Divine is one of the most recognizable representatives of the underground subculture in the USA, who worked as a musician, actor, and singer and used exaggeration, wit, and boldness as basic tools for shocking people. Divine had close ties to John Waters, who contributed significantly to popularizing his persona and making him famous thanks to his involvement in cult movies directed by John Waters.

Early years

Harris Glenn Milstead started his career as Divine at a very young age. Divine represented himself as someone who always wore exaggerated heavy makeup, wore unusual clothes and hairstyle, and radiated some danger combined with wit and humor. Divine managed to create his persona as someone who possessed great talent regarding facial expressions and comic timing, which turned the extravagant appearance of this person into an art. If the performances of Divine were carried out by anyone else, the images that would be received would be provocative images of somebody trying to shock people. But for Divine, all these images transformed into satirical, performance art pieces as well as the demonstration that movie stardom does not have to be traditional.

It should be noted that Divine's artistic persona was formed during his activity in the underground world of Baltimore and the collaboration with John Waters, who identified Divine's extraordinary talent. Together John Waters and Divine created cheap, risky, vulgar and at the same time accurate films that had the element of parody, seduction, monstrous behavior, humor, and wounded characters that were not characteristic of Divine but contributed to the uniqueness of his works in contrast to those of other cult performers at the same time.

Cult film breakthrough

Divine managed to receive wide recognition through starring in a number of films by John Waters and developing the cult status among fans of unusual cinema. The earlier films helped to reveal this character's features and in the following pictures Divine succeeded in extending his character traits. It all began with his participation in "Pink Flamingos" in 1972, a movie after which Divine gained the reputation of a legend and of being a star of an underground film.

Some of the most important Divine movies include such titles as:

  • "Mondo Trasho" (1969): the first film in which the screen persona of Divine was revealed
  • "Pink Flamingos" (1972): the cult milestone which made Divine a cult superstar
  • "Female Trouble" (1974): the film revealing the extravagant energy of Divine
  • "Desperate Living" (1977): one more instance of Divine performing in his unique manner
  • "Polyester" (1981): the film widening his appeal beyond the circle of those involved in the underground
  • "Hairspray" (1988): recognizable Divine role bringing him more fame

These works are important for this artist because Divine did not only participate in such bizarre roles, he helped shape the unique artistic manner of John Waters' films. The performances of this artist were characterized by freedom in bad taste, but at the same time they remained precise and grounded in the characters of the film. This is the reason for the continued interest of audiences who do not necessarily belong to the time of those films.

Music and legacy

Moreover, aside from films, Divine participated actively in the music field, creating his own records as Divine in a number of dance songs. Such songs as "You Think You're a Man" and "I'm So Beautiful" revealed Divine's talent in performance and his persona extended from the cinematic sphere to the field of dance-pop music. These songs were witty, entertaining and precisely produced. For most listeners it was the way of becoming familiar with his works and performances, and for those who liked his cinematic roles it was a confirmation of his ability to succeed as the representative of pop culture.

Divine managed to present himself as the artist and personality who has the ability to perform in a number of spheres successfully as well as being bold in his behavior and his manner but also clever and precise at the same time. Such talent of this artist made him attractive for a new generation of drag queens, queer performers and underground actors and directors who admired his uncompromising approach to the presentation of his image and the art which was not afraid of being different.

Divine left this world on March 7, 1988, but his influence on art and culture did not end. The works of this talented artist continue to be discussed when talking about cult films and cult movies. For many fans, Divine is a shock when they discover either his works for John Waters or "Hairspray". This shock is due to the fact that in addition to the wild makeup and extravaganza there was an artist with great talent for precise performances and brilliant visions.