Harvey Fierstein biography, quotes, hairspray, movies • biography

Early Life and Background

Harvey Fierstein was born in 1954 in Brooklyn, New York. He is the son of Eastern European Jewish immigrants. His mother, Jacqueline, worked as a school librarian, and his father, Irving, was a handkerchief manufacturer. Raised in a conservative Jewish household, Fierstein later identified as an atheist and does not practice the religion.

Breakthrough and Stage Success

Fierstein gained widespread recognition for writing and starring in the play Torch Song Trilogy, which centers on a gay drag performer in search of love and family. The play earned him the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play as well as the Tony Award for Best Play.

He further cemented his place in Broadway history by originating the role of Edna Turnblad in the musical Hairspray, for which he won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical. Fierstein also wrote the book for the musical La Cage aux Folles, earning the Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical. Later, he co-wrote the Tony Award-winning book for Kinky Boots, another acclaimed musical.

In 2007, Fierstein was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in recognition of his significant contributions to the craft.

Screen Roles and Voice Acting

Fierstein began his screen acting career with a role in Andy Warhol's only play performed at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club. He pursued other film opportunities while also developing interests in painting. He studied at Pratt Institute, where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.

Some of Fierstein's notable film roles include appearances in Woody Allen's Bullets Over Broadway, Robin Williams’s makeup artist brother in Mrs. Doubtfire, and supporting roles in Death to Smoochy, Independence Day, Kull the Conqueror, Duplex, and Garbo Talks. He earned acclaim as the narrator for the documentary The Times of Harvey Milk, for which the film won a News & Documentary Emmy Award.