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Tootsie Screenplay

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description Tootsie Screenplay Overview

Written by Larry Gelbart, Murray Schisgal, and Don McGuire, Tootsie is a 1982 comedy screenplay about Michael Dorsey, an unemployed actor who adopts the identity of Dorothy Michaels to obtain work on a television soap opera. The disguise creates professional opportunities while complicating his friendships, romantic relationships, and understanding of how women are treated in the workplace. The screenplay uses mistaken identity to examine gender roles, acting, ambition, and power, and received an Academy Award nomination.

help Tootsie Screenplay FAQ

What is Michael Dorsey's central problem in the Tootsie screenplay?

Michael Dorsey is a talented actor who cannot find work because producers consider him difficult, so he disguises himself as actress Dorothy Michaels. Don McGuire, Larry Gelbart, and Murray Schisgal use that deception to expose how people treat Michael differently when they believe he is a woman.

What television show does Dorothy Michaels join in Tootsie?

Dorothy gets a role on the fictional soap opera Southwest General. The workplace gives the 1982 screenplay a continuing stage for misunderstandings about Michael's identity, professional authority, and relationships.

Who plays Michael Dorsey in Tootsie?

Dustin Hoffman plays Michael Dorsey and his alter ego Dorothy Michaels, with Sydney Pollack directing the 1982 film. Jessica Lange plays Julie Nichols, the actress whose friendship and romantic situation become central to the disguise plot.

What gender-role question does the Tootsie screenplay explore?

The story shows Michael learning how often women are interrupted, patronized, or pressured by colleagues and strangers. Its comedy comes from the disguise, but the screenplay also makes Michael confront his own assumptions about gender and workplace power.

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