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.

Filmography

• 2020Disclosure — Edna Turnblad (archive footage)
• 2018Howard — Dawn Davenport / Earl Peterson (archive footage)
• 2012The Sex of Death e o Homem Invisível — Singer (archive footage)
• 1998Soul Ache — Actriz cantante (Singer actress)
• 1995Divine: Shoot Your Shot
• 1994Divine: Live at the Hacienda — Writer
• 1990The Neon Woman — Flash Storm (archive footage)
• 1988Hairspray — Edna Turnblad / Arvin Hodgepile
• 1988Out of the Dark — Det. Langella, In Memory Of
• 1985Lust in the Dust — Rosie Velez
• 1985Trouble in Mind — Hilly Blue
• Tales from the Darkside
• 1981Polyester — Francine Fishpaw
• 1979Tally Brown, New York
• 1976Female Trouble — Dawn Davenport / Earl Peterson
• 1972Pink Flamingos — Divine / Babs Johnson
• 1970Multiple Maniacs — Lady Divine
• 1970The Diane Linkletter Story — Diane Linkletter, Writer
• 1969Mondo Trasho — Divine / Greaser in Alley
• 1968Eat Your Makeup — Jacqueline Kennedy
• 1967Roman Candles — Party Guest / Man with Scarf

Appearances as themselves (32)

• 2025Too Disgusting To Be Confused — Self
• 2021My Life with the Waters — Self
• 2018BEAT. Contour. Snatched. How Drag Queens Shaped the Biggest Makeup Trends — Self
• 2018Crime and Beauty: Making ‘Female Trouble’ — Self (archive)
• 2018Crime and Beauty: Remembering "Female Trouble" — Self (archive)
• 2018Studio 54 — Self (archive footage)
• 2016Discolocos — Self (archive footage)
• 2016Night Flight: Born Again — Self
• 2015Tab Hunter Confidential — Self (archive)
• 2014I Am Divine — Self (archive)
• Cachitos de hierro y cromo — Self (archive footage)
• 2011The British Guide to Showing Off — Self (archive footage)
• 2010Uncle Bob — Self
• 2008Starz Inside: In the Gutter — Self (archive)
• 2007DIVINE R.I.P. — Self (archive footage)
• 2007The Roots of 'Hairspray' — Self (archive)
• Girls and Boys - Sex and British Pop — Self
• Sex 'n' Pop — Self (archive footage)
• 2002The Cockettes — Self (archive footage)
• 2000Divine Trash — Self
• 2000Divine: Shoot Your Shot & Live at the Hacienda — Self (archive footage)
• 1999In Bad Taste — Self (archive footage)
• 1992Rhythm Divine: The Story of Disco — Self (archive footage)
• The Incredibly Strange Film Show — Self
• 1987Queen: Magic Years - A Visual Anthology — Self
• 1987Queen: The Magic Years vol. 1 — Self
• 1987Queen: The Magic Years vol. 3 — Self
• 1985Divine Waters — Self
• Late Night with David Letterman — Self - Guest
• 1980The Alternative Miss World — Self - Guest of Honour
• 1976Underground and Emigrants — Self
• New Line: Independent Legacies — Self (archive footage)