John Cameron Mitchell: ‘It’s punk to turn off your phone – you’re walking away from the herd’
Why This Matters
Key context: <p>The writer, director and star of Hedwig and the Angry Inch on turning down David Bowie, falling off a Broadway stage, and a cringeworthy moment with Nicole Kidman</p><p><strong>The film adaptation of Hedwig and the Angry Inch has such a cult following. What’s been your most memorable interaction with a fan?</strong></p><p>It’s interesting, Hedwig wasn’t famous, it was a film that so many people found because a friend told them about it. So people don’t come up to you because you’re famous, it’s because they were touched. The most intense interaction was when I was on the subway platform and a kid gave me a tiny piece of paper and hopped on a train. I opened it and it said, “Thank you. Hedwig saved my life”. I don’t know what happened – maybe they felt lonely and then the film made them feel like “There’s other people for me out there”.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2026/aug/11/john-cameron-mitchell-actor-performer-interview">Continue reading...</a> This development from The Guardian highlights ongoing changes in the sector.
The writer, director and star of Hedwig and the Angry Inch on turning down David Bowie, falling off a Broadway stage, and a cringeworthy moment with Nicole KidmanThe film adaptation of Hedwig and the Angry Inch has such a cult following. What’s been your most memorable interaction with a fan?It’s interesting, Hedwig wasn’t famous, it was a film that so many people found because a friend told them about it. So people don’t come up to you because you’re famous, it’s because they were touched. The most intense interaction was when I was on the subway platform and a kid gave me a tiny piece of paper and hopped on a train. I opened it and it said, “Thank you. Hedwig saved my life”. I don’t know what happened – maybe they felt lonely and then the film made them feel like “There’s other people for me out there”. Continue reading...
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