Edna Turnblad
{{Short description|Fictional character}}
{{Infobox character
| name = Edna Turnblad
| first = Hairspray
| creator = John Waters
| portrayer = Divine (Original film)
Harvey Fierstein (Musical)
John Travolta (Musical film)
| gender = Female
| occupation = Laundress
| spouse = Wilbur Turnblad
| children = Tracy Turnblad (daughter)
| nationality = American
}}
Edna Turnblad is a fictional character from the 1988 film Hairspray and its stage musical adaption of the same name, as well as its film and television adaptations.
Edna is a laundress living in Baltimore with her husband Wilbur and mother of Tracy, the plot's protagonist. She comments heavily on her insecurities related to her weight, even bringing up her diet pills several times throughout the musical adaptation. The character is most well-known for being portrayed by a man in drag, with Edna's originator being Harris Glenn Milstead, a drag queen best known by his stage name "Divine."
Character description
Music Theatre International, the licensing company that holds the rights for the musical, describes Edna as "Tracy's loving mother who doesn't spend much time outside the house. She works days and nights as a laundress in her home, and her lack of social interaction has made her a bundle of nerves."{{Cite web |title=Casting |url=https://www.mtishows.com/full-cast-info/1485 |access-date=2023-11-05 |website=Music Theatre International |language=en}}
The chapter "Embracing excess: The queer feminist power of musical theatre diva roles," in Michelle Dvoskin's Studies in Musical Theatre notes that Edna's drag portrayal "...adds queerness to the musical, which has no gay characters" and that the traditional standards of femininity, as well as diva roles in theatre, are challenged by the portrayal and eventual acceptance of the character's body type and size.Dvoskin, Michelle. "Embracing excess: The queer feminist power of musical theatre diva roles." Studies In Musical Theatre vol. 10, no. 1 (2016): 93–103.
Portrayals
= Original film =
{{Main articles|Hairspray (1988 film)}}
In Hairspray's first iteration, the 1988 comedy film written and directed by John Waters, Edna was played by drag queen, actor, and singer, Divine. Originally, Waters had plans for Divine to play both Edna and Tracy, though eventually the idea was scrapped.{{cite book |last=Egan |first=James |title=John Waters: Interviews |date=13 September 2011 |publisher=University Press of Mississippi |isbn=9781617031823 |edition=Paperback |pages=xxiii}} However, Divine does also play Arvin Hodgepile, the racist television station manager out of drag. When describing the role, Divine noted that with this character he could not be accurately described as a drag queen, proclaiming "What drag queen would allow herself to look like this? I look like half the women from Baltimore."{{sfn|Milstead|Heffernan|Yeager|2001|p=137}}
Hairspray was Divine's last feature film, as he died three weeks after its premiere and only nine days after its theatrical release. He received widespread acclaim for the role, with critics proposing that with Hairspray, Divine finally broke into the mainstream world of film. He later received a posthumous nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male.{{cite web |title=Awards for Hairspray |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095270/awards |work=IMDB}} In addition, Divine's groundbreaking performance as Edna is the inspiration for the continued casting of men in the role of Tracy's mother.
= Musical adaptation =
{{Main articles|Hairspray (musical)}}
Edna was originated on Broadway in Hairspray
Fierstein's performance was highly praised by critics, with the Daily News
Other notable portrayals of Edna onstage include Michael Ball in the show's West End premiere, as well as Michael McKean, Bruce Vilanch, John Pinette, Paul C. Vogt, George Wendt, Brian Conley, Phill Jupitus, Trevor Ashley, Nina West, and Shane Jacobson.
= Musical film =
{{Main articles|Hairspray (2007 film)}}
From the early developmental stages of the 2007 musical film adaptation of Hairspray, John Travolta was in talks to play Edna on screen by executive producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron.{{Cite web |last=Mohr |first=Ian |date=2005-03-13 |title=Casting looms for New Line’s younger-skewing ‘Hairspray’ |url=https://variety.com/2005/film/news/casting-looms-for-new-line-s-younger-skewing-hairspray-1117919287/ |access-date=2023-11-05 |website=Variety |language=en-US}} Once Travolta was confirmed in the role, Tory Gardner and his company Alterian, Inc. were hired to design and create Edna's look (including a fat suit consisting of layered pads and silicone, used from the chest upwards and foam latex arms and legs),{{cite web |last=Washington |first=Julie |date=July 20, 2007 |title=North Olmsted native Tony Gardner creates John Travolta's fat suit for Hairspray |url=http://blog.cleveland.com/entertainment/2007/07/north_olmsted_native_tony_gard.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090201120858/http://blog.cleveland.com/entertainment/2007/07/north_olmsted_native_tony_gard.html |archive-date=February 1, 2009 |access-date=August 6, 2008 |work=The Plain Dealer}} collaborating with costume designer Rita Ryack, who shared Travolta's wishes to put Edna into several revealing outfits and give her body a defined figure.{{cite news |last=Green |first=Jesse |date=July 15, 2007 |title=Seeking His Inner Her, Size XXXL |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/15/movies/15gree.html?_r=1&ref=movies&oref=slogin |access-date=August 2, 2007}}
Travolta's interpretation of the role had a heavy Baltimore accent (also fought for by the actor) and was an overall lighter portrayal of Edna. He received mixed reviews for his portrayal, with Slate
{{cite magazine |last=Denby |first=David |date=July 30, 2007 |title=Dream On |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2007/07/23/dream-on-2 |magazine=The New Yorker |access-date=February 10, 2022}} while some called his performance, and him by relation, outright homophobic.{{cite news |last=Walls |first=Jeannette |date=July 3, 2007 |title=Travolta says Hairspray isn't a gay film |publisher=Today.com |url=https://www.today.com/popculture/travolta-says-hairspray-isnt-gay-film-wbna19512551 |access-date=February 10, 2022}} Despite this, Travolta was nominated for several awards including the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture.{{cite web |title=Hairspray – Golden Globes |url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/film/hairspray |access-date=July 5, 2021 |website=HFPA |ref={{harvid|HFPA|2008}}}}
= Live musical television film =
{{Main articles|Hairspray Live!}}
Fierstein returned to the role of Edna in the 2016 live television adaptation of the musical, Hairspray Live!, broadcast by NBC. The network's head of entertainment, Robert Greenblatt, stated that Fierstein's performance is "The iconic Edna Turnblad. We should memorialize that performance on film," and that his involvement with the production made it "come full circle".{{Cite web |last=Clement |first=Olivia |date=April 26, 2016 |title=Exclusive: Hairspray Live! to Feature Live Audience and New Songs |url=https://www.playbill.com/article/exclusive-hairspray-live-to-feature-live-audience-and-new-songs# |access-date=November 5, 2023 |website=Playbill}} Though Greenblatt had also expressed interest in having Travolta reprise his role from the musical film.{{Cite web |title='Hairspray' live musical coming to NBC in December |url=https://ew.com/article/2016/01/13/hairspray-nbc-live-musical/ |access-date=2023-11-05 |website=EW.com |language=en}} Fierstein also wrote the teleplay, adapting Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan's book of the musical.
Variety
References
{{reflist}}
=Works cited=
- {{Cite book |last1=Milstead |first1=Frances |last2=Heffernan |first2=Kevin |last3=Yeager |first3=Steve |title=My Son Divine |year=2001 |publisher=Alyson Books |location=Los Angeles and New York |isbn=978-1-55583-594-1}}
{{Hairspray}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Turnblad, Edna}}
Category:Female characters in film
Category:Female characters in musical theatre