The Truth Behind… The Normal Heart

Ned Weeks/Larry Kramer

In the show:
In The Normal Heart, Ned Weeks is a writer who is very realistically based on Kramer, who is pictured above. Ned’s dialogue is filled with intense emotion and frustration as he challenges the silence of institutions. Capturing this specific moment in time, Ned realizes that neither the U.S. nor New York City government will acknowledge the problem of the AIDS crisis. Ned aggressively fights to bring to light the plight of the gay community. Trying to get across to even his closest friends what he is fighting for is challenging but it is his focus at every waking moment.

In real life:
Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Larry Kramer (1935-2020) began to understand at an early age that he was gay. Generally, this was a time of moral panic around same-sex attraction. In the 1970s, Kramer moved to New York City to pursue a career in playwriting. In July 1981, The New York Times ran an article reporting the occurrence of a rare cancer in the homosexual community. This was the trigger that led to Kramer organizing a meeting of gay men and eventually co-founding the Gay Men’s Health Crisis. This experience with AIDS activism led Kramer to write The Normal Heart, which debuted at off-Broadway’s Public Theater in 1985. Kramer saw many of his friends die from AIDS-related illnesses and, in 1988, he learned he, too, had contracted HIV.

Dr. Emma Brookner/Dr. Linda Laubenstein

In the show:
The character Dr. Emma Brookner quite accurately takes on the persona of Dr. Linda Laubenstein (pictured above). Kramer sought to portray the character of Dr. Brookner in the most positive light so that her dedication to the AIDS crisis would live on forever. Her fierce commitment and advocacy to the worldwide AIDS epidemic is portrayed in the play with precision. She is kind, straightforward with facts and encouraging of Ned to do anything he can to help the gay community stop the epidemic from exploding. 

In real life:
Dr. Linda Laubenstein (1947-1992) was born in Boston Massachusetts. She contracted polio as a child and would eventually use a wheelchair for the rest of her life. A graduate of New York University’s School of Medicine, Dr. Laubenstein specialized in hematology and oncology. Laubenstein was one of the first doctors in the country to recognize the appearance of the AIDS epidemic. She was an outspoken AIDS activist. Dr. Laubenstein was befriended by Larry Kramer after caring for Kramer’s partner who had died from AIDS. Dr. Laubenstein was applauded for the care she provided to her patients, even making housecalls in her wheelchair. 

Bruce Niles/Paul Popham

In the show:
As seen in The Normal Heart, Bruce Niles renders an accurate picture of Paul Popham (seen above). Bruce is courteous and respectful in complete opposition to Ned, who is confrontational and an advocate of immediate action. He talks about how his boss at Citibank doesn’t know he’s gay. Bruce has to sit there while his boss tells derogatory jokes about the gay community. While even dealing with this, the softer side of Bruce comes through in his dialogue. Bruce and Ned do eventually come together despite their opposite personalities so they can work toward their common goal. 

In real life:
Paul Popham (1941-1987) was born in Emmett, Idaho, and was a Vietnam veteran. He became politically active after reading the same New York Times article that Larry Kramer had read which spurred them both onto their commitment to addressing the AIDS crisis. Popham was president of the Gay Men’s Health Crisis for a number of years and helped found the AIDS Action Council, a lobbying organization in Washington, DC. Popham and Kramer were often at odds but they shared a dedication to public health. 

Felix Turner/John Duka

In the show:
The role of Felix Turner in The Normal Heart was never definitively confirmed to be based on John Duka (pictured above). Felix is a feature reporter for The New York Times. He is a closeted gay man at the time when he meets Ned Weeks. He comes across as outwardly confident but is looking for the same reassurance about who he really is that every other character is seeking.

In real life:
Born in Miami, John Duka (1949-1989) was a highly successful New York Times writer about fashion and art. Duka was responsible for defining fashion for the upper echelons of New York society. Duka boasted about writing about the gay population in spite of being employed by a homophobic paper. Duka’s colorful reviews caught attention near and far and made his work notable and widespread. Often described as writing with humor and grace, Duka died closeted and unable to be his true self. 

Ben Weeks/Arthur Kramer

In the show:
Ned Weeks’s brother Ben Weeks (based on Kramer’s brother, Arthur, pictured above) demonstrates his unwillingness and hesitance to fully accept who his brother is. Ned asks for legal advice and capital but Ben ducks the requests. He gives excuses for not helping his brother and yet their relationship has an underlying sense of love. Ben comes across as caring and yet Ned describes his brother as being more concerned with material things than the cause that Ned has passionately built his life around. 

In real life:
Arthur Kramer (1927-2008) was a lawyer and the brother of Larry Kramer. Their relationship would swing from acceptance to rejection and back. Larry wanted his brother’s approval but it was only toward the end of his life that Arthur could provide this. At one point in his life, Arthur donated money to the causes Larry was fighting for but it was with reluctance. Larry always sought the approval of his brother. Their rocky relationship, however, had a foundation of love which they always came back to. 

Tommy Boatwright/Rodger McFarlane

In the show:
In The Normal Heart, Tommy Boatwright is the alter ego of Rodger McFarlane (pictured above). Tommy is a hospital administrator who becomes increasingly involved in the AIDS epidemic. Tommy’s demeanor is logical, down to earth and calm. These personality traits serve him in the unpredictable and confusing reality of the AIDS crisis. Tommy is profoundly affected by the death of his friends in addition to societal indifference. These are the very emotions that lead him to create the crisis counseling hotline. 

In real life:
Rodger McFarlane (1955-2009) was born in Mobile, Alabama. He moved to New York City in the 1970s and worked as a respiratory therapist. He is credited as being the first paid executive director of the Gay Men’s Health Crisis. He began in the 1980s as a volunteer and established a crisis counseling hotline. Rodger and Larry were close friends and Larry credits his friend with being the founding executive director of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS in addition to helping lead multiple other organizations and foundations. Upon Rodger’s death in 2009 by suicide, Kramer lamented the powerful impact that Rodger had had on the gay community.

For more about the characters in The Normal Heart, explore Larry Kramer’s sequel to the play, The Destiny of Me. For other great plays and musicals, visit Concord Theatricals in the US or UK.