John Waters (& Divine) on Letterman, Part 1 of 3: 1982 

I had the privilege to meet Divine, he was out of character, while walking on Sunset Blvd, just around the time he died, and in 10 minutes he was the most charming man I had ever met.

God bless Mr. Letterman for having the balls to have non-mainstream artists on his show.

"To me, beauty is looks that you can never forget." That's EXACTLY what's reflected in his beautiful films.

I'm still trying to figure out how I was introduced to the bizarre world of John Waters and Divine as a straight, black kid growing up in Alabama in the 90s. Cable television was much different back then. You could stumble upon some bugged out, underground shit on TV in those days.

I was lucky enough to meet Divine, at Taboo night club, in Detroit, one week before she passed away. I knew the promoter, and he was kind enough to take me back stage to her dressing room after the show. It was less than 30 minutes after her performance, I was brought to the dressing room, and he was already out of costume, wearing a robe, makeup and wig gone. I felt like I was intruding. I introduced myself, told him how much I enjoyed the times I’d seen her perform. He was very kind. I’d never asked for an autograph from any celebrity I’d ever met, but he offered me one which I gladly accepted. He signed it “for John, love Divine, ‘88”. I heard the news a week later he was found in his hotel room, dead from a heart attack. I felt so sorry for him. He seemed so alone in that dressing room. I wished I had said something to make him smile. I still have the autograph.

I just came to the realization that John Waters is quite punk rock

30 years ago we lost Divine. NEVER forgotten. QUEEN.

David Letterman looks so uncomfortable, i love it!

What's really nice is that, all Divine's fabulous outrageousness is appropriate, never dominant. When it is his turn to speak or perform, he's there doing the thing. But when it is someone else's turn, he takes a backseat. This demonstrates humility and respect; beautifully balancing the outrageous fabulousness.

so ahead of their time

Born to be cheap, but the diagonal lines match on the sides of her dress, and that is not cheap. Lines that match up is the sign of a finely made garment. Definitely not cheap! RIP Divine. A lady, a legend!

People didn’t get John Waters back then, and still don’t. He’s brilliant. His movies were brilliant. Divine was brilliant. The world is a better place with kookie people like John and Divine.

I’m a 15 yr old girl. Divine has taught me to be raw and unique self. :) gone but NEVER forgotten! LOVE YOU QUEEN

The true first drag superstar.

The scene where Divine doesn't get Cha Cha heels for Christmas and her tantrum was one of the funniest ever.

I heard Ursula from the little mermaid was highly influences by divine (features, attitude makeup)

My girlfriend and I have been walking through this cemetery right by our house in Baltimore County for years now, and only just discovered that Divine is buried there! We figured it out after seeing a bunch of bright graffiti saying things like "Trash Queen" as well as some wonderfully gaudy pink flamingos decorating his tombstone shortly after the day he died. It was impossible to miss, so we googled the name Harris Glenn Milstead and that's ultimately lead us here. We just think it's amazing!

I love John Waters. He seems like he would be fun to spend a Sunday flea market shopping with.

It is so important to listen to the conversation Dave has with Divine about, "What she is." Dave wants to learn about Divine without saying something hurtful to, but he doesn't have the language or vocabulary to express his curiosity in a non-cringe way. I am so thankful to Divine for having the dignity and grace to express herself honestly and frankly about the person she is. As a baby of the 80s and a kid of the 90s, I will always look to Divine as a symbol of individuality and acceptance ❤

Macaulay Culkin should play Waters in any biography pic.

Can we PLEASE get more personality like this in filmmaking? No one's getting big for doing something REALLY different anymore.

David Letterman was not comfortable and so it ended up not being a great interview. It's ashame because John Waters and Divine were real sweethearts!

They were so gracious in the presence of mere pedestrian mortals.

"Beauty is looks that you can never forget". Wisdom and truth!

“Beauty is looks that you can never forget” his so interesting

John waters is adorable! His candor and humor are sorely needed these days.

I get a thrill each time I hear Divine speak. That voice. Female Trouble all over again. Genius.

"Beauty is looks you can never forget." True talk.

Polyester.. Loved the scratch and sniff cards. Wished I held onto those. Interestingly, years later, I rented the film when living with my parents. My mother and father were fairly conservative church going people, though my father was sitting reading a good distance from the set, yet I could hear him laughing, at some points, hysterically. I found it amusing. Will never forget that.

She's got a real stage presence, Divine does.

Divines laugh is gorgeous I could listen to her all day

the world was once a fun and outrageous place with these two. Love the way John Waters speaks. He's so quick and a great raconteur. I could listen to his stories for hours. Divine is so fun. Wish I knew them when i was 15.

The talent! Who can't see this?

Nice to see how cute John Walters looked when he was younger.

I really like John Waters sense of humour, and how he carries himself. Thank you for posting this interview. :)

So good to see this, glad to see Dave having the balls to have John and Divine on the air.

So nice to NOT see even one negative comment for a change. No Denying it these guys rock now and forever....

I live in Vienna and John Waters was lecturing here a few months ago and there was an 18 something year old who was behind me in line dressed as Devine and I met her again after she was very excited as she was going to get an autograph or talk to Waters. Can you imagine a teenager in Vienna in this era being influenced by this stuff? I love it. And thank you for Hairspray because we can't stop the wave ❤

I had the pleasure of meeting John Waters several times at various art openings. He is so nice and personable. He speaks like he has been your friend forever. ❤️

Drag shows were chasing Divine from this moment on , damn the 80's were such a pink wave !! Clubs , the music and dancing , wow . We have seriously digressed !

If John Waters had had the technology we have today there is no telling what he would have come up with. He did pretty well with what he had and a splicer..Genius film maker...

I so love Devine. Such a sad day when Divine was finally getting the much deserved recognition for his art and awesome acting skills, and he passed away. Rest in Peace Devine. Thank you John Waters for bringing this wonderful breath of fresh air into our lives.

"I TOLD YOU I WANTED CHA CHA HEELS! BLACK ONES!"

Divine is sheer grace and poise here.

John Waters and Divine make the world a better place. RIP Divine.

Divine will be forever missed and immortalized in her roles. I loved her in all her movies, but especially in Polyester, Female Trouble and Hairspray.

I live in Baltimore and I got to know John through the years. And he is actually an extremely nice guy. Very intelligent and well spoken just all around good guy. It was after Divine passed away in the 80s while he was filming married with children so unfortunately I did not get to meet him.

Divine performed at a club where I worked in the 80's. I actually picked him up at Penn Station and didn't recognize him in his street clothes. What a fine person.

"There was no rating that could really apply to us...." --John Waters

Divine is one of the most underated punk artists of our time. What a legend. In heaven, I wanna serve Divine.

Absolute comedy geniuses. John waters and co. are a masterclass in absurdism, what a legend

The 1970s and 80s were experimental decades. You felt the freedom and excitement in this country

We didn’t deserve Drag Superstar Divine and we still don’t deserve Genius John Waters. These are Queer Excellence Of artistic note

Divine and John Waters told " Society In General""" where to stick it

John really is a national treasure.

I saw Divine perform in the show "Women Behind Bars" at the Music Hall in Toronto .. back in the 70s! My favourite part was when, after the play ended .. as an extra .. Divine comes out and does a crazy performance fit! .. just running around, with crazy music on, rolling around on the floor, shoving a fish in her mouth .. etc! .. The Best!!!!

The Universe sent this clip to me, just when I needed it ❤ bless you David for showcasing this ridiculous joy

What I appreciate about Waters' films are their style and attitude.

Divine is the greatest and John Waters is brilliant.

John Waters was as handsome as he was clever, and Divine always lives up to her name! Letterman’s show was so magical in the 80s. It felt so irreverent and spontaneous. The low budget kinda added to its intimate feel. Thanks for posting! Lifted my spirits

Divine has brought so much joy and love to so many people.

I was Divine's VIP "waitron" @The Moon Shadow Saloon in Atlanta, GA, where she famously threw KFC fried chicken legs to the audience as part of her show. She kissed my cheek at the end of the night for keeping her in drinks during the show. Her stubble coming thru her heavy makeup ruffed my face up. Wonderful performer. ❤

I was thrilled to meet Divine at Taboo in Detroit. I was allowed to go backstage and say hello to her after the show. She was very nice and out of all the celebrities I met in the 80’s, she was the only one I got an autograph from. I was shocked when I learned the following week, she had died in Los Angeles. I still have the autograph, and always thought it strange that she dated it in the corner. The friend who I went with (whose name I cant remember) threw her autograph away.

Divine was fantastic. I met him out of character in Houston - after one of his shows @ a restaurant. He was so kind and down to earth... And VERY well dressed in a beautiful ,double breasted blue suit... He was sitting by himself, which I later found out was a way from him to decompress after his shows.. I had watched ALL of his films about a year before in a Divine mini festival.. Needless to say, I was permanently warped,forever. In a good way .. Divine is a national treasure. And the performers /drag queens of today do NOT come even close to the gems of yesteryear..

I've seen Pink Flamingos in a cinema's movie marathon, when I was 16 in the mid '80s. I didn't had a clue about Waters, Divine and the other people of the crew. Some things are meant to be remembered for a lifetime. Gotta love 'em.

Recently saw Divine’s documentary it was really great these two have an incredible story. Luv that John Waters just got his star on The Walk of Fame much deserved.

