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Divine
Acting
Biography
Divine (October 19, 1945 – March 7, 1988), né Harris Glenn Milstead, was an American actor, singer and drag queen. Described by People magazine as the "Drag Queen of the Century", Divine often performed female roles in both cinema and theater and also appeared in women's clothing in musical performances. Even so, he considered himself to be a character actor and performed male roles in a number of his later films. He was often associated with independent filmmaker John Waters and starred in ten of Waters's films, usually in a leading role. Concurrent with his acting career, he also had a successful career as a disco singer during the 1980s, at one point being described as "the most successfu…
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Divine (October 19, 1945 – March 7, 1988), né Harris Glenn Milstead, was an American actor, singer and drag queen. Described by People magazine as the "Drag Queen of the Century", Divine often performed female roles in both cinema and theater and also appeared in women's clothing in musical performances. Even so, he considered himself to be a character actor and performed male roles in a number of his later films. He was often associated with independent filmmaker John Waters and starred in ten of Waters's films, usually in a leading role. Concurrent with his acting career, he also had a successful career as a disco singer during the 1980s, at one point being described as "the most successful and in-demand disco performer in the world." Born in Baltimore, Maryland, into a conservative, wealthy middle class family, he became involved with John Waters and his acting troupe, the Dreamlanders, in the mid-1960s and starred in a number of Waters's early films such as Mondo Trasho, Multiple Maniacs, Pink Flamingos and Female Trouble. These films have since become cult classics. In the 1970s, Milstead made the transition to theater and appeared in a number of productions, including Women Behind Bars and The Neon Woman, while continuing to star in such films as Polyester, Lust in the Dust and Hairspray. The New York Times said of Milstead's '80s films: "Those who could get past the unremitting weirdness of Divine's performance discovered that the actor/actress had genuine talent, including a natural sense of comic timing and an uncanny gift for slapstick." He was also described as "one of the few truly radical and essential artists of the century… was an audacious symbol of man's quest for liberty and freedom." Since his death, Divine has remained a cult figure, particularly with those in the LGBT community.
Biography expanded
BODY OF WORK
Divine's Filmography
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Too Disgusting To Be Confused
as Self
No Poster
My Life with the Waters
as Self
Disclosure
as Edna Turnblad (archive footage)
BEAT. Contour. Snatched. How Drag Queens Shaped the Biggest Makeup Trends
as Self
No Poster
Crime and Beauty: Making ‘Female Trouble’
as Self (archive)
Crime and Beauty: Remembering "Female Trouble"
as Self (archive)
Studio 54
as Self (archive footage)
Howard
as Dawn Davenport / Earl Peterson (archive footage)
Discolocos
as Self (archive footage)
Night Flight: Born Again
as Self
Tab Hunter Confidential
as Self (archive)
I Am Divine
as Self (archive)
The Sex of Death e o Homem Invisível
as Singer (archive footage)
The British Guide to Showing Off
as Self (archive footage)
Uncle Bob
as Self
Starz Inside: In the Gutter
as Self (archive)
The Roots of 'Hairspray'
as Self (archive)
DIVINE R.I.P.
as Self (archive footage)
The Cockettes
as Self (archive footage)
Divine Trash
as Self
Divine: Shoot Your Shot & Live at the Hacienda
as Self (archive footage)
In Bad Taste
as Self (archive footage)
Soul Ache
as Actriz cantante (Singer actress)
Divine: Shoot Your Shot
Rhythm Divine: The Story of Disco
as Self (archive footage)
The Neon Woman
as Flash Storm (archive footage)
Out of the Dark
as Det. Langella
Hairspray
as Edna Turnblad / Arvin Hodgepile
Queen: The Magic Years vol. 1
as Self
Queen: The Magic Years vol. 3
as Self
Queen: Magic Years - A Visual Anthology
as Self
Trouble in Mind
as Hilly Blue
Lust in the Dust
as Rosie Velez
No Poster
Divine Waters
as Self
Polyester
as Francine Fishpaw
The Alternative Miss World
as Self - Guest of Honour
Tally Brown, New York
Underground and Emigrants
as Self
Female Trouble
as Dawn Davenport / Earl Peterson
Pink Flamingos
as Divine / Babs Johnson
Multiple Maniacs
as Lady Divine
The Diane Linkletter Story
as Diane Linkletter
Mondo Trasho
as Divine / Greaser in Alley
Eat Your Makeup
as Jacqueline Kennedy
No Poster
Roman Candles
as Party Guest / Man with Scarf
No Poster
New Line: Independent Legacies
as Self (archive footage)
