Quentin Crisp on AllMovie

An offbeat writer and storyteller, Quentin Crisp was primarily known for his autobiography, entitled The Naked Civil Servant, which was adapted to film in 1975 and starred John Hurt. Born Denis Pratt near London, England, Crisp was, at various points in his early adulthood, a prostitute and an artist. As a young man, Crisp made his homosexuality public knowledge and soon after appeared in public in makeup and high-heeled shoes. His sexuality was very much a part of his artistry, both in the visual arts and the printed word. In the late '70s, Crisp began appearing in a one-man show that he would continue to fine-tune until his death in late 1999.