Harvey Fierstein
Encyclopedia
Harvey Forbes Fierstein (born June 6, 1952) is a U.S. actor
and playwright
, noted for the early (1982) distinction of winning Tony Award
s for both writing and originating the lead role in his long-running play Torch Song Trilogy
, about a gay drag
-performer and his quest for true love and family, as well as writing the award-winning book to the musical La Cage aux Folles. He has since become a champion for gay civil rights.
Gilbert), a school librarian, and Irving Fierstein, a handkerchief
manufacturer. Raised Jewish, Fierstein is now an atheist.
Fierstein occasionally writes columns about gay issues
. He was openly gay at a time when very few celebrities were. His careers as a stand-up comic
and female impersonator are mostly behind him. Fierstein resides in Ridgefield, Connecticut
.
, which he wrote and starred in both Off-Broadway (with the young Matthew Broderick
) and on Broadway (with Estelle Getty
and Fisher Stevens
). The 1982 Broadway
production won him two Tony Award
s, for Best Play and Best Actor in a Play, two Drama Desk Award
s, for Outstanding New Play and Outstanding Actor in a Play, and the Theatre World Award
, and the film adaptation earned him an Independent Spirit Award nomination as Best Male Lead.
Fierstein also wrote the book for La Cage aux Folles (1983), winning another Tony Award, this time for Best Book of a Musical, and a Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Book. Legs Diamond
, his 1988 collaboration with Peter Allen
, was a critical and commercial failure, closing after 72 previews and 64 performances. His other playwriting credits include Safe Sex, Spookhouse, and Forget Him.
In 2007, Fierstein wrote the book to the musical A Catered Affair
in which he also starred. After tryouts at San Diego's Old Globe Theatre
in Fall 2007, it began previews on Broadway in March 2008 and opened on April 17. He received a Drama Desk Award
nomination for Outstanding Book of a Musical, and the show won the Drama League Award
for Distinguished Production of a Musical.
In 2010, it was revealed that Fierstein will be adapting Newsies
, a Disney movie musical, for the stage, along with Alan Menken
(music) and Jack Feldman (lyrics).
Fierstein made his acting debut at La MaMa, E.T.C. in Andy Warhol
's only play, Pork. Fierstein continued to appear at La MaMa and other venues but also, having some aspirations to become a painter, enrolled at the Pratt Institute
in Brooklyn. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts
(BFA) from Pratt in 1973. Fierstein appeared three times in "The Haunted Host" by Robert Patrick
: in Boston in 1975, and at La MaMa and then Off-Broadway in 1991. In addition to Torch Song Trilogy, La Cage aux Folles and A Catered Affair, Fierstein's Broadway acting credits include playing the mother, Edna Turnblad in Hairspray
(2002), for which he won a Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. He later replaced Alfred Molina
as Tevye
in the 2004 revival of Fiddler on the Roof
. Fierstein and Tommy Tune
are the only individuals to have won Tony Awards in four different categories.
Besides his leading role in the film version of Torch Song Trilogy
co-starring Matthew Broderick
and Anne Bancroft
, Fierstein's film roles include Woody Allen's
Bullets Over Broadway
, Robin Williams
' makeup-artist brother in Mrs. Doubtfire
, and Merv Green in Death to Smoochy
, in addition to parts in Garbo Talks
, Duplex
, Kull the Conqueror
, and Independence Day
. He narrated the documentary The Times of Harvey Milk
, for which he won a News & Documentary Emmy Award
. He also voiced the role of Yao in Disney
's animated feature Mulan, a role he later reprised for the video game Kingdom Hearts II
and the direct-to-DVD sequel Mulan II
.
On television, Fierstein was featured as the voice of Karl, Homer Simpson
's assistant, in the "Simpson and Delilah
" episode of The Simpsons
and the voice of Elmer in the 1999 HBO special based on his children's book The Sissy Duckling
, which won the Humanitas Prize
for Children's Animation. Fierstein became the first openly gay actor to play a principal gay character in a television series when he appeared as fashion designer Dennis Sinclair in the short-lived CBS
series Daddy's Girls
. Additional credits include Miami Vice
, Murder, She Wrote
, the Showtime television movie Common Ground
(which he also wrote), and Cheers
, which earned him an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. He sang a tribute to Katie Couric
on the Today Show on May 31, 2006, her last day as anchor. He appeared as Heat Miser in the live-action remake of The Year Without a Santa Claus
in December 2006. More recent television performances include an episode of Family Guy
, in which he played an overweight, chainsmoking mother and an episode of the second season of the series Nurse Jackie
in which he played a man whose husband is dying. He also gave the voice-over for Lily in the "Last Cigarette Ever
" episode of How I Met Your Mother
when she gets a sore throat due to smoking.
