Fierstein, Harvey, 1954-....

Harvey Fierstein, playwright.

Harvey Fierstein, award-winning playwright, actor and gay rights activist, was born on June 6, 1954, in Brooklyn, New York. He received his B.F.A. from the Pratt Institute in 1973. Aware of his sexuality as a young man, he appeared as a female impersonator in Manhattan nightclubs in his early teens. His career as an actor began in 1971 when he had the lead role as a lesbian maid in Andy Warhol's Pork. His first play, In Search of the Cobra Jewels, was produced in 1973. The International Stud, the first of three plays that eventually comprised the Torch Song Trilogy, was produced in 1976. Followed by Fugue in a Nursery and Widows and Children First, the trilogy won two Tony Awards, and was made into a movie, starring Fierstein, in 1988. Fierstein also won Tony Awards for his book for the musical La Cage aux Folles and for his role in the Broadway production of Hairspray. He has appeared in more than ten movies, and his voice has been featured on The Simpsons television show and in the Disney animated film, Legends of Mulan. His appearances on television include the 1994-1995 series, Daddy's Girls.

Harvey Fierstein, award-winning playwright, actor and gay rights activist, was born on June 6, 1954, in Brooklyn, New York. He received his B.F.A. from the Pratt Institute in 1973. Aware of his sexuality as a young man, he appeared as a female impersonator in Manhattan nightclubs in his early teens. His career as an actor began in 1971 when he had the lead role as a lesbian maid in Andy Warhol's Pork . His first play, In Search of the Cobra Jewels, was produced in 1973. The International Stud, the first of three plays that eventually comprised the Torch Song Trilogy, was produced in 1976. Followed by Fugue in a Nursery and Widows and Children First, the trilogy won two Tonys, and was made into a movie, starring Fierstein, in 1988. Fierstein also won Tonys for his book for the musical La Cage aux Folles and for his role in the Broadway production of Hairspray . He has appeared in more than ten movies, and his voice has been featured on The Simpsons television show and in the Disney animated film, Legends of Mulan . His appearances on television include the 1994-1995 series, Daddy's Girls, and Family Guy.