Nina West is set to portray the legendary drag queen, Divine in the upcoming film Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.
The movie, which stars Daniel Radcliffe as the titular character, has been billed as a “satire of biopics” and will showcase the comedic actor and singer's impressive career and personal life.
West will also star alongside Evan Rachel Wood who appears as Madonna, Quinta Brunson as Oprah Winfrey and Rainn Wilson as Dr. Demento.
The pioneering drag artist, Divine, (also known as actor Harris Glenn Milstead out of drag) is widely regarded as an influential drag performer after starring in numerous John Waters projects – including Pink Flamingos and Female Trouble throughout the 70s and 80s.
Shortly after earning an Independent Spirit Award nomination for his work on Hairspray, Divine’s life was cut short in 1988 when he passed away from a heart attack.
It’s also been rumored that Divine was the inspiration behind one of Disney’s most beloved villains, Ursula the Sea Witch in The Little Mermaid.
To celebrate her casting, West took to Instagram to share a side by side photo of her and Divine. “Things are getting WEIRD! Happy #tiff , y’all! Thank you [“Weird Al” Yankovic] and [Eric Appel].”
However, this isn't the first time the Season 11’s Miss Congeniality winner crosses paths with a Divine role. In 2021 it was announced that West would take on the role of Edna Turnblad in an ongoing national tour of Hairspray.
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story premiered on Friday as part of the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival lineup. But fans can catch the biopic starting on November 4 via The Roku Channel.
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