Fierstein returned to the theatre when he toured as Tevye, replacing Chaim Topol
in Fiddler on the Roof starting in December 2009. On February 15, 2011, he replaced Douglas Hodge as Albin/Zaza in the Broadway revival of La Cage aux Folles playing opposite Jeffrey Tambor
who plays Georges, although days later Tambor pulled out, which the producers have stated was due to "complications from a recent hip surgery"; Christopher Sieber
quickly replaced Tambor. The show closed on May 1, 2011 due to low box office results; It played 433 performances and 15 previews in all.
Voice only
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
, noted for the early (1982) distinction of winning Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
s for both writing and originating the lead role in his long-running play Torch Song Trilogy
Torch Song Trilogy
Torch Song Trilogy is a collection of three plays by Harvey Fierstein rendered in three acts: International Stud, Fugue in a Nursery, and Widows and Children First! The story centers on Arnold Beckoff, a torch song-singing Jewish drag queen living in New York City in the late 1970 and 1980s...
, about a gay drag
Drag queen
A drag queen is a man who dresses, and usually acts, like a caricature woman often for the purpose of entertaining. There are many kinds of drag artists and they vary greatly, from professionals who have starred in films to people who just try it once. Drag queens also vary by class and culture and...
-performer and his quest for true love and family, as well as writing the award-winning book to the musical La Cage aux Folles. He has since become a champion for gay civil rights.
Personal life
Fierstein was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Jacqueline Harriet (néeMarried and maiden names
A married name is the family name adopted by a person upon marriage. When a person assumes the family name of her spouse, the new name replaces the maiden name....
Gilbert), a school librarian, and Irving Fierstein, a handkerchief
Handkerchief
A handkerchief , also called a handkercher or hanky, is a form of a kerchief, typically a hemmed square of thin fabric that can be carried in the pocket or purse, and which is intended for personal hygiene purposes such as wiping one's hands or face, or blowing one's nose...
manufacturer. Raised Jewish, Fierstein is now an atheist.
Fierstein occasionally writes columns about gay issues
Gay community
The gay community, or LGBT community, is a loosely defined grouping of LGBT and LGBT-supportive people, organizations and subcultures, united by a common culture and civil rights movements. These communities generally celebrate pride, diversity, individuality, and sexuality...
. He was openly gay at a time when very few celebrities were. His careers as a stand-up comic
Stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy is a comedic art form. Usually, a comedian performs in front of a live audience, speaking directly to them. Their performances are sometimes filmed for later release via DVD, the internet, and television...
and female impersonator are mostly behind him. Fierstein resides in Ridgefield, Connecticut
Ridgefield, Connecticut
Ridgefield is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. Situated in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains, the 300-year-old community had a population of 24,638 at the 2010 census. The town center, which was formerly a borough, is defined by the U.S...
.
Career
The gravel-voiced actor is perhaps best known for the play and film Torch Song TrilogyTorch Song Trilogy
Torch Song Trilogy is a collection of three plays by Harvey Fierstein rendered in three acts: International Stud, Fugue in a Nursery, and Widows and Children First! The story centers on Arnold Beckoff, a torch song-singing Jewish drag queen living in New York City in the late 1970 and 1980s...
, which he wrote and starred in both Off-Broadway (with the young Matthew Broderick
Matthew Broderick
Matthew Broderick is an American film and stage actor who, among other roles, played the title character in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Adult Simba in The Lion King film series, and Leo Bloom in the film and Broadway productions of The Producers.He has won two Tony Awards, one in 1983 for his...
) and on Broadway (with Estelle Getty
Estelle Getty
Estelle Scher-Gettleman , better known by her stage name Estelle Getty, was an American actress, who appeared in film, television, and theatre...
and Fisher Stevens
Fisher Stevens
Fisher Stevens is an American actor, director and producer. His most recent successes include the 2010 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for his film The Cove and 2008 Independent Spirit Award for Best Documentary Feature for his film Crazy Love...
). The 1982 Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
production won him two Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
s, for Best Play and Best Actor in a Play, two Drama Desk Award
Drama Desk Award
The Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway compete against each other in the same category...
s, for Outstanding New Play and Outstanding Actor in a Play, and the Theatre World Award
Theatre World Award
The Theatre World Award, first awarded for the 1945-46 season, is an American honor presented annually to actors and actresses in recognition of an outstanding New York City stage debut performance, either on Broadway or off-Broadway.-History:...
