movie feature | Tue. 07 17. 2007 10:15 AM EDT
When the first Hairspray came out in 1988, its director, John Waters, was a cult icon, and its star, Ricki Lake, was an unknown. Two decades later, for the star-studded remake, Ricki Lake's role is being reprised by another unknown,
1. Speaking to the press about his drag-clad role in Hairspray as Edna Turnblad, John Travolta said: "You should have seen everyone on the set. Every woman and every man was feeling my breasts and squeezing my ass. And I was 'C'mon, feel me, touch me!' I didn't care. I was just a slut, to be frank!" 2. Queen Latifah, who plays Motormouth Maybelle, told Oprah that she was jealous of Travolta's prosthetic legs in the film. She was envious because she was a tomboy growing up, and she used to tear up her knees all the time. 3. Travolta's nickname as a child was Bone. Oprah's nickname for Travolta is My Little Sweetie Pie. 4. The original Hairspray came out in 1988, which was also the year of Dangerous Liaisons, Tequila Sunrise and Married to the Mob -- all of which starred Michelle Pfeiffer. She plays Velma Von Tussle in 2007's Hairspray remake. 5. Debbie Harry played Velma Von Tussle in the original Hairspray. Sonny Bono played her husband, Franklin Von Tussle. 6. Michelle Pfeiffer, who had never seen the first Hairspray, said, "When I was younger, in my early 20s, people used to come up to me and think I was [Debbie Harry]. That was when Blondie was really, really big. I guess it makes sense that [director John Waters] would have thought
7. Ric Ocasek, frontman for the Cars, donned a beret and made a cameo appearance as beat cat in the original Hairspray movie. 8. The original film's writer-director was John Waters. He is variously known as the Pope of Trash, the Prince of Puke, the King of Bad Taste and the unofficial Mayor of Baltimore. Waters told New York magazine that his favorite cologne is Odeur 53 from Comme des Garçons because it smells like bug repellent. He also counts the Jackass boys as his style icons. 9. In the remake, the role of Wilbur Turnblad is played by Christopher "More Cowbell" Walken. Originally Wilbur was played by Ben's dad Jerry "Festivus" Stiller. 10. At 5'4", Ricki Lake, who starred as Tracy Turnblad in the original Hairspray, towers over the women who later played the part. Marissa Jaret Winokur, who starred as the first Tracy Turnblad on Broadway, is 5' even. Nikki Blonsky, who plays Tracy in the remake, is 4"10'. 11. Cry baby: Marissa Jaret Winokur who won a Tony award in 2003 for playing Tracy Turnblad in the Broadway musical version of Hairspray, told reporters, "I still cry, even when I get introduced as 'the Tony Award winning actress.'" 12. Both Nikki Blonsky and Ricki Lake worked at ice cream parlors before being cast as Tracy. 13. Transvestite performer Divine played both genders in the original film -- as Edna Turnblad and Arvin Hodgepile. Divine died of sleep apnea in Los Angles shortly after the first Hairspray's release in 1988. 14. Divine once made a cameo on Married... With Children as Peggy Bundy's uncle Otto. 15. Ursula the octopus from The Little Mermaid was based on Divine. She, in turn, based her drag look on idol Elizabeth Taylor. 16. According to the Poison Control Center, symptoms of hairspray poisoning include difficulty breathing, burning pain in the throat, blurred vision, burns to the eye, rash, low blood pressure, stupor and coma. 17. Amanda Bynes, who plays Tracy's best friend Penny Pingleton in the remake, hosted her own variety show called The Amanda Show on Nickelodeon when she was 13. 18. Grease gang: John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer and Marissa Jaret Winokur have all starred in different version of Grease. 19. Nikki Blonsky told Oprah that when she came to the studio on the first day of filming, John Travolta opened his arms wide and said, "Come to Momma." 20. What's gay got to do with drag? When asked about his role in Hairspray, John Travolta, a famous Scientologist, said: "There is nothing gay in this movie. I'm not playing a gay man. Scientology is not homophobic in any way. In fact it's one of the more tolerant faiths. Anyone's accepted." |
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