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.

All labels observed (1)

Label Occurrences
Dorothy Michaels canonical 5

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (50)

Predicate Object
instanceOf alter ego
drag persona
fictional character
film character
appearsIn Tootsie
associatedWithTheme deception and disguise
feminism
gender identity
sexism in the entertainment industry
basedOn Michael Dorsey
characterType cross-dressing character
feminist icon (within the film)
costumeElement conservative dresses and glasses
countryOfOrigin United States
createdBy Michael Dorsey
directorOfWork Sydney Pollack
fictionalNationality American
fictionalOccupation daytime television star
fictionalStatus celebrity within the story
firstAppearance Tootsie (1982 film)
linked to: Tootsie
gender female (persona)
genreOfWork comedy
romantic comedy
hairStyle curly red wig
hasFictionalUniverse Tootsie universe
linked to: Tootsie
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)
occupation soap opera actress
television actress
partOf Tootsie (film)
linked to: Tootsie
partOfCastEnsembleWith Dabney Coleman’s character Ron Carlisle
Jessica Lange’s character Julie Nichols
Teri Garr’s character Sandy Lester
portrayalInvolves male actor in female role
portrayedBy Dustin Hoffman
roleInWork cast member of fictional soap opera Southwest General
screenwriters Don McGuire (story basis)
Larry Gelbart (character as written)
linked to: Larry Gelbart

Murray Schisgal (character as written)
settingOfActivities New York City (within the film)
usesAliasOf Michael Dorsey
yearOfFirstAppearance 1982

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (5)

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

Tootsie mainCharacter Dorothy Michaels
Michael Dorsey usesAlias Dorothy Michaels
Michael Dorsey alsoKnownAs Dorothy Michaels
Michael Dorsey disguisesAs Dorothy Michaels
Julie Nichols closeTo Dorothy Michaels