Divine
Known for Acting · 53 credits
- Born
- 1945-10-19
- Died
- 1988-03-07
- Place of birth
- Towson, Maryland, USA
- Also known as
- Harris Glenn Milstead
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 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.
Known For
TV Shows (6)
Movies (47)
Pink Flamingos
1972
as Divine / Babs Johnson
Hairspray
1988
as Edna Turnblad / Arvin Hodgepile
Polyester
1981
as Francine Fishpaw
Disclosure
2020
as Edna Turnblad (archive footage)
Divine Waters
1985
as Self
Roman Candles
1967
as Party Guest / Man with Scarf
New Line: Independent Legacies
as Self (archive footage)
I Am Divine
2014
as Self (archive)
Female Trouble
1976
as Dawn Davenport / Earl Peterson
Tab Hunter Confidential
2015
as Self (archive)
Studio 54
2018
as Self (archive footage)
Multiple Maniacs
1970
as Lady Divine
The Cockettes
2002
as Self (archive footage)
Howard
2018
as Dawn Davenport / Earl Peterson (archive footage)
Queen: Magic Years - A Visual Anthology
1987
as Self
Rhythm Divine: The Story of Disco
1992
as Self (archive footage)
Lust in the Dust
1985
as Rosie Velez
Night Flight: Born Again
2016
as Self
Trouble in Mind
1985
as Hilly Blue
Out of the Dark
1988
as Det. Langella
The Roots of 'Hairspray'
2007
as Self (archive)
Crime and Beauty: Remembering "Female Trouble"
2018
as Self (archive)
In Bad Taste
1999
as Self (archive footage)
Mondo Trasho
1969
as Divine / Greaser in Alley
Eat Your Makeup
1968
as Jacqueline Kennedy
Divine: Shoot Your Shot
1995
Tally Brown, New York
1979
Starz Inside: In the Gutter
2008
as Self (archive)
Divine Trash
2000
as Self
Soul Ache
1998
as Actriz cantante (Singer actress)
The British Guide to Showing Off
2011
as Self (archive footage)
Crime and Beauty: Making ‘Female Trouble’
2018
as Self (archive)
Queen: The Magic Years vol. 1
1987
as Self
BEAT. Contour. Snatched. How Drag Queens Shaped the Biggest Makeup Trends
2018
as Self
My Life with the Waters
2021
as Self
The Diane Linkletter Story
1970
as Diane Linkletter
Too Disgusting To Be Confused
2025
as Self
Queen: The Magic Years vol. 3
1987
as Self
Divine: Shoot Your Shot & Live at the Hacienda
2000
as Self (archive footage)
Uncle Bob
2010
as Self
The Alternative Miss World
1980
as Self - Guest of Honour
The Neon Woman
1990
as Flash Storm (archive footage)
Underground and Emigrants
1976
as Self
Discolocos
2016
as Self (archive footage)
Divine: Live at the Hacienda
1994
DIVINE R.I.P.
2007
as Self (archive footage)
The Sex of Death e o Homem Invisível
2012
as Singer (archive footage)
About Divine
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. Con… With 53 credits spanning from 1967 to 2025, Divine has appeared in 47 films and 6 TV shows.
Fans searching for Divine movies, Divine filmography, or the latest projects starring Divine can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Divine Movies
- Pink Flamingos (1972) — as Divine / Babs Johnson
- Hairspray (1988) — as Edna Turnblad / Arvin Hodgepile
- Polyester (1981) — as Francine Fishpaw
- Disclosure (2020) — as Edna Turnblad (archive footage)
- Divine Waters (1985) — as Self
Where to Watch Divine Films
Most Divine movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Divine, check our movies catalogue and browse page.