Ginger Minj is a busy little elf.

From her new country album Double Wide Diva to sporadic stints on TV and in movies to her upcoming book Southern Fried Sass (which reportedly scored her a six-figure deal), the Drag Race diva is everywhere these days, including a venue near you.

On Dec. 9, the new queen of Christmas will perform her holiday spectacular "Winter Wonderland" at the Aladdin Theater in Portland, followed by the Broadway Performance Hall in Seattle on Dec. 10 and 11.

I recently caught up with the multitalented actress-comedian-singer to discuss her continued success, including making friends with Jennifer Aniston while filming Netflix's Dumplin', her take on the latest Dave Chappelle backlash, the best Christmas gift she's ever received, and what exactly makes her the "nicest bitch" this side of the North Pole — but first, let's take a sleigh ride back to the beginning...

Mikey Rox: Tell me a bit about how you got started in drag and the genesis of Ginger Minj.

Ginger Minj: Like most good showtune-loving queers, I stumbled into drag through musical theater. I auditioned for a show that required either full-frontal nudity or drag, and I figured I would fare better in a wig and heels than nothing at all. I got the role and really took to it quickly. I felt more free and honest as a performer than I ever had before, and I realized I could make a livable income doing something that I was wholly responsible for creating.

MR: How has your appearance on Drag Race helped your career, and what are your top takeaways from your time on the show?

GM: It's an international platform that allows us to introduce ourselves to the entire world. It got me a seat at the table with people and at places that refused to even open the door for me in the past. I think there was — and maybe still is sometimes — this initial assumption that drag artists are limited in their talents, but we have been able to show the world that we are just as talented and capable as any other entertainer. I don't wear a wig as a gimmick. I wear it as an accessory, and it doesn't mean I shouldn't be taken as seriously as any other actor, singer, etc. Drag Race is doing a great job of showing the world that — and I'll forever be grateful.

MR: If folks didn't catch you on Drag Race, they might recognize you from the 2018 Netflix movie Dumplin' starring Jennifer Aniston and Dove Cameron. What was your experience like on set, and do you have any other TV or film projects in the works?

GM: Dumplin' was the single best experience of my life! Jennifer Aniston brought me coffee every morning, and Kathy Najimy had my trailer moved next to hers so we could listen to Beyoncé and play with makeup. That entire cast and crew treated all of us queens with unbelievable respect. It really gave me a passion for filmmaking. And, yes, I'm happy to say there are a few more projects — big screen and small — coming your way soon.

MR: What makes you the "nicest bitch you'll ever meet"?

GM: It's like those good ol' Southern church ladies who will give you the shirts off their backs but read you to filth for not bringing one of your own. The only thing bigger than my mouth is my heart, and the "shady" things I say should never be taken seriously.

MR: As a comedian yourself, what are your thoughts on the latest Dave Chappell/Netflix controversy?

GM: I've always felt like comedy and drag go hand in hand: it's an outrageous way to start a conversation and make people confront their own feelings about anything and everything. That being said, I think there's a way to do that without disparaging and discrediting an entire group of human beings. I think it's shameful that someone with that great of a platform would choose to punch down.

MR: Your new single "Walk Tall" is about growing up Gay in the South — and it's a very good song. Radio worthy even, but a hard sell, given its content, to a country-music audience. How do you think that changes? Will LGBTQ+ country artists ever enjoy the kind of success their straight counterparts do?

GM: I think so. To be completely honest with you, I've gotten much more support for that album from the country community than I have from the drag world. The message is so universal, and we were very careful to do it in an authentic, simple way. When we stop focusing on our differences and start embracing our similarities, the world can change. I just do the things that make me happy and hope it finds the people who need to hear it.

MR: Christmas is just around the corner. Do you prefer giving or receiving? What's your most prized Christmas present from the past?

GM: I'm definitely a giver! I drive myself crazy for months researching and planning and looking for the perfect gifts for everyone. It's my way of showing the people I care most about that while I may be busy, I'm listening. I hear them, I see them, and I appreciate them.

The best Christmas present I ever got was a cheap plastic pair of ruby slippers from my mama when I was a kid. I still have them. That moment changed my life forever. It's what actually inspired "Walk Tall."

MR: Like Santa Claus himself, the Ginger Minj "Winter Wonderland" tour is coming to town. What do you have in store for audiences this holiday season?

GM: What don't we have in store?! There are 20 costume changes, instructional videos gone terribly wrong, singing, dancing, magic tricks, fog machines, comedy, and it even snows over the audience! This is the biggest, prettiest, most ambitious show we have ever put together.

MR: Looking forward to 2022, what's in the works?

GM: So many great things! More music, some movies, some TV, a stage production of La Cage aux Folles in Chicago, and my book Southern Fried Sass will hit the shelves. It's a great time to be the "Glamour Toad," and I am grateful every single day.

Mikey Rox is an award-winning journalist and LGBT lifestyle expert whose work has been published in more than a hundred outlets across the world. Connect with Mikey on Instagram @mikeyroxtravels https://www.instagram.com/mikeyroxtravels.