Harvey Fierstein is back--not that he ever really went anywhere. The legendary actor and playwright has been entertaining us for the last 30 years, with notable hits like Mrs. Doubtfire and Torch Song Trilogy.
Now, the 61-year-old as of today (happy birthday, Harvey!) is leading the pack in Tony Award nominations for his latest Broadway smash, Kinky Boots.
Written by Fierstein with music by 1980s pop-star Cyndi Lauper, Kinky Boots pushes LGBT issues front and center stage with a story of a shoemaker struggling to keep his business afloat and his unlikely partnership with a drag queen.
Offstage, Fierstein has been tackling LGBT issues as well. In a recent op-ed entitled, “Don’t End the War on Terror,” Fierstein addressed the recent spate of anti-gay hate crimes in New York City.
“I think the bad stuff’s just never gone away,” said Fierstein on msnbc Thursday. “It’s bigotry, it’s hatred, it’s prejudice, it’s wrong. And we need to knock it out.”
Watch host Thomas Roberts talk with actor and activist Harvey Fierstein about gay rights--onstage and off. And be sure to catch Harvey blow out his birthday candles...on an iPhone app!