Eric Appel’s Weird: The Al Yankovic Story adds drag star Nina West to its starry cast. The upcoming biopic follows the eccentric singer "Weird Al" Yankovic through his riveting career and flamboyant lifestyle. With Yankovic credited as a co-writer, the film naturally adopts his satirical style to parody the biopics of other musicians. The top-tier cast for Weird features Daniel Radcliffe as Yankovic, Evan Rachel Wood as Madonna, Arturo Castro as Pablo Escobar, Quinta Brunson as Oprah Winfrey, Rainn Wilson as Dr. Demento, and more.
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Per EW, Weird will also include iconic drag queen Divine, to be played by RuPaul's Drag Race star and voice actor Nina West. The extent of her role has not been revealed as of yet, but as it is unclear whether Divine and Yankovic truly met in person, it could be that her part will be fictionalized. Nina is best known for appearing on Drag Race season 11 and for playing Edna Turnblad on stage in Hairspray – another role that connects her to Divine, who originated the role in John Waters' film.
Divine became a household name in the 1970s for appearing in various Waters films, including the cult-classic Pink Flamingos which established the performer's fame. Her inclusion in Weird: The Al Yankovic Story hints at how audacious and colorful the story will be, making it a rather unique twist on the musician's life. Weird: The Al Yankovic Story had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last week, and the early reactions so far promise a delightful ride.