, and the film adaptation earned him an Independent Spirit Award nomination as Best Male Lead.
Fierstein also wrote the book for La Cage aux Folles (1983), winning another Tony Award, this time for Best Book of a Musical, and a Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Book. Legs Diamond
Legs Diamond (musical)
Legs Diamond is a musical with a book by Harvey Fierstein and Charles Suppon based on the Warner Brothers film "The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond"...
, his 1988 collaboration with Peter Allen
Peter Allen
Peter Allen was an Australian songwriter and entertainer. His songs were made popular by many recording artists, including Elkie Brooks, Melissa Manchester and Olivia Newton-John, with one, Arthur's Theme, winning an Academy Award in 1981...
, was a critical and commercial failure, closing after 72 previews and 64 performances. His other playwriting credits include Safe Sex, Spookhouse, and Forget Him.
In 2007, Fierstein wrote the book to the musical A Catered Affair
A Catered Affair
A Catered Affair is a musical with a book by Harvey Fierstein and music and lyrics by John Bucchino. It is based on both the 1956 film The Catered Affair written by Gore Vidal and the original 1955 teleplay by Paddy Chayefsky, set in 1953 in the Bronx...
in which he also starred. After tryouts at San Diego's Old Globe Theatre
Old Globe Theatre
The Old Globe is a professional theatre company located in Balboa Park in San Diego, California. It produces about 15 plays and musicals annually in summer and winter seasons...
in Fall 2007, it began previews on Broadway in March 2008 and opened on April 17. He received a Drama Desk Award
Drama Desk Award
The Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway compete against each other in the same category...
nomination for Outstanding Book of a Musical, and the show won the Drama League Award
Drama League Award
The Drama League Awards, created in 1935, honor distinguished productions and performances both on Broadway and Off-Broadway, in addition to recognizing exemplary career achievements in theatre, musical theatre, and directing...
for Distinguished Production of a Musical.
In 2010, it was revealed that Fierstein will be adapting Newsies
Newsies
Newsies is a 1992 Disney musical film starring Christian Bale, David Moscow, and Bill Pullman. Robert Duvall and Ann-Margret also appeared in supporting roles. The movie is widely claimed to have gained a cult following after its initial failure at the box office...
, a Disney movie musical, for the stage, along with Alan Menken
Alan Menken
Alan Menken is an American musical theatre and film composer and pianist.Menken is best known for his numerous scores for films produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. His scores for The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and Pocahontas have each won him two Academy Awards...
(music) and Jack Feldman (lyrics).
Acting
Andy Warhol
Andrew Warhola , known as Andy Warhol, was an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art...
's only play, Pork. Fierstein continued to appear at La MaMa and other venues but also, having some aspirations to become a painter, enrolled at the Pratt Institute
Pratt Institute
Pratt Institute is a private art college in New York City located in Brooklyn, New York, with satellite campuses in Manhattan and Utica. Pratt is one of the leading undergraduate art schools in the United States and offers programs in Architecture, Graphic Design, History of Art and Design,...
in Brooklyn. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts
Bachelor of Fine Arts
In the United States and Canada, the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, usually abbreviated BFA, is the standard undergraduate degree for students seeking a professional education in the visual or performing arts. In some countries such a degree is called a Bachelor of Creative Arts or BCA...
(BFA) from Pratt in 1973. Fierstein appeared three times in "The Haunted Host" by Robert Patrick
Robert Patrick (playwright)
Robert Patrick is a gay American playwright, poet, lyricist, and short-story writer and novelist. He was born Robert Patrick O'Connor in Kilgore, Texas, USA.-Personal life:...
: in Boston in 1975, and at La MaMa and then Off-Broadway in 1991. In addition to Torch Song Trilogy, La Cage aux Folles and A Catered Affair, Fierstein's Broadway acting credits include playing the mother, Edna Turnblad in Hairspray
Hairspray (musical)
Hairspray is a musical with music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman and a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, based on the 1988 John Waters film Hairspray. The songs include 1960s-style dance music and "downtown" rhythm and blues...
