1945-10-19 Towson, Maryland, USA
Divine (19 October 1945 – 7 March 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.
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Disclosure | Edna Turnblad (archive footage) | 2020-06-19 |
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BEAT. Contour. Snatched. How Drag Queens Shaped the Biggest Makeup Trends | 2018-12-11 | |
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Howard | Dawn Davenport / Earl Peterson (archive footage) | 2018-04-22 |
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Studio 54 | Self (archive footage) | 2018-06-15 |
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Night Flight: Born Again | Self | 2016-04-10 |
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Discolocos | Self (archive footage) | 2016-12-31 |
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Tab Hunter Confidential | Self (archive footage) | 2015-03-15 |
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I Am Divine | Self (archive footage) | 2013-03-09 |
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The British Guide to Showing Off | Self (archive footage) | 2011-11-11 |
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Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy | Self (archive footage) | 2010-05-04 |
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Uncle Bob | Self | 2010-06-26 |
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DIVINE R.I.P. | Self (archive footage) | 2007-08-09 |
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The Cockettes | Self (archive footage) | 2002-01-16 |
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Divine: Shoot Your Shot & Live at the Hacienda | Self (archive footage) | 2000-01-01 |
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In Bad Taste | Self (archive footage) | 1999-09-03 |
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Divine Trash | Himself | 1998-01-18 |
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Agujetas en el alma | Actriz cantante (Singer actress) | 1998-08-14 |
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Divine: Shoot Your Shot | 1995-01-01 | |
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Divine: Live at the Hacienda | 1994-01-01 | |
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Rhythm Divine - History of Disco Music | Self (archive footage) | 1992-09-20 |
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The Neon Woman | Flash Storm (archive footage) | 1990-01-01 |
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Hairspray | Edna Turnblad / Arvin Hodgepile | 1988-02-26 |
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The Incredibly Strange Film Show: John Waters | Self | 1988-08-05 |
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Out of the Dark | Det. Langella | 1988-06-02 |
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Queen: Magic Years - A Visual Anthology | Self | 1987-11-30 |
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Queen: The Magic Years vol. 1 | Self | 1987-11-30 |
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Queen: The Magic Years vol. 3 | Self | 1987-11-30 |
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Lust in the Dust | Rosie Velez | 1985-03-01 |
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Divine Waters | Self | 1985-01-01 |
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Trouble in Mind | Hilly Blue | 1985-12-11 |
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Polyester | Francine Fishpaw | 1981-05-29 |
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The Alternative Miss World | Self - Guest of Honour | 1980-09-18 |
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Tally Brown, New York | 1979-05-04 | |
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Underground and Emigrants | Self | 1976-10-25 |
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Female Trouble | Dawn Davenport / Earl Peterson | 1974-10-04 |
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Pink Flamingos | Divine / Babs Johnson | 1972-03-17 |
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Multiple Maniacs | Lady Divine | 1970-04-10 |
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The Diane Linkletter Story | Diane Linkletter | 1970-04-10 |
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Mondo Trasho | Divine / Greaser in Alley | 1969-03-14 |
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Eat Your Makeup | Jacqueline Kennedy | 1968-02-23 |
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Roman Candles | Party Guest / Man with Scarf | 1967-05-10 |
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My Life with the Waters | Herself |
