Harris Glenn Milstead, also known by his stage name Divine, (October 19, 1945 – March 7, 1988) was an American actor, singer and drag queen. Associated with independent filmmaker John Waters, he was a character actor, usually performing female roles in cinematic and theatrical appearances, and adopted a female drag persona for his music career; People magazine described him as the "Drag Queen of the Century".Born in Baltimore, Maryland to a conservative middle-class family, Milstead developed an early interest in drag while working as a women's hairdresser. By the mid-1960s he had embraced the city's countercultural scene and befriended Waters, who gave him the name "Divine" and the tagline of "the most beautiful woman in the world, almost". Along with his friend David Lochary, Divine joined Waters' acting troupe, the Dreamlanders, and adopted female roles for their experimental short films Roman Candles (1966), Eat Your Makeup (1968), and The Diane Linkletter Story (1969). Again in drag, he took a lead role in both of Waters' early full-length movies, Mondo Trasho (1969) and Multiple Maniacs (1970), the latter of which began to attract press attention for the group. Divine next starred in Waters' Pink Flamingos (1972); a hit on the U.S. midnight movie circuit, it became a cult classic and established Divine's fame within the American counterculture.After starring as the lead role in Waters' next picture, Female Trouble (1974), Divine moved on to theater, appearing in several avant-garde performances alongside San Francisco drag collective, The Cockettes. He followed this with a performance in Tom Eyen's play Women Behind Bars and its sequel, The Neon Woman. Continuing his cinematic work, he starred in two more of Waters' films, Polyester (1981) and Hairspray (1988), the latter of which represented his breakthrough into mainstream cinema. Independent of Waters, he also appeared in a number of other films, such as Lust in the Dust (1985) and Trouble in Mind (1985), seeking to diversify his repertoire by playing male roles. In 1981, Divine embarked on a career in the disco industry by producing a number of Hi-NRG tracks, most of which were written by Bobby Orlando. He achieved global chart success with hits like "You Think You're a Man", "I'm So Beautiful", and "Walk Like a Man" prior to his death from cardiomegaly.Divine has remained a cult figure, particularly within the LGBT community, and has provided the inspiration for fictional characters, artworks and songs. Various books and documentary films devoted to his life have also been produced, including Divine Trash (1998) and I Am Divine (2013).
October 19, 1945, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Died
March 7, 1988, Los Angeles, California, United States
Place Of Birth
Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Height
6' 2" (1.88 m)
Profession
Actor, Soundtrack, Writer
Education
Towson High School
Nationality
American
Parents
Frances Milstead, Harris Bernard Milstead
Albums
Maid in England, The Story So Far..., The Best of Divine
Movies
Pink Flamingos, Female Trouble, Hairspray, Multiple Maniacs, Polyester, Lust in the Dust, Mondo Trasho, Eat Your Makeup, Out of the Dark, The Diane Linkletter Story, Trouble in Mind, Tally Brown, New York, The Neon Woman
Star Sign
Libra
#
Quote
1
[on Pink Flamingos (1972)'s infamous final scene]: I followed that dog around for three hours just zooming in on its asshole.
2
[1973] Divine. That's my name. It's the name John [John Waters] gave me. I like it. That's what everybody calls me now, even my close friends. Not many of them call me Glenn at all anymore, which I don't mind. They can call me whatever they want. They call me fatso, and they call me asshole, and I don't care. You always change your name when you're in the show business. Divine has stuck as my name. Did you ever look it up in the dictionary? I won't even go into it. It's unbelievable.
3
[on Pink Flamingos (1972)'s infamous final scene, in which he consumes dog feces]: [People think that I] run around doing it all the time. I've received boxes of dog shit - plastic dog shit. I have gone to parties where people just sit around and talk about dog shit because they think it's what I want to talk about.
4
"Divine" and "Glenn Milstead" are both just names. Glenn is the name I was brought up with, Divine is the name I've been using for the past 23 years. I guess it's always Glenn and it's always Divine. Do you mean the character Divine or the person Divine? You see, it gets very complicated. There's the Divine you're talking to now and there's the character Divine, which is just something I do to make a living. She doesn't really exist at all.
5
I think I've always been respectable. What I do onstage is not what I do in my private life... It's an act... It's how I make my living. People laugh, and it's not hurting anyone.
6
My favorite part of dressing in drag is getting out of it. Drag is my work clothes. I only put it on when someone pays me to.
7
Of course the last thing my parents wanted was a son who wears a cocktail dress that glitters, but they've come around to it.
8
People who used to make fun are now fans. I had the last laugh.
9
"He's one of my finest leading ladies" - Tab Hunter [who co-starred with Divine in Polyester (1981)].
10
"All my life I wanted to look like Elizabeth Taylor. Now Elizabeth Taylor looks like me".
#
Fact
1
When first creating his alter ego, Divine told make-up artist friend Van Smith that he wanted a look that was a cross between Jayne Mansfield and Clarabell the Clown from The Howdy Doody Show (1947).
2
Plays both a woman and a man (as the racist head of the station that airs the Corny Collins show) in his last film Hairspray (1988).
3
Biography in: "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives". Volume Two, 1986-1990, pages 247-248. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1999.
4
Was one of the 250 male nominees of the AFI top 50 stars.
5
John Waters wanted him to be in Desperate Living (1977), and had written the movie with him in mind, but he was unable to be in the movie as he was appearing in a play at the time.
6
Had a successful singing career (dance/disco), touring the world's clubs, and released numerous albums.
Idolized Elizabeth Taylor as a teenager, and dressed up as her character "Gloria" from BUtterfield 8 (1960) for a Halloween party that he attended wearing a slip, fur coat, and stillettoes.
9
Buried at Prospect Hill Cemetery in Towson, Maryland.