(2002), for which he won a Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. He later replaced Alfred Molina
Alfred Molina
Alfred Molina is a British-born American actor. He first came to public attention in the UK for his supporting role in the 1987 film Prick Up Your Ears...
as Tevye
Tevye
Tevye the Dairyman is the protagonist of several of Sholem Aleichem's stories, originally written in Yiddish and first published in 1894. The character became best known from the fictional memoir Tevye and his Daughters , about a pious Jewish milkman in Tsarist Russia, and the troubles he has with...
in the 2004 revival of Fiddler on the Roof
Fiddler on the Roof
Fiddler on the Roof is a musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set in Tsarist Russia in 1905. It is based on Tevye and his Daughters by Sholem Aleichem...
. Fierstein and Tommy Tune
Tommy Tune
Thomas James "Tommy" Tune is an American actor, dancer, singer, theatre director, producer, and choreographer. Over the course of his career, he has won nine Tony Awards and the National Medal of Arts.-Early years:...
are the only individuals to have won Tony Awards in four different categories.
Besides his leading role in the film version of Torch Song Trilogy
Torch Song Trilogy
Torch Song Trilogy is a collection of three plays by Harvey Fierstein rendered in three acts: International Stud, Fugue in a Nursery, and Widows and Children First! The story centers on Arnold Beckoff, a torch song-singing Jewish drag queen living in New York City in the late 1970 and 1980s...
co-starring Matthew Broderick
Matthew Broderick
Matthew Broderick is an American film and stage actor who, among other roles, played the title character in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Adult Simba in The Lion King film series, and Leo Bloom in the film and Broadway productions of The Producers.He has won two Tony Awards, one in 1983 for his...
and Anne Bancroft
Anne Bancroft
Anne Bancroft was an American actress associated with the Method acting school, which she had studied under Lee Strasberg....
, Fierstein's film roles include Woody Allen's
Woody Allen
Woody Allen is an American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, jazz musician, author, and playwright. Allen's films draw heavily on literature, sexuality, philosophy, psychology, Jewish identity, and the history of cinema...
Bullets Over Broadway
Bullets Over Broadway
Bullets Over Broadway is a 1994 crime-comedy film written by Woody Allen and Douglas McGrath and directed by Woody Allen. It stars an ensemble cast including John Cusack, Dianne Wiest, Chazz Palminteri, and Jennifer Tilly....
, Robin Williams
Robin Williams
Robin McLaurin Williams is an American actor and comedian. Rising to fame with his role as the alien Mork in the TV series Mork and Mindy, and later stand-up comedy work, Williams has performed in many feature films since 1980. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance...
' makeup-artist brother in Mrs. Doubtfire
Mrs. Doubtfire
Mrs. Doubtfire is a 1993 American comedy film starring Robin Williams and Sally Field and based on the novel Madame Doubtfire by Anne Fine. It was directed by Chris Columbus and distributed by 20th Century Fox. It won the Academy Award for Best Makeup...
, and Merv Green in Death to Smoochy
Death to Smoochy
Death to Smoochy is a 2002 American dark comedy film directed by and starring Danny DeVito and starring Robin Williams, Edward Norton, Catherine Keener, and Jon Stewart.-Plot:...
, in addition to parts in Garbo Talks
Garbo Talks
Garbo Talks is a 1984 American comedy-drama film directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Anne Bancroft, Ron Silver, Carrie Fisher, and Betty Comden as Greta Garbo.The movie was written by Larry Grusin and also stars Catherine Hicks and Steven Hill...
, Duplex
Duplex (film)
Duplex is a 2003 American black comedy film directed by Danny DeVito, and starring Ben Stiller and Drew Barrymore.The film was called Our House for its release in the United Kingdom and Ireland.-Plot:...
, Kull the Conqueror
Kull the Conqueror
Kull the Conqueror is a 1997 fantasy film about the Robert E. Howard character Kull starring Kevin Sorbo. It is a movie adaptation of Howard's Conan novel The Hour of the Dragon, with the protagonist changed to the author's other barbarian hero Kull...
, and Independence Day
Independence Day (film)
Independence Day is a 1996 science fiction film about an alien invasion of Earth, focusing on a disparate group of individuals and families as they converge in the Nevada desert and, along with the rest of the human population, participate in a last-chance counterattack on July 4 – the same...
. He narrated the documentary The Times of Harvey Milk
The Times of Harvey Milk
The Times of Harvey Milk is an American documentary film that premiered at The Telluride Film Festival, the New York Film Festival, and then on November 1, 1984 at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco...
