Hedwig and the Angry Inch creator John Cameron Mitchell on Bowie, punk and fighting fascism
Creator John Cameron Mitchell discusses the 25th anniversary of his cult classic film 'Hedwig and the Angry Inch'. He reflects on the film's origins as a punk rock musical and its enduring legacy as a queer icon.
Why it matters
The film remains a significant cultural touchstone for LGBTQ+ representation and independent cinema, continuing to resonate with new generations of audiences.
John Cameron Mitchell in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, the 2001 film adaption of the Bowie-championed and Tony-winning musical. ( Reuters: New Line Cinema )
Link copied Share Share article When John Cameron Mitchell first hit the stage in a Farah Fawcett wig at a New York punk rock drag club in the 90s, little did he know he'd be birthing an iconic, transgressive character that would endure more than a quarter-century later.
Hedwig And The Angry Inch began as an off-Broadway musical in 1998, co-written with Stephen Trask and starring Mitchell in the titular role: a genderqueer rock singer from segregated Berlin touring the American Midwest after a botched operation left them with the nominal "angry inch" between their legs.
A 2001 movie written, starring and directed by Mitchell compounded Hedwig's cult status as a lasting "freak flag for the misfit, the outsider", he said.
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