriel Pe’er, the 80-minute documentary chronicling the “powerful” journey of the trans drag artist, is set to make its debut to festival audiences on June 26.
Speaking on what drew him to join the project as an executive producer, Page told The Hollywood Reporter: “[Peppermint’s] artistry, courage, and advocacy have changed the landscape for trans performers and inspired so many of us. This documentary captures the full complexity of her experience in a way that feels both intimate and universal. Pageboy is honored to bring her story to audiences everywhere.”
Featuring the likes of “Orange is the New Black” star Laverne Cox, “Pose” actor Michaela Jae Rodriguez, and “Drag Race” stars Sasha Velour and Shea Coulee, the documentary is co-produced by Bob the Drag Queen’s Purse First Studios.
GettyThe forthcoming film will chart Peppermint’s “powerful, urgent and deeply human” journey, from her early years in drag, when she doubled as a sex worker to fund her transition, to her big break, when she joined the cast of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” Season 9 in 2017.
Who is ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Star Peppermint?
While preceding contestants had come out as trans on, or after the show, Peppermint became the first “Drag Race” contestant to enter the competition as openly trans when she joined the cast of Season 9. The New York drag legend performed well on the season, earning a place in the finale alongside Sasha Velour, Shea Coulee and Trinity the Tuck. At present, Peppermint remains the only Season 9 finalist that has not won the series or its “All Stars” spin-off.
GettyOriginally from Hershey, Pennsylvania, Peppermint previously revealed that she was often belittled due to her gender non-conformity in her youth. She later moved to New York City to study musical theatre at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, subsequently kickstarting her drag career in 1993 under the stage name Peppermint Gummybear.
The queen quickly became a fixture of NYC nightlife and eventually began her career as a recording artist, releasing her debut single in 2006. By 2010, Peppermint was regarded as one of the city’s best drag queens alongside fellow “Drag Race” queens like Bianca del Rio and Mimi Imfurst.
The same year, Peppermint made her television debut when she appeared as a drag-version of Tyra Banks on “America’s Next Top Model” Cycle 14.
Seven years later, the artist was announced as one of the 14 drag queens competing on Season 9 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” Making it all the way to the Final Two before losing the crown to the season’s winner, Sasha Velour, Peppermint has since released her studio album “Black Pepper,” made her Broadway debut in the “Head Over Heels” musical, and landed roles on series like Ryan Murphy’s “Pose” and “Saturday Night Live.”
GettyIn 2022, Peppermint, alongside “Drag Race” Season 8 winner Bob the Drag Queen, founded Black Queer Town Hall, a non-profit organization dedicated to “celebrating black queer excellence by supporting and cultivating community, sharing knowledge, and uplifting voices.” The organization’s inaugural event raised an impressive $270,000 for The Okra Project.
More recently, Peppermint has returned to reality television with roles in series like “The Traitors” and “Survival of the Thickest.”
Now, the 45-year-old queen is preparing to premiere her own documentary. Speaking on the upcoming release of “A Deeper Love: The Story of Miss Peppermint,” she told THR, “After nearly a decade of work on this passion project, I’m thrilled to finally share it with the world. Trans issues are in the zeitgeist, yet our full humanity is so often left out of the conversation. This film aims to offer something different – something more honest and personal.”
“A Deeper Love: The Story of Miss Peppermint” will premiere at San Francisco’s Frameline49 film festival on Thursday, June 26.
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Elliot Page to Produce ‘Powerful’ Documentary About Trans ‘Drag Race’ Star