, for which he won a News & Documentary Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
. He also voiced the role of Yao in Disney
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
's animated feature Mulan, a role he later reprised for the video game Kingdom Hearts II
Kingdom Hearts II
is an action role-playing game developed by Square Enix and published by Buena Vista Games and Square Enix in 2005 for the Sony PlayStation 2 video game console...
and the direct-to-DVD sequel Mulan II
Mulan II
Mulan II is a 2004 American direct-to-video Disney animated feature directed by Darrell Rooney and Lynne Southerl and is a sequel to the 1998 animated film Mulan. The entire cast from the first film returned, except for Eddie Murphy , Miriam Margolyes , Chris Sanders and Matthew Wilder...
.
On television, Fierstein was featured as the voice of Karl, Homer Simpson
Homer Simpson
Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
's assistant, in the "Simpson and Delilah
Simpson and Delilah
"Simpson and Delilah" is the second episode of The Simpsons second season and first aired on October 18, 1990. Homer uses the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant medical insurance plan to buy Dimoxinil, a miracle hair growth formula. Homer grows hair, and is given a promotion at work which allows him...
" episode of The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
and the voice of Elmer in the 1999 HBO special based on his children's book The Sissy Duckling
The Sissy Duckling
The Sissy Duckling is a children's picture book written by noted actor Harvey Fierstein and illustrated by Henry Cole. It is 40 pages long and intended for children ages 5-8....
, which won the Humanitas Prize
Humanitas Prize
The Humanitas Prize is an award for film and television writing intended to promote human dignity, meaning, and freedom. It began in 1974 with Father Ellwood "Bud" Kieser — also the founder of Paulist Productions — but is generally not seen as specifically directed toward religious...
for Children's Animation. Fierstein became the first openly gay actor to play a principal gay character in a television series when he appeared as fashion designer Dennis Sinclair in the short-lived CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
series Daddy's Girls
Daddy's Girls (1994 TV series)
Daddy's Girls is an American sitcom that aired on CBS in the fall of 1994. The series followed Dudley Walker , the owner of a New York fashion house who loses his wife and his business partner when, after a years-long secret affair, they run off together leaving him as the primary caretaker to his...
. Additional credits include Miami Vice
Miami Vice
Miami Vice is an American television series produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series starred Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas as two Metro-Dade Police Department detectives working undercover in Miami. It ran for five seasons on NBC from 1984–1989...
, Murder, She Wrote
Murder, She Wrote
Murder, She Wrote is an American television mystery series starring Angela Lansbury as mystery writer and amateur detective Jessica Fletcher. The series aired for 12 seasons from 1984 to 1996 on the CBS network, with 264 episodes transmitted. It was followed by four TV films and a spin-off series,...
, the Showtime television movie Common Ground
Common Ground (film)
Common Ground is a 2000 Showtime television movie directed by Donna Deitch and written by Paula Vogel, Terrence McNally and Harvey Fierstein. It stars Brittany Murphy, Jason Priestley, Steven Weber, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Edward Asner and James Le Gros...
(which he also wrote), and Cheers
Cheers
Cheers is an American situation comedy television series that ran for 11 seasons from 1982 to 1993. It was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television for NBC, and was created by the team of James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles...
, which earned him an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. He sang a tribute to Katie Couric
Katie Couric
Katherine Anne "Katie" Couric is an American journalist and author. She serves as Special Correspondent for ABC News, contributing to ABC World News, Nightline, 20/20, Good Morning America, This Week and primetime news specials...
on the Today Show on May 31, 2006, her last day as anchor. He appeared as Heat Miser in the live-action remake of The Year Without a Santa Claus
The Year Without a Santa Claus
The Year Without a Santa Claus is a 1974 Rankin/Bass stop motion animated television special. It usually airs during the Christmas season on United States television. The story is based on Phyllis McGinley's 1956 book of the same name, illustrated by Kurt Werth.-Summary:The show is set in the...
in December 2006. More recent television performances include an episode of Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
, in which he played an overweight, chainsmoking mother and an episode of the second season of the series Nurse Jackie
Nurse Jackie
Nurse Jackie is an American series that premiered on June 8, 2009, on Showtime, Movie Central and The Movie Network.The series stars Edie Falco as the title character Jackie Peyton, an emergency room nurse at All Saints' Hospital in New York City...
in which he played a man whose husband is dying. He also gave the voice-over for Lily in the "Last Cigarette Ever
Last Cigarette Ever
"Last Cigarette Ever" is the eleventh episode of the fifth season of the CBS situation comedy How I Met Your Mother and 99th episode overall. It aired on December 14, 2009.- Plot :...
