Last night Harvey Made me very happy (and not for the first time). You may assume I'm talking about Harvey Milk, we celebrated his birthday last month and his name has been in the news this month. I just wrote about him on Friday though. This time it's Harvey Fierstein that I write about.
You might remember him from a classic episode of Cheers, or from his roles in Mrs. Doubtfire, Independence Day, Garbo Talks, or The Year Without a Santa Claus, but for me he will always be Arnold Beckoff from Torch Song Trilogy and Edna Turnblad in Hairspray.
Fierstein is much more than a fine actor though. He is also a wonderful voice actor, occasional columnist, and a playwright, and was one of the first openly gay celebrities in the country and put a face on the LGBTIQ+ community.
His Torch Song Trilogy gives a portrait of gay life, for those who don't really have a clue. He brought the performance to both the stage and to film and wasn't afraid to show two men in a loving committed relationship. The movie version of Torch Song is one of my all-time favorites!
By being visible, even if it might have held back his career, Harvey Fierstein has made a difference. He continues to bring us joy and pride too with every single performance. Already the recipient of four Tony Awards, last night Harvey was awarded the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement. That made me very happy.
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