Hairspray (2007 Film) - Cast

Cast

Main characters

• Nikki Blonsky as Tracy Edna Turnblad, an optimistic, overweight teenage girl who loves dancing, Tracy's racial color-blindness leads her to become an active supporter for the integration of The Corny Collins Show. Hairspray is Blonsky's debut as a professional actress.
• John Travolta as Edna Turnblad, Tracy's mother and agent, an agoraphobe ashamed of her obesity. Travolta's casting as Edna continues the tradition of having a man in drag portray the character, going back to the original 1988 film, which featured drag queen Divine as Edna and at Hairspray's Broadway version, which featured Harvey Fierstein as Edna. Executives at New Line Cinema originally expected the part to be filled by an actor accustomed to playing comic roles, tossing around names such as Robin Williams, Steve Martin, and Tom Hanks. However, Travolta was aggressively sought after by producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron for this role because he had starred in Grease, the second most successful movie musical to date, beaten only by Mamma Mia!.
• Michelle Pfeiffer as Velma Von Tussle, the manager of station WYZT and a racist and weightist, former beauty queen Velma is interested in keeping her daughter Amber in the spotlight and The Corny Collins Show segregated. Hairspray is the first film featuring Pfeiffer to be released in five years. Stardust, also featuring Pfeiffer, was shot before Hairspray, but released three weeks afterwards. The peculiarity of Pfeiffer and Travolta appearing onscreen together (Travolta starred in Grease, Pfeiffer in Grease 2) was not lost on the production staff; Travolta requested that Pfeiffer play the part of the villainess.
• Christopher Walken as Wilbur Turnblad, Tracy's father, the easygoing proprietor of the "Hardy-Har Hut" joke shop below the Turnblad family's apartment. John Travolta had asked that Walken be considered for the part, and he eventually beat out Billy Crystal and Jim Broadbent for the role of Wilbur.
• Amanda Bynes as Penny Pingleton, Tracy's best friend, a sheltered girl who falls in love with Seaweed, despite the efforts of her racist and stern mother, Prudy Pingleton. A young actress famous for appearances on Nickelodeon TV shows and in feature films, Bynes was one of the few movie stars cast among the teen roles.
• James Marsden as Corny Collins, the host of The Corny Collins Show; his politically progressive attitudes lead him to fight his show's imposed segregation. Corny Collins is based upon Baltimore TV personality, Buddy Deane, who hosted an eponymous local teen dance show in the late 1950s and early 1960s. James Marsden beat out both Joey McIntyre and X-Men costar Hugh Jackman for the part.
• Queen Latifah as "Motormouth" Maybelle, a Baltimore rhythm and blues radio DJ who hosts "Negro Day" on The Corny Collins Show. Maybelle also runs a record shop on North Avenue. Queen Latifah appeared in the successful Zadan/Meron film musical Chicago, and worked under Adam Shankman's direction in Bringing Down the House. She beat out soul legend Aretha Franklin for the role of Maybelle.
• Brittany Snow as Amber Von Tussle, Velma's bratty daughter and the lead female dancer on The Corny Collins Show. Amber becomes Tracy's enemy when Tracy threatens both Amber's chances of winning the "Miss Teenage Hairspray" crown and Amber's relationship with her boyfriend, Link. Snow previously worked with Shankman in The Pacifier. Hayden Panettiere was also considered for the part of Amber, but was decided against in part because of her then-upcoming work with the NBC television series Heroes.
• Zac Efron as Link Larkin, Amber's boyfriend and the lead male dancer on The Corny Collins Show. Link is a singer who becomes more attracted to Tracy. The character is based in part upon Elvis Presley. Efron, a popular teen actor from the Disney Channel TV film High School Musical, was initially thought by Adam Shankman to be "too Disney". Shankman's sister, executive producer Jennifer Gibgot, convinced her brother to cast Efron, believing that the teen star would draw a substantial teen crowd.
• Elijah Kelley as Seaweed J. Stubbs, Maybelle's son, a skilled dancer who teaches Tracy some dance moves and falls in love with her friend, Penny. Kelley, a relative newcomer to film, overcame other auditioners and several popular R&B stars for the part of Seaweed.
• Allison Janney as Prudy Pingleton, Penny's mother, a zealous Catholic whose strict parenting keeps Penny from experiencing social life.