" episode of How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother is an American sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 19, 2005, created by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays.As a framing device, the main character, Ted Mosby with narration by Bob Saget, in the year 2030 recounts to his son and daughter the events that led to his meeting...
when she gets a sore throat due to smoking.
Fierstein returned to the theatre when he toured as Tevye, replacing Chaim Topol
Chaim Topol
Chaim Topol , often billed simply as Topol, is an Israeli theatrical and film performer, actor, writer and producer. He has been nominated for an Oscar and Tony Award, and has won two Golden Globes.-Early life:...
in Fiddler on the Roof starting in December 2009. On February 15, 2011, he replaced Douglas Hodge as Albin/Zaza in the Broadway revival of La Cage aux Folles playing opposite Jeffrey Tambor
Jeffrey Tambor
Jeffrey Michael Tambor is an American actor, perhaps best known for his roles as George Bluth Sr. and Oscar Bluth on Arrested Development and Hank Kingsley on The Larry Sanders Show.-Early life:...
who plays Georges, although days later Tambor pulled out, which the producers have stated was due to "complications from a recent hip surgery"; Christopher Sieber
Christopher Sieber
Christopher Sieber is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Kevin Burke in Two of a Kind starring Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen and Lord Farquaad in Shrek the Musical. Christopher studied acting and musical comedy at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City...
quickly replaced Tambor. The show closed on May 1, 2011 due to low box office results; It played 433 performances and 15 previews in all.
Filmography
- Garbo TalksGarbo TalksGarbo Talks is a 1984 American comedy-drama film directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Anne Bancroft, Ron Silver, Carrie Fisher, and Betty Comden as Greta Garbo.The movie was written by Larry Grusin and also stars Catherine Hicks and Steven Hill...
(1984) - Bernie Whitlock - Miami ViceMiami ViceMiami Vice is an American television series produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series starred Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas as two Metro-Dade Police Department detectives working undercover in Miami. It ran for five seasons on NBC from 1984–1989...
(1986, one episode "The Fix") - Benedict - ApologyApology (TV film)Apology is a made for HBO original film that premiered on July 27, 1986. The movie is based on the artwork of Allan Bridge and the novel he inspired, Mr. Apology. The film was eventually released on video and syndicated to cable & network television outlets. It stars Lesley Ann Warren, Peter Weller...
(1986) - The Derelict - Tidy Endings (1988) - Arthur
- Torch Song TrilogyTorch Song Trilogy (film)Torch Song Trilogy is a 1988 comedy-drama film adapted by Harvey Fierstein from his play of the same title. The film was directed by Paul Bogart, starring Fierstein as Arnold, Anne Bancroft as Ma Beckoff, Matthew Broderick as Alan, Brian Kerwin as Ed, and Eddie Castrodad as David. Executive...
(1988) - Arnold Beckoff - ABC Afterschool Specials (1991, one episode "In the Shadow of Love: A Teen AIDS Story") - Andrew
- CheersCheersCheers is an American situation comedy television series that ran for 11 seasons from 1982 to 1993. It was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television for NBC, and was created by the team of James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles...
(1992, one episode "Rebecca's Lover... Not") - Mark Newberger - The Harvest (1992) - Bob Lakin
- Murder, She WroteMurder, She WroteMurder, She Wrote is an American television mystery series starring Angela Lansbury as mystery writer and amateur detective Jessica Fletcher. The series aired for 12 seasons from 1984 to 1996 on the CBS network, with 264 episodes transmitted. It was followed by four TV films and a spin-off series,...
(1992, one episode "The Dead File") - Stan Hatter - Mrs. DoubtfireMrs. DoubtfireMrs. Doubtfire is a 1993 American comedy film starring Robin Williams and Sally Field and based on the novel Madame Doubtfire by Anne Fine. It was directed by Chris Columbus and distributed by 20th Century Fox. It won the Academy Award for Best Makeup...
(1993) - Uncle Frank Hillard - Bullets Over BroadwayBullets Over BroadwayBullets Over Broadway is a 1994 crime-comedy film written by Woody Allen and Douglas McGrath and directed by Woody Allen. It stars an ensemble cast including John Cusack, Dianne Wiest, Chazz Palminteri, and Jennifer Tilly....
(1994) - Sid Loomis - Daddy's GirlsDaddy's Girls (1994 TV series)Daddy's Girls is an American sitcom that aired on CBS in the fall of 1994. The series followed Dudley Walker , the owner of a New York fashion house who loses his wife and his business partner when, after a years-long secret affair, they run off together leaving him as the primary caretaker to his...
