Josh Charles Recalls Smoking with Divine at the “Hairspray” Wrap Party When He Was Just 15: 'Greatest Gig Ever'
- - Josh Charles Recalls Smoking with Divine at the “Hairspray” Wrap Party When He Was Just 15: 'Greatest Gig Ever'
Toria SheffieldJanuary 10, 2026 at 9:00 PM
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ABC; New Line Cinema/Getty
From left: Josh Charles on 'The View;' and Divine in 'Hairspray' -
Josh Charles recalled his first-ever job in Hollywood — and it involved getting to smoke with iconic drag actor Divine
Charles, 54, appeared alongside Divine in the 1988 cult-classic Hairspray, directed by the legendary John Waters
The actor also shared details about his latest project, Best Medicine, which is currently airing on Fox and also available on Hulu
Josh Charles recently reminisced about his very first gig in Hollywood — and it involved legendary drag performer Divine.
Charles recalled the experience while appearing on The View on Jan. 5. During the conversation, co-host Sara Haines asked the actor about his role in 1988’s Hairspray starring Ricki Lake.
“I was 15 years old!’ Charles, 54, said in amazement, before going on to call the movie “probably the greatest gig ever.”
“What a cool first movie to do," the actor continued. "I had one line. I asked Ricki Lake if she would ever swim in an integrated swimming pool when she was auditioning for the show [The Corny Collins Show]. She said, ‘I certainly would, Iggy!’ ”
“And it was just great,” Charles said, going on to list some of the movie’s star-studded cast. “Sonny Bono, Jerry Stiller, Debbie Harry, Ruth Brown, Mink Stole, Divine. Just glorious people. Smoking with Divine at the wrap party. What 15-year-old doesn’t remember that? … Those are lifelong memories.”
Divine, whose real name was Harris Glenn Milstead, was an actor, singer and drag queen who originated the role of Edna Turnblad in the John Waters-directed cult classic. Divine also played the role of Arvin Hodgepile, the prejudiced owner of a local TV station, in the film.
New Line Cinema/Courtesy of Getty
From left: Colleen Fitzpatrick, Debbie Harry, Divine and Ricki Lake in 'Hairspray'
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Charles went on to talk about his current role in the Fox series Best Medicine, in which he plays Dr. Martin Best, a brilliant doctor with limited people skills who relocates from Boston to a tiny fishing town in Maine. The heartwarming comedy series also stars Annie Potts and Abigail Spencer.
“I’ve done comedy in the past but of late I’ve done a lot more heavier fare, so this was part of a desire to want to live on some lighter air for a while,” Charles said of his decision to do the show. “And the show definitely has that … sort of an escape from this current world that we’re living in.”
“And I think that sort of is the charm of the show,” he added.
Francisco Roman/FOX
Josh Charles in 'Best Medicine' on Fox
The series is based on Doc Martin, a British show which first aired in 2004 and ran for 10 seasons. Charles revealed, however, that he had never seen the original version before taking on the new project. “I didn’t know the original when they asked me to do the show, but then I became a fan,” he said.
“Martin Clunes who plays my character in the original actually will be a guest on our show playing my father!” he added excitedly.
The Dead Poets Society actor also said the remake will be honoring parts of the original series while also making some key changes. “We’re taking a lot from [the British version], and also … bringing a lot of our own stuff into it [and] sort of making it our own,” he explained.
Best Medicine airs on Fox on Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. ET and is also available on Hulu.
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Source: “AOL Entertainment”
