Playboy Creator and disability advocate Mia Moxiee took some time to chat with us about growing up with the sun and surf of California, her polarizing childhood crush, and the most metal tattoo you’ve ever heard of.
Playboy: To start us off, where were you born?
Mia: I was born and raised on the Central Coast of California. I’ve been a beach girl my whole life. My dad and I both drove matching Volkswagen vans. That’s how California Surf we were.
He’s worked in the surf and skate industry my whole life. I’m glad that I grew up in a small beach community that felt very much like movies that you see now. I like having my tiny beach town to go home to.
Playboy: What did you most enjoy in school?
Mia: School was always tough for me. I ended up being homeschooled because the social aspect of school was just not working out, but that allowed me to really focus. I was a STEM major. I started a biomedical program while still in high school and I graduated and got to start college early. So that was super exciting.
Playboy: Can you touch on that biomedical program?
Mia: Biomedical engineering is the research and development technology side of medicine. When I was going into it I would describe to people that I wanted to be a doctor but I didn’t really want to work with people. I prefer to work in a lab. The joke I would make was “Bring them to me cold.”
Playboy: What was the first thing you’ve ever dreamed of achieving?
Mia: The first thing I ever dreamed of achieving was being a professional dancer. I started competitive dance when I was five or six years old. I started dancing when I was two, even before that. And it was extremely intense my whole life. I’m extremely grateful for it.
Playboy: Are you in competitive dance now?
Mia: No, I stopped competitive dance after I got sick, when I was in about sixth grade. I became a wheelchair user in 2021, and shortly after that, I found some other girls who were dancing in their wheelchairs and that was something I hadn’t seen before. I hadn’t even considered it to be an option.
Once I had seen that I kind of got back into dance…not a competitive anything, just for fun. I started going to classes. It was super intimidating and scary, but it was really fun to get back to that part of my life.
Playboy: What makes you happiest?
Mia: I think the beach makes me happiest, for sure. I think it also brings me the most peace. And I’d say that’s when you find that happiness. I spend a lot of time there. I love driving in my car, listening to music, and going to the beach. That kind of sounds like a perfect afternoon for me.
Playboy: What would make you ghost a potential suitor?
Mia : You know what? I thought about this question and the only thing I could think of was “I’ve never done that and I don’t think I ever would ghost someone.” That last part of a relationship where you let him have it one last time, tell them what they’ve done wrong…I think that is better than any ghosting would ever feel!
Playboy: I like that approach! What’s the title of your autobiography?
Mia: “Celebrity Skin.” I’ve spent a lot of time over the past few years working on the tattoos that I have on my body right now. They’re mostly on my legs because when I started using a wheelchair, I hated seeing my legs.
My body was just changing and I no longer liked the way outfits looked on me. Nothing was the same anymore. So I hid my legs for a very long time. But then I wondered, “What’s gonna make me feel more comfortable?” And that was tattoos. Getting to create my own art on my body. Kind of reclaim it in that way.
Playboy: Can you tell me about one of your tattoos?
Mia: On the side of my thighs written in this custom script it says “Boneless.” And you can’t really tell what it says unless you know what you’re looking for. My friend, he custom wrote it directly onto my skin when he did it.
When we were talking about my disability and the challenges that it brings, he said, “You’re just like Ivan the Boneless.” I was like, “Who is that? What is that?” And he was some Nordic Viking guy. He became a leader of some big clan and he was in a wheelchair. But apparently, he was one of the bravest, boldest fighters. And they called him Ivan the Boneless.
I was like “Do I seem ruthless? Do I seem intense?” And they all told me “Yes.” I kind of stuck with it, and it’s become a little bit of a branding tool for myself and something to remind me. I am boneless. I am badass. I’ve been through a lot and I should wear it proudly.
Playboy: What possession do you treasure most?
Mia: I have quite a few little keepsakes from shows, given to me by rockstars. I go to a lot of concerts and shows in a wheelchair. That is not something you see a lot. So it’s a very scary situation.
Playboy: Can you give me an example of one of these keepsakes that you’ve been given?
Mia: I have a few different setlists with different phone numbers written on them. Some guitar picks that were thrown out at me. A bouquet of flowers when I was at a Harry Styles show. My friends and I picked the roses apart and gave them to each other. Now we all have one of those little roses from that show.
Playboy: What food do you reach for when you’re feeling blue?
Mia: Always, pickles. I think if I’m feeling blue or if I’m feeling a little saucy. A salty pickle or two…they wake you up. In-N-Out pickles specifically, would be my favorite.
Playboy: It’s always good. you what’s your In-N-Out order?
Mia: My In-N-Out order is a hamburger, protein style with pickles only. Nothing else. And light-well fries. You have to ask for them lightly. That makes them better.
Playboy: What’s a talent you wish you had?
Mia: I don’t know. I think I have all the talents I want. I would love to be musically gifted. That’s not something I’ve ever been able to do. I also really wish I was good at doing hair. I love seeing other people do it.
Playboy: Who is a woman that inspires you?
Mia: I’m very inspired by Bunny Xo. She broke a lot of barriers in the world that exist in defining what a powerful woman is. She had a lot of boundaries that she had to face herself…break a lot of people’s perceptions put onto her.
I feel like that’s something that I’ve had to deal with a lot and I can relate to people’s perceptions holding me back. I get judged before people might know anything about me. I think she showed that a lot can come from continuing to show up as yourself, unapologetically even.
I was a little girl who saw her, watched her journey, and I’m proud of her, and want I to replicate something like that. Hopefully there’s little girls out there who might see something from me, and get inspired.
Playboy: Who was the first fictional character you fell in love with?
Mia: Anakin Skywalker. I think it was because he was bad, if I’m being honest now. I was born in 2003. The later trilogy were my originals. I saw the good in Anakin, and then I saw him become bad. So I fell in love with him first before he turned. Which only made me like him more. And I think that kind of stuck with me liking the bad boys. We can blame that one on him.
Mia Moxiee is on The Playboy Club. Talk to her now.