(1994, three episodes "Pilot", "American in Paris... Cool", and "Keep Your Business Out of My Business") - Dennis Sinclair - Dr. Jekyll and Ms. HydeDr. Jekyll and Ms. HydeDr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde is a 1995 British-American comedy film starring Tim Daly, Sean Young and Lysette Anthony. The film is based on Robert Louis Stevenson's classic horror novel Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.-Plot:...
(1995) - Yves DuBois - Elmo Saves ChristmasElmo Saves ChristmasElmo Saves Christmas is a children's home video that was released in 1996. In the story, Elmo learns that Christmas cannot occur every day. The Christmas special is the basis idea from the Christmas short story, 'Christmas Every Day' by William Dean Howells,...
(1996) - Easter BunnyEaster BunnyThe Easter Bunny or Easter Rabbit is a character depicted as a rabbit bringing Easter eggs, who sometimes is depicted with clothes... - Independence DayIndependence Day (film)Independence Day is a 1996 science fiction film about an alien invasion of Earth, focusing on a disparate group of individuals and families as they converge in the Nevada desert and, along with the rest of the human population, participate in a last-chance counterattack on July 4 – the same...
(1996) - Marty Gilbert - Everything Relative (1996) - The Moyle
- White Lies (1997) - Art hoarder
- Fame L.A.Fame L.A.Fame L.A. was an MGM U.S. television series from 1997-1998. It told the story of a drama/dance school in Los Angeles where students honed their talents while overcoming various personal problems. It starred Christian Kane, Rosalyn Sanchez, and William R. Moses. Its producers included Patricia...
(1997, one episode "Do or Die") - Jeremy Pinter - Kull the ConquerorKull the ConquerorKull the Conqueror is a 1997 fantasy film about the Robert E. Howard character Kull starring Kevin Sorbo. It is a movie adaptation of Howard's Conan novel The Hour of the Dragon, with the protagonist changed to the author's other barbarian hero Kull...
(1997) - Juba - Safe MenSafe MenSafe Men is a 1998 film written and directed by John Hamburg. The crime-comedy starred Sam Rockwell and Steve Zahn as a pair of aspiring lounge singers who are mistaken for ace safe crackers and get mixed up with a Jewish mobster, Big Fat Bernie Gayle and Big Fat's intern, Veal Chop .Safe Men was...
(1998) - Leo - Jump (1999) - Dish Macense
- Double PlatinumDouble PlatinumDouble Platinum is a 1999 musical telefilm starring Diana Ross and Brandy.-Plot:The story begins with a scene featuring star singer Olivia King leaving her daughter Kayla, who was an infant at the time. It is revealed that Kayla was born in Atlanta, Georgia, but in her later years, she would move...
(1999) - Gary Millstein - Common GroundCommon Ground (film)Common Ground is a 2000 Showtime television movie directed by Donna Deitch and written by Paula Vogel, Terrence McNally and Harvey Fierstein. It stars Brittany Murphy, Jason Priestley, Steven Weber, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Edward Asner and James Le Gros...
(2000) - Don - Playing Mona LisaPlaying Mona LisaPlaying Mona Lisa is a comedy film released in 2000 starring Alicia Witt, Harvey Fierstein and Brooke Langton.-Cast:-Musical score:Composed by Carlos Rodriguez the film's score includes a variety of music...
(2000) - Bennett - Death to SmoochyDeath to SmoochyDeath to Smoochy is a 2002 American dark comedy film directed by and starring Danny DeVito and starring Robin Williams, Edward Norton, Catherine Keener, and Jon Stewart.-Plot:...
(2002) - Merv Green - DuplexDuplex (film)Duplex is a 2003 American black comedy film directed by Danny DeVito, and starring Ben Stiller and Drew Barrymore.The film was called Our House for its release in the United Kingdom and Ireland.-Plot:...
(2003) - Kenneth - The Year Without a Santa ClausThe Year Without a Santa Claus (2006 film)The Year Without a Santa Claus is a 90-minute 2006 live-action remake of the Rankin-Bass classic The Year Without a Santa Claus which premiered on NBC December 11, 2006...
(2006) - Heat Miser - Nurse JackieNurse JackieNurse Jackie is an American series that premiered on June 8, 2009, on Showtime, Movie Central and The Movie Network.The series stars Edie Falco as the title character Jackie Peyton, an emergency room nurse at All Saints' Hospital in New York City...