10
Was contracted to play a recurring role as the Uncle in Married with Children (1987), but died the day before the shooting of the episode (#2.22, "All in the Family"). James 'Gypsy' Haake was cast as 'Uncle Otto' in Divine's place, and the episode was dedicated to Divine's memory.
11
Died in his sleep from a combination of his weight and a disorder called sleep apnea, a disorder in which the body "forgets" to breathe or is unable to breathe due to blockage or excessive pressure. A classic symptom of this disorder is a sudden cessation of snoring for several seconds, indicating the inability to breathe.
12
Actor featured in comic transvestite roles.
Actor
Title
Year
Status
Character
Out of the Dark
1988
Det. Langella
Hairspray
1988
Edna Turnblad
Arvin Hodgepile
Tales from the Darkside
1987
TV Series
Ambassador Chia Fung
Trouble in Mind
1985
Hilly Blue
Lust in the Dust
1985
Rosie Velez
Polyester
1981
Francine Fishpaw
Female Trouble
1974
Dawn Davenport
Earl Peterson
Pink Flamingos
1972
Divine
Babs Johnson
Multiple Maniacs
1970
Lady Divine
The Diane Linkletter Story
1970
Short
Diane Linkletter
Mondo Trasho
1969
Divine / Greaser in Alley
Eat Your Makeup
1968
Jacqueline Kennedy
Roman Candles
1966
Short
Party Guest / Man with Scarf
Soundtrack
Title
Year
Status
Character
I Am Divine
2013
Documentary performer: "Native Love Step by Step", "Born to Be Cheap", "I'm So Beautiful", "You Think You're a Man"
Welcome to the 80's
2009
TV Series documentary performer - 1 episode
An Englishman in New York
2009
performer: "Native Love"
Deep Blue Sea
1999
performer: "Good and Plenty"
The Fruit Machine
1988
performer: "You think you're a man", "I'm so beautiful"
Top of the Pops
1985
TV Series performer - 2 episodes
Lust in the Dust
1985
performer: "These Lips Were Made For Kissin'"
Female Trouble
1974
performer: "Female Trouble"
Writer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Divine: Live at the Hacienda
1994
Video documentary short
The Diane Linkletter Story
1970
Short
Thanks
Title
Year
Status
Character
Madison Class of '64
2006
Short a tribute to the genius of
Married with Children
1988
TV Series dedicated to the memory of - 1 episode
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
Uncle Bob
2010
Documentary
Himself
Girls and Boys: Sex and British Pop
2005
TV Mini-Series documentary
Himself
More Lust, Less Dust
2001
Video short
Himself (voice)
Divine: Shoot Your Shot
1995
Video documentary short
Himself
Divine: Live at the Hacienda
1994
Video documentary short
Himself
The Incredibly Strange Film Show
1988
TV Series documentary
Himself
Queen: Magic Years, Volume One - A Visual Anthology
1987
Documentary
Himself
Queen: Magic Years, Volume Three - A Visual Anthology
1987
Documentary
Himself
The Last Resort with Jonathan Ross
1987
TV Series
Himself
De Nachtshow
1987
TV Series
Himself
Night Flight
1986
TV Series
Himself
Divine Waters
1985
Documentary
Himself
Top of the Pops
1984-1985
TV Series
Himself - Musical Guest
Àngel Casas Show
1984
TV Series
Himself - Musical Guest
Estoc de pop
1984
TV Series
Himself
Thicke of the Night
1984
TV Series
Himself
Formel Eins
1983
TV Series documentary
Himself
La edad de oro
1983
TV Series
Himself
AVRO's Toppop
1982
TV Series
Himself
Late Night with David Letterman
1982
TV Series
Himself - Guest
Mein New York
1982
TV Short documentary
Himself
The Alternative Miss World
1980
Documentary
Guest of Honour / Interviewer
Billy Baxter Presents Diary of the Cannes Film Festival with Rex Reed
1980
TV Movie documentary
Himself
Tally Brown, New York
1979
Documentary
Himself
Emerald City
1978
TV Series
Himself
Underground and Emigrants
1976
Documentary
Lady Divine
1975
Documentary
Himself (as Lady Divine)
Archive Footage
Title
Year
Status
Character
Erlebnis Österreich
2016
TV Series documentary
Himself - Live im U4
I Am Divine
2013
Documentary
Himself
Visionado obligado
2011
TV Series
Divine / Babs Johnson
Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy
2010
Video documentary
Himself
Arias with a Twist
2010
Documentary
Himself
New York Memories
2010
Documentary
Himself (uncredited)
Frances: A Mother Divine
2010
Documentary
Himself
50 años de
2009
TV Series
Himself
Welcome to the 80's
2009
TV Series documentary
Himself
Starz Inside: In the Gutter
2008
TV Movie documentary
Himself
Schau mir in die Augen, Kleiner
2007
Documentary
Himself
The Roots of 'Hairspray'
2007
Video documentary short
Himself
La imagen de tu vida
2006
TV Series
Himself
Carta blanca
2006
TV Series
Himself
Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema
2006
Documentary
Favouritism
2005
TV Series
Himself
Midnight Movies: From the Margin to the Mainstream
2005
Documentary
Himself
The Cockettes
2002
Documentary
Himself
In Bad Taste
2000
TV Special documentary
Himself
E! True Hollywood Story
1999
TV Series documentary
Himself
Divine Trash
1998
Documentary
Himself
The Celluloid Closet
1995
Documentary
Himself in Hairspray (uncredited)
Hittimittari
1984
TV Series
Himself
That's Hollywood
1981
TV Series documentary
Francine Fishpaw
Won Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
2013
FilmOut Programming Award
FilmOut San Diego, US
Filmmaker Career Achievement Award
I Am Divine (2013)
1988
Frameline Award
San Francisco International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival