Biography
Quentin Crisp was an English writer, actor and performer. Born Denis Charles Pratt on 25 December 1908 in Sutton, Surrey, he became known for his autobiography The Naked Civil Servant (1968), which recounted his life as an openly effeminate gay man in mid-20th-century Britain. A 1975 television dramatisation starred John Hurt in the title role.
Crisp moved to New York in 1981 and presented the one-man show An Evening with Quentin Crisp from 1978 onwards. His film appearances included the role of Queen Elizabeth I in Sally Potter’s Orlando (1992), a guest at a party in Philadelphia (1993) and a pageant judge in To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995). He died on 21 November 1999 in Manchester, aged 90.
