EDGE Interview: In ‘Queens of the Dead,’ Nina West and Tomás Matos Turn Glam Into Grit — Because in a Zombie Apocalypse, Drag Saves Lives

In QUEENS OF THE DEAD, a zombie apocalypse breaks out in Brooklyn on the night of a giant warehouse party, where an eclectic group of drag queens, club kids, and frenemies must put aside their drama and use their unique skills to fight against the brain-thirsty, scrolling undead. The film boasts an ensemble cast led by Katy O’Brian (LOVE LIES BLEEDING), Jaquel Spivey (MEAN GIRLS), Tomas Matos (FIRE ISLAND), Nina West (“Rupaul’s Drag Race”), Quincy Dunn-Baker (NO HARD FEELINGS), Jack Haven (I SAW THE TV GLOW), Cheyenne Jackson (“American Horror Story”), Dominique Jackson (“Pose”), stand-up comic Margaret Cho, Riki Lindhome (KNIVES OUT), Eve Lindley (“Dispatches From Elsewhere”), Becca Blackwell (SURVIVAL OF THE THICKEST), Shaunette Renée Wilson (BLACK PANTHER), and NYC Drag Artist Julie J. 

“Tina Romero’s delightful feature debut is a horror comedy chock-full of fun and meaningful ideas. By filtering familiar hallmarks through a distinctly queer story, she channels the genre’s uglier leanings into a glamorous farce with a beating heart.” – Siddhant Adlakha, Variety

With glam, gore, and a whole lot of heart, Queens of the Dead reimagines the zombie genre through a fiercely queer lens. To delve deeper into the film’s campy chaos, we spoke with stars Nina West and Tomás Matos about their characters and how they survived the apocalypse with their drag skills. 

EDGE: How would you describe Queens of the Dead?

TM: Queen of the Dead is a glam gore zombie comedy that is directly connected to the Romero legacy. Thanks to the wonderful Tina Romero, who was George Romero's daughter. It portrays a group of club kids, drag queens, and the Brooklyn nightlife scene, as well as what happens to them during a zombie apocalypse.

EDGE: Tell us about your characters?

NW: I play Jinzy Tonic, who is kind of like the house mother of our bar and the host. She's also a queen of a certain age, who has seen life and experienced things, which makes her perfect as the motherly figure in the film.

TM: I play Nico, AKA Scrumptious, the baby queen. They are one of the newer faces in the club and are eager to establish a name for themselves within the community. They want people to take them seriously, and during a zombie apocalypse, they still have that on their mind, which just shows you what they care about the most.

EDGE: Were you given freedom to improvise your lines?

NW: There's a beautiful script that we did the scenes from, but our director, Tina Romero, did a wonderful job of letting the scene breathe while we were filming and really held off calling 'cut'. We would do a scene, and then when we didn’t hear her yell ‘cut’, we would improvise what would happen if the scene kept going, which is what she wanted us to do. She wanted to hear how we thought it would evolve, which was terrifying,  freeing,  and also wonderful because you would hear characters say things that weren’t scripted, because that was their reality in that moment. Some things made the final cut, and some didn't, but whether they did or not, they helped inform what we were going to do next.

EDGE: Who in the cast surprised you most once the cameras started rolling?

TM: For me, it's Jaquel Spivey. I have been a fan of his since his work in Broadway’s A Strange Loop. It gave Tony a nomination for a reason, but to see him portray Sam in such a wholesome and heart-filled manner, really just made me that much more of a fan of him and his work. And he's actually a really sweet human being made me an even bigger fan than I was. 

NW: I agree -  Jaquel knocked me off my feet. His humanity, heart, and pacing of every scene he was in blew me away. He is so gifted and grounded.  And I think it was for a lot of us the center of the story. How he reacted to things and how his evolution helped us all evolve. Tomas and Jaquel are the ones I spend the most time with in the film, and Jaquel’s arc directly impacts my character's. He was so nuanced and such a harbinger of care and hope for us, it helped tell the story. I think he is just brilliant.

EDGE: The movie blends horror, comedy, and drag culture — how did you find the balance between camp and chaos?

NW: They're kind of the same thing, aren't they?

TM: I think it is a tricky line to toe because they are very similar and they're very close to each other. I think they both help each other out because chaos is a heightened stake scenario, and so is camp. It's just a different spectrum because they are both so heightened; they help each other out. I think this film is a great example of how they both work together really well. 

NW: I think it's a great question because it's hard to know the reality of both. Where do we sit in the reality of camp, and where do we sit in the reality of this chaos? And how do those two intertwine? I was being glib, but they're kind of the same thing, and they require two very different emotional guideposts. Having those two different realities helped tell a singular story. I think it demonstrates how well-crafted the film is, from script to screen. It's a really well-crafted piece of entertainment, art, and camp all rolled into one zombie film. 

EDGE: If you had to survive a real zombie apocalypse, which drag skill would save you first?

TM: I think I'm very crafty, so I would be able to turn a box of shoes into a weapon. I think I could actually do it because I enjoy deconstructing my outfits in general, so it would make sense for me to craft weapons out of my own items.

NW: My skill would be to come up with a plan and have someone else execute it while I sit back and watch carefully, as my escape route may dwindle and/or have to take a different direction than the one that I am sending other people in.   

EDGE: Beneath the glitter and gore, the film explores themes of resilience, chosen family, and identity. What message do you hope audiences take away?

TM: I think this film is very glammy and very gory-filled, but I think you can take one part of this film and put it into today's world. In this film, this community of queer people fights for their lives against zombies. Today, we as queer people are fighting for our lives against many types of people, including this current administration. I hope this film can serve as a catalyst for people within the queer community who may feel like they don't have a voice or feel like they can't stand up and fight. I hope that they can see themselves within our group of people who are fighting against the zombies and take that into today, because no shade, because many in this current administration look like zombies. 

EDGE: Nina, this year, you are hosting the Drag Queen Christmas tour. What can you tell us about the show this year?

NW: Get ready to jingle your bells because A Drag Queen Christmas is back and bigger than ever! I’m so thrilled to be hosting this glittery extravaganza once again — it’s the longest-running drag tour in America, and this year we’re bringing the sparkle coast to coast! We’ve got an absolutely fabulous lineup of queens, including Lexi Love, Shea Couleé, Jewels Sparkles, Crystal Methyd, Suzie Toot, Bosco, and Lydia B. Kollins, and they are bringing the holiday cheer like never before! Expect fierce performances, fabulous costumes, and a sleigh-full of sass. 

For more on Nina West, visit www.ninawest.com and for Tomás www.tomasmatosofficial.com

Queens of the Dead is slaying exclusively in theatres on October 24th.