What Happened To The Cast Of 1988's Hairspray?

Fans of the musical Hairspray may be surprised to learn that it began as a totally different beast. Specifically, the film version that was made in 2007 was based off of a wildly popular and award-winning Broadway musical, which is itself actually based off of a 1988 film of the same name.

The 1988 version of Hairspray has the same plot as its later iterations, as well as many of the same characters and story elements. But there's one key difference: It isn't a musical. 1988's Hairspray was created by John Waters, also known as "the King of Filth" for the way he revels in camp and raunchy filmmaking. Despite this, Hairspray was rated PG on release, and is easily Waters' most mainstream work. It still features several of his hallmark methods and some of his regular cast members, but it's much more palatable than films like Pink Flamingos.

Hairspray is now over 30 years old, and several members of its cast have gone on to find much larger success in Hollywood in the decades since its release. Here's what's happened to the cast of 1988's Hairspray.

Amber Von Tussle, a snobby dancer and rival to Tracy Turnblad, is played by actress Colleen Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick has appeared in a few other roles in the years since, but nothing major: You may have caught her in High School High, Dracula 2000, or Liar Liar. Still, you're probably familiar with Fitzpatrick's work –- it's just under a different name. A name that may "put a smile on your face."

Colleen Fitzpatrick is better known as musician Vitamin C, who worked with several musical acts and also found solo success with late-90s earworms like "Smile" and "Graduation (Friends Forever)." She also proved to be a fairly savvy businesswoman, leveraging her talents and brains into multiple licensing gigs. Furthermore, she used her knowledge of the industry to get involved behind the scenes, and was even named the VP of Music at Nickelodeon in 2012, a position (it seems) she still holds today.

If you ever find yourself yearning for your '90s glory days, just dye your hair neon orange and sing along: "As we go on, we remember ... all the times we had together ... "

Entertainer Sonny Bono played racist business owner Franklin Von Tussle in Hairspray. He and his wife plot to blow up the Miss Auto Show pageant at the end of the film because they are opposed to the racial integration being championed by Tracy and her cohorts.

Hairspray came during an interesting time in Bono's career. It was well after his heyday, when he and his then-wife Cher were part of the beloved entertainment duo Sonny & Cher. The couple had hits like "I Got You Babe" and "The Beat Goes On," and even hosted their own television variety show. However, they divorced in the late '70s, about a decade before the film.

Bono got into politics after filming Hairspray: He was elected mayor of Palm Springs, California in 1988 and then set his sights higher, getting elected as a US Representative for California in 1995. Considering his charisma and name recognition, Bono may have been able to advance even further on the political track, but his aspirations were cut short in 1998, when he suffered a severe skiing accident. He later died of his injuries. His wife, Mary, finished out his term and was reelected multiple times before being defeated in 2012.

Divine, the drag stage name of Harris Glenn Milstead, was very closely linked to filmmaker John Waters. Divine rose to mainstream success alongside Waters, and his role as Edna Turnblad in Hairspray helped solidify his place as one of the most recognizable drag performers ever.

Divine's rise is a fascinating story of organic growth and pop culture shift. Divine typically wore over-the-top clothing and embraced the most outré aspects of Waters' films: His work in Mondo Trasho, Eat Your Makeup, and Pink Flamingos helped put the duo on the map. Divine's legacy lives on to this day, in places you'd never expect — for example, the legendary drag queen inspired Ursula, antagonist of Disney's squeaky-clean princess flick, The Little Mermaid.

Divine died at the age of 42 from a heart attack, just a few weeks after the release of Hairspray. He was set to appear on an episode of Married ... With Children at the time of his death, though he had not yet filmed his scenes. Divine's life ended early, but his impact upon the world can still be felt.

Hairspray brought in a true powerhouse to tackle the part of Motormouth Maybelle, casting R&B legend Ruth Brown in the role. Brown didn't have a lot of acting credits to her name, as her primary focus was on music. Her lack of experience didn't hinder her one bit in Hairspray, however, as her stage presence more than carried her on-screen.

Brown was a major force in the world of R&B: Famously, her work helped establish Atlantic Records. Some of her biggest hits include "(Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean," "Teardrops from My Eyes," and "So Long." She won a Grammy in 1990 and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.

On the acting front, Brown's biggest role actually came on the stage: She won a Tony Award for her starring role in the musical Black and Blue in 1989. Brown passed away in 2006 at the age of 78. She was awarded a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award a decade later.

Corny Collins, played by actor Shawn Thompson, hosts a dance show in Hairspray that gives Tracy and her friends a chance to showcase their talents and a platform to preach their message. Thompson has had some other noteworthy roles as an actor over the years, but he's better known as a writer and director.

Most of Thompson's roles have come from television after his appearance in Hairspray: He appeared on series like Puppets Who Kill and My Perfect Landing. The latter series, about a family of gymnasts, is his most recent acting role. It's behind the camera where Thompson has found the most success, though. Some of Thompson's directing credits include episodes of Murdoch Mysteries, The Next Step, Sunnyside, and many more. He's also written some short films and for a variety of television series, including an episode of The Outer Limits that featured a young Josh Brolin.

You can't talk about Hairspray without mentioning its director, John Waters. He's made a name for himself over several decades as a "trash cinema" auteur, happily relishing in camp and pushing the boundaries of good taste over the years. He actually has quite a few acting roles to his credit, and he briefly appears in Hairspray as Dr. Fredrickson, who tries to "cure" Penny when she begins an interracial relationship.

Waters directed several films after Hairspray, including Serial Mom, Pecker, Cecil B. Demented, and A Dirty Shame. A Dirty Shame, which was released in 2004, is currently his last full feature as a director. You can still find him popping up in random appearances in film and television, however. Recently, he appeared on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, where he played a sleazy character named "Pornmonger Man" — across two different episodes, no less!

Waters has also found quite a bit of success as a writer. Two recent books, Carsick: John Waters Hitchhikes Across America, and Mr. Know-It-All: The Tarnished Wisdom of a Filth Elder were both nominated for Grammy Awards in the Best Spoken Word Album category.