Quentin Crisp | |
|---|---|
 In New York City, 1992 | |
| Born | Denis Charles Pratt 25 December 1908 Sutton, Surrey, England |
| Died | 21 November 1999 (aged 90) Manchester, England |
| Occupation | Writer, illustrator, actor, artist's model |
| Notable works | The Naked Civil Servant |
| Signature | |
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Quentin Crisp (born Denis Charles Pratt; 25 December 1908 – 21 November 1999) was an English raconteur, whose work in the public eye included a memoir of his life and various media appearances. Before becoming well known, he was an artist's model, hence the title of his most famous work, The Naked Civil Servant. He afterwards became a gay icon due to his flamboyant personality, fashion sense, and wit. His iconic status was occasionally controversial due to his remarks about subjects like the AIDS crisis, inviting censure from gay activists including human-rights campaigner Peter Tatchell.[1]
During his teen years, he worked briefly as a rent boy.[2] He then spent thirty years as a professional model for life classes in art colleges.[3] The interviews he gave about his unusual life attracted great curiosity, and he was soon sought after for his personal views on social manners and the cultivation of style.
His one-man stage show was a long-running hit both in Britain and America, and he also appeared in films and on television. Crisp defied convention by criticising both gay liberation and Diana, Princess of Wales.[1][4]
- ^ a b "Peter Tatchell: Quentin Crisp was no gay hero". The Independent. 29 December 2009. Archived from the original on 5 November 2012. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
- ^ "Unearthing the Curious Quentin Crisp". 3 September 2019.
- ^ "Quentin Crisp Archives". modelreg.co.uk.
- ^ "Quentin Crisp interview: Old Spice". The Independent. 21 December 1998.