(2010, one episode "Monkey Bits") - John Decker - The Good Wife (2011, one episode "Feeding the Rat") - Judge Francis Flamm
Voice only
- The Demon Murder Case (1983, voice) - Demon
- The Times of Harvey MilkThe Times of Harvey MilkThe Times of Harvey Milk is an American documentary film that premiered at The Telluride Film Festival, the New York Film Festival, and then on November 1, 1984 at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco...
(1984) - Narrator - The SimpsonsThe SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
(1990, one episode "Simpson and DelilahSimpson and Delilah"Simpson and Delilah" is the second episode of The Simpsons second season and first aired on October 18, 1990. Homer uses the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant medical insurance plan to buy Dimoxinil, a miracle hair growth formula. Homer grows hair, and is given a promotion at work which allows him...
") - Karl - Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every ChildHappily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every ChildHappily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child is an American animated television series that premiered March 26, 1995, on HBO. Narrated by Robert Guillaume, the series aired 39 episodes from 1995 to 2000, and is currently airing on the HBO Family digital cable television channel in the United...
(1997, one episode "ThumbelinaThumbelina"Thumbelina" is a literary fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen first published by C. A. Reitzel on 16 December 1835 in Copenhagen, Denmark with "The Naughty Boy" and "The Traveling Companion" in the second installment of Fairy Tales Told for Children. "Thumbelina" is about a tiny girl and...
") - Mrs. Leaperman - Stories from My Childhood (1998, one episode "Alice and the Mystery of the Third Planet") - Grambo
- Mulan (1998, voice) - Yao
- Mulan Story Studio (1998, video game) - Yao
- X-Chromosome (1999, TV series) - Mom/Little Mom Head
- The Sissy DucklingThe Sissy DucklingThe Sissy Duckling is a children's picture book written by noted actor Harvey Fierstein and illustrated by Henry Cole. It is 40 pages long and intended for children ages 5-8....
(1999, voice) - Elmer - Mulan IIMulan IIMulan II is a 2004 American direct-to-video Disney animated feature directed by Darrell Rooney and Lynne Southerl and is a sequel to the 1998 animated film Mulan. The entire cast from the first film returned, except for Eddie Murphy , Miriam Margolyes , Chris Sanders and Matthew Wilder...
(2004, voice) - Yao - Kingdom Hearts IIKingdom Hearts IIis an action role-playing game developed by Square Enix and published by Buena Vista Games and Square Enix in 2005 for the Sony PlayStation 2 video game console...
(2005, video game) - Yao - Farce of the PenguinsFarce of the PenguinsFarce of the Penguins is a 2007 American direct-to-video parody of the 2005 documentary March of the Penguins. The motion picture features Samuel L. Jackson as narrator, with the two main characters being voiced by Bob Saget, who also wrote and directed the film, and Lewis Black...
(2006, voice) - Sheila the panda - Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix+ (2007, video game) - Yao
- Family GuyFamily GuyFamily Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
(2008, one episode "The Former Life of BrianThe Former Life of Brian"The Former Life of Brian" is the eleventh episode of the sixth season of Family Guy. The episode originally broadcast on April 27, 2008. It guest stars Harvey Fierstein as the older repulsive Tracy and Chace Crawford as Paul, the ne'er-do-well boyfriend of another woman...
") - Tracy - Foodfight!Foodfight!Foodfight! is an unreleased computer-animated film produced by Threshold Entertainment and directed by Larry Kasanoff. The film features the voices of Charlie Sheen, Hilary Duff, Wayne Brady and Eva Longoria. Threshold has released a trailer for the film as part of their work on their website....
(2009, voice) - Fat Cat Burglar - How I Met Your MotherHow I Met Your MotherHow I Met Your Mother is an American sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 19, 2005, created by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays.As a framing device, the main character, Ted Mosby with narration by Bob Saget, in the year 2030 recounts to his son and daughter the events that led to his meeting...
(2009, one episode "Last Cigarette EverLast Cigarette Ever"Last Cigarette Ever" is the eleventh episode of the fifth season of the CBS situation comedy How I Met Your Mother and 99th episode overall. It aired on December 14, 2009.- Plot :...
") - LilyLily AldrinLillian "Lily" Aldrin is a fictional character created by Carter Bays and Craig Thomas for the CBS television series How I Met Your Mother, portrayed by American actress Alyson Hannigan. She is the wife of Marshall Eriksen and the best friend of Robin Scherbatsky...
's smoking voice