All of the movies are just as funny today as when I watched them with friends in the 80's for the first time. Divine had great timing as an actor and he was extremely funny as an entertainer as well. He considered himself an actor.

Letterman is a surprisingly thoughtful interviewer here, asking insightful questions in an open and respectful way. I remember so much snark coming from him and lots of shenanigans on the show. I guess those came later.

"Born to Be Cheap" was written for Divine by Tom Eyen of "Dreamgirls" fame.

Its 2021 and this is great - way ahead of their time

Gotta love Divine for going with the flow with Letterman and John’s commitment to his filmmaking vision.

Thanks, Dave Letterman, for inviting John and Divine to do his show. This is terrific.

I met John Waters in 2016 at his Christmas show in Seattle. I had wanted to meet him forever before that. I loved his movies and his commentaries. I got a picture with him and he signed his book "Carsick". For anyone who has yet to meet him and who wants to he is a very nice guy. He just has a wicked sense of humor which is in his films.

I miss Divine.

John is a genius. Sure, SOME of his early stuff had some teeny bits that were a little too much. But, overall, what a body of work. He must be fascinating to talk to. I'd have a million questions for him about pop culture for starters, and then I would just listen, refraining so hard from interupting him. Thank you for your work in peicing these together and sharing them. Peace!

I heard John Waters Speaking at an event years ago, I didn't even know who this guy was, but he had me in stiches laughing on the floor.

John Waters is such a great interview subject - funny, smart, and very engaging. Wonderful stuff!

I'm amazed the studio didn't collapse into a black hole of awesome when Larry "Bud" Melman met Divine.

in 2001 I was a young female bartender in Provincetown, MA... a very gay "art colony" town. I met John Waters at a local watering hole and spoke to him about art a few times, and then later at the restaurant/bar where I worked. He was very sweet and we had a couple of lovely conversations. A few weeks later, his nephew was visiting from out of town and Mr. Waters sent him to my place of business where he asked me out, because his Uncle told him I was the best "straight" girl in town. LOL.

The Christmas scene in Female Trouble is hilarious!

my fav movie is serial mom. i'm old enough to remember when they started making these movies, i still have my scratch+sniff card from polyester. i was at the opening in pittsburgh, it had to be like 78 or 79, it was fun. this is back when letterman was better than he became in later years, an edgier alternative to/after carson. thanks for posting this, don!

Cannot believe it's been this long. Feels like yesterday. So much has been lost since then.

19:04 "thirsty, Griselda?!?" Omg.. i think i watched every single one of these Waters films as a teen.. We used to quote them all the time.

BRAVO!!BRAVISSIMO!!! THANK YOU MR Giller for this stroll down memory lane when geniuses Waters and Divine were making history. I miss Divine, gone much too soon. I look forward to experiencing your spirit in this channel!!!

Oh how I miss you ! R.I.P. Divine, a STAR whose shine will never die. I'll LOVE YOU FOREVER ! And you, my dear, dear Mr. Waters - I can never thank you enough for all the belly busting laughs through the years ! Hopefully there's more to come ...

This is over -the-top... but so needed

I had the privilege to hang out with John Waters in Baltimore, Maryland at the Depot bar. He was wonderful and very charming.😅

Love Divine and John Waters!

Went into tears after finding this. I love divine. I wish the lovable crazy soul was still here

John Waters is brilliant, as his recent star on the walk of fame confirms, and Divine was cinematography royalty. I'm thankful for people like this and the good works they do.

WOW! I had never seen this before! BIG fan of John and Divine since the late 70s (boy, am I old!), and this is fabulous!

Thanks for posting. I had forgotten what a brilliant comedienne she was.

"I wanted to spread my cancer"Well John Waters said it before any of us.

My 20 year old daughter is amazed at how natural these people are. Compared to today where you would NEVER see anyone like this, speak so freely and be so authentic.. Todays interviewers are nearly always falling over themselves sucking up to whoever s in front of them because they are famous. The so called famous people of today are no where near as interesting, they generally represent nothing and alot cannot string a sentence together. My generation were very fortunate to understand what "authentic" truely is.

I met him in person at a festival of his films at the 2nd avenue theater - thrill of a lifetime. And at the NYC premiere of Hairspray I met Divine and got her autograph. 10 days later, she was gone.

"Beauty is looks that you can never forget." "Being socially redeeming is so very boring." This guy has some brilliant lines.

Don, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, thank you for all you do! We were so lucky to have Letterman. I haven’t watch any of the late night shows since he retired.

Divine was one-of-a-kind.

All you wonderful, gifted, and talented people - take care of your health. We need WAY more years than Divine was able to give us.

Cheap! Cheap! One of my favorites song from Divine ❤