Hairspray 2007 John Travolta takes on the role of Tracy Turnblad’s mother in this remake which is based on the Broadway musical that was based on the original film from 1988. Edna (John Travolta's character) says "Look, if you want to be famous, learn how to take blood outta car upholstery".
All the actors have brought dignity to Edna. [stops crying immediately and looks at Tracy, impressed] Fierstein won a Tony Award for "best actor in a musical" for playing Edna Turnblad in Hairspray on Broadway. But Michael made it more of a kitchen-sink drama, which ‘Hairspray’ is.Blake Hammond played the Male Authority Figure (Prison Guard/High School Principal) on the road, and then he played Edna on Broadway. [hands them a tray of doughnuts] The movie (1988) I made was actually realistic.Harvey Fierstein made the role his own.
[flabbergasted] [from trailer] I thought it was another neighborhood woman watching the shoot. And he sings! I loved that. [off-camera] I love it when someone claws their way up from the man’s part to play the female lead. He looks like Wilbur, a very normal guy in America.John Travolta plays Edna as someone who had been young and very hot, but now is stay-at-home and embarrassed to go out of the house. God only knows, his voice is his own. It's set in 1962 Baltimore, Maryland.
He had been the Russ Meyer girl when he was young. Harvey and Divine had done that before. It’s all about outsiders. The ultimate perversity is that Jerry Mathers, whom I grew up with as the Beaver, is now singing a love song to a man in something I wrote. [to Edna] I met his wife. [called from off camera] Harvey, though, always played it as a real woman.Bruce Vilanch was the most ample of the men who played Edna Turnblad. That is the pinnacle. And they’ve all taken that to heart. [Edna appears not to hear her] And the first day on the set of "Hairspray," I didn't recognize him. It has become a tradition for men to play her, as with Peter Pan, where it is always played by a woman.
[slips back into her normal voice]
[hands Tracy the food tray] [looks away, crushed] [on the phone with Edna, disguising her voice] In the original Hairspray Glenn Milstead, a.k… [to Edna] Hhhhhh Link Larkin : I was just at home, practicing my new twist on The Twist, when I overheard it on the news. [as she pulls the tallies out of her dress] [catches herself, coughs]
[guessing Edna's sizes] [looks Link up and down] [looks at pot roast] Edna Turnblad isn’t a drag-queen part. Michael is a really fine actor, and he brought great dignity to Edna. [shouts] [disgusted]
Travolta as Edna Turnblad. Bruce made it a little bit broader, and brought in some people we never had before in the audience.Michael McKean, he’s the only one I felt sorry for, that he had to shave his legs. He played it big big big and he was really funny.I haven’t seen Paul Vogt, the current Edna on Broadway. Jerry looks right for the part, too. You have to sing it out. They turn into bears. He worked for the part.
It is not stunt-casting. In the beginning, Divine played the role of Edna Turnblad. But Michael never did. Everything has to be bigger onstage.
... and John Travolta played Edna in the 2007 movie musical. [to Mr. Pinky] That is beyond any kind of behind-the-scenes backstage Broadway story I’ve ever seen.John Pinette is the only one who is a real standup comedian in life. Divine played Edna realistically. [to Tracy] [laughs] But I look forward to it.