Divine

  1. Susan Lowe, Desperate Living, 1976.    Baltimore auteur John Waters wrote the movie for the bad taste star of his his Pink Flamingos, Female Trouble, Polyester, Lust i the Dust and Hairspray, but he was committed to a theatre gig. To take over as Mole McHenry, the beautiful Lowe (from the same Waters films) had to change her look – and the necessary make-up horrified her children and, apparently, played havoc with her marriage.
  2. James “Gypsy” Haake, Married… With Children, TV, 1988.     Divine died (from sleep apnea) the day before he was to play Uncle Otto Wanker (!) in an episode called: All In The Family (!)  Another transvestite actor took over and the chapter was dedicated to Divine.
  3. Pat Carroll, The Little Mermaid , 1989.     Divine… working for Disney? Nearly! Ursula had been designed for Bea Arthur – far too busy with The Golden Girls, 1985-1992. Next? Divine! Plus Charlotte Rae, Roseanne, the Absolutely Fabulous Jennifer Saunders and singer Nancy Wilson. Plus a slew of veteran ladies: Browne, Nancy Marchand, Sylvia Sidney, Elaine Stritch – who won the gig, then lost it after disputes with lyricist Howard Ashman. “An answer to a prayer,” said Carroll on winning the ambition of a lifetime – voicing a Disney character.  
  4. Virginia Peters, Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare, 1991    . Instead of Divine – there was enough horror! – the Woman In Plane became a real female. This was Peters’ 23rd and penultimate screen rôle. She died seven years later at 74.

 Birth year: 1945Death year: 1988Other name: Harris Glenn MilsteadCasting Calls:  4