Dorothy Michaels

E485010

Dorothy Michaels is the strong-willed, sharp-tongued female persona adopted by struggling actor Michael Dorsey in the 1982 comedy film "Tootsie," through which he unexpectedly becomes a feminist icon and television star.

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Statements (50)

Predicate Object
instanceOf alter ego
drag persona
fictional character
film character
appearsIn Tootsie NERFINISHED
associatedWithTheme deception and disguise
feminism
gender identity
sexism in the entertainment industry
basedOn Michael Dorsey NERFINISHED
characterType cross-dressing character
feminist icon (within the film)
costumeElement conservative dresses and glasses
countryOfOrigin United States of America
surface form: United States
createdBy Michael Dorsey NERFINISHED
directorOfWork Sydney Pollack NERFINISHED
fictionalNationality American
fictionalOccupation daytime television star
fictionalStatus celebrity within the story
firstAppearance Tootsie (1982 film) NERFINISHED
gender female (persona)
genreOfWork comedy
romantic comedy
hairStyle curly red wig
hasFictionalUniverse Tootsie universe NERFINISHED
hasInfluenceOn feminist discourse within the film’s narrative
languageOfWorkOrName English
medium feature film
narrativeFunction catalyst for Michael Dorsey’s personal growth
vehicle for social satire about gender roles
notableFor challenging sexist behavior on set
sharp-tongued dialogue
strong-willed personality
notableQuoteContext known for blunt, assertive speeches defending women
notableWork Southwest General (fictional soap opera) NERFINISHED
occupation soap opera actress
television actress
partOf Tootsie (film) NERFINISHED
partOfCastEnsembleWith Dabney Coleman’s character Ron Carlisle NERFINISHED
Jessica Lange’s character Julie Nichols NERFINISHED
Teri Garr’s character Sandy Lester NERFINISHED
portrayalInvolves male actor in female role
portrayedBy Dustin Hoffman NERFINISHED
roleInWork cast member of fictional soap opera Southwest General
screenwriters Don McGuire (story basis) NERFINISHED
Larry Gelbart (character as written) NERFINISHED
Murray Schisgal (character as written) NERFINISHED
settingOfActivities New York City (within the film) NERFINISHED
usesAliasOf Michael Dorsey NERFINISHED
yearOfFirstAppearance 1982

Referenced by (2)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Tootsie mainCharacter Dorothy Michaels
Michael Dorsey usesAlias Dorothy Michaels