Minor roles

• Paul Dooley as Harriman F. Spritzer, the owner of the "Ultra Clutch" company and the main sponsor of The Corny Collins Show. Although Mr. Spritzer prefers to keep The Corny Collins Show segregated, he will follow public opinion if it increases sales.
• Jayne Eastwood as Miss Wimsey, Tracy’s geography teacher; gives Tracy the detention note that first leads her to Seaweed.
• Jerry Stiller as Mr. Pinky, the owner of a dress shop called Mr. Pinky's Hefty Hideaway, who hires Tracy as his spokesgirl. In the original film, Stiller played Wilbur Turnblad.
• Taylor Parks as Little Inez Stubbs, Maybelle's teenage daughter and Seaweed's younger sister, Inez is a skilled dancer. Inez is based in part upon Ruby Bridges, the first black child to attend a formerly all-white school in the state of Louisiana.
• George King as Mr. Flak, Amber, Link, and Tracy's history teacher. He gives Tracy detention when Amber frames Tracy of drawing a picture of him with breasts. He gives Link detention as well for saying, "Kiss my ass" in Tracy's defense.

Council members

• Curtis Holbrook as Brad
• Hayley Podschun as Tammy
• Phillip Spaeth as Fender
• Cassie Silva as Brenda
• Nick Baga as Sketch
• Sarah Jayne Jensen as Shelley
• Jesse Weafer as I.Q.
• Kelly Fletcher as Lou Ann
• J.P. Ferreri as Joey
• Spencer Liff as Mikey
• Laura Edwards as Vicky
• Tabitha Lupien as Becky
• Corey Gorewicz as Bix
• Joshua Feldman as Jesse
• Becca Sweitzer as Darla
• Everett Smith as Paulie
• Tiffany Engen as Noreen
• Brooke Engen as Doreen

The Dynamites

• Shayna Steele
• Kamilah Marshall
• Terita Redd

Cameos

In addition to the principal actors, the film contained several cameo appearances by individuals involved in the history of Hairspray:

• Ricki Lake (Tracy Turnblad in the original film) as William Morris Talent Agent #1, (Audio) performs "Mama, I'm a Big Girl Now".
• Adam Shankman (choreographer/director of the film) as William Morris Talent Agent #2 (Audio) sings "Tied Up in the Knots of Sin" with Marc Shaiman which is heard when Prudy turns the record player on while she ties up Penny.
• Marc Shaiman (co-lyricist and music writer of the film) as William Morris Talent Agent #3 (Audio) sings "Tied Up in the Knots of Sin" with Adam Shankman which is heard when Prudy turns the record player on while she ties up Penny.
• Scott Wittman (co-lyricist and music writer of the film) as William Morris Talent Agent #4.
• John Waters (writer and director of the original film) as the "flasher who lives next door"
• Mink Stole (Tammy in the original film) as the smoking woman on the street whom Waters flashes. She is also seen during "Welcome to the '60s"
• Jamal Sims (Associate choreographer) as one of the Detention Kids
• Anne Fletcher (Associate choreographer) as the school nurse
• Zach Woodlee (Associate choreographer) as Smoking teacher

Singing cameos

• Marissa Jaret Winokur (Original Broadway cast's Tracy) performs "Mama, I'm a Big Girl Now"
• Harvey Fierstein (Original Broadway cast's Edna) as brief singing cameo in the end credits "Mama, I'm a Big Girl Now"
• Corey Reynolds (Original Broadway cast's Seaweed) as singer of "Trouble on the Line". The song is heard shortly after "Big, Blonde and Beautiful" until Maybelle announces the cancellation of Negro Day.
• Arthur Adams (One of the Broadway cast's Seaweed) performs "Boink-Boink" which is heard during "Big, Blonde and Beautiful".
• Chester Gregory (One of the Broadway cast's Seaweed) performs "Breakout", which is heard during Tracy's introduction to Seaweed in detention.
• Aimee Allen (American pop star) performs "Cooties"