Tony Award-winning actor Harvey Fierstein took center stage in Nyack Saturday night to kick off Pride Month.

"I didn't want to be in theater, but I wanted to meet Andy Warhol," said the four-time Tony Award winner at Nyack High School during the presentation called "Harvey Fierstein in Conversation with Elliott Forrest." Forrest is the executive artistic director of the Rockland County-based nonprofit, artsrock.org.

"I think we will recognize Harvey Fierstein, not only tonight but overtime, as an icon in the gay community -- a real groundbreaker. The first openly gay writer on Broadway -- often sounds crazy, but it's true," Forrest said.

With a career that includes notable roles in "Hairspray," "Mrs. Doubtfire," "Independence Day," "Torch Song Trilogy," "Kinky Boots" and "Newsies," Fierstein looked back on his life with a bit of wit and surprise.

"I've happened to had this life because of people I met and people I ran into... where all these opportunities happened and I was dumb enough to say 'yes,'" Harvey said. "You asked what kind of a life or am I surprised at my life I lived? Totally."