John Waters
Personal Info
Known for
Directing
Gender
Male
Birthday
1946-04-22 (79 years old)
Place of Birth
Baltimore, Maryland, USA
John Waters
Biography
John Samuel Waters Jr. (born April 22, 1946) is an American filmmaker, writer, actor, and artist. He rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films, including Multiple Maniacs (1970), Pink Flamingos (1972) and Female Trouble (1974). Waters wrote and directed the comedy film Hairspray (1988), which was later adapted into a hit Broadway musical and a 2007 musical film. Other films he has written and directed include Desperate Living (1977), Polyester (1981), Cry-Baby (1990), Serial Mom (1994), Pecker (1998), and Cecil B. Demented (2000). His films contain elements of post-modern comedy and surrealism.
As an actor, Waters has appeared in Sweet and Lowdown (1999), 'Til Death Do Us Part (2007), Mangus! (2011), Excision (2012), Suburban Gothic (2014), and has appeared in the Child's Play franchise with Seed of Chucky (2004) and third season of the television series Chucky (2024). He hosted and produced the television series John Waters Presents Movies That Will Corrupt You (2006). Throughout his career, Waters has often collaborated with actor and drag queen Divine and his regular cast of the Dreamlanders. More recently, he performs in his touring one-man show This Filthy World.
Waters also works as a visual artist and across different media, such as installations, photography, and sculpture. The audiobooks he narrated for his books Carsick and Mr. Know-It-All were nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album in 2015 and 2020, respectively. In 2018, Waters was named an officer of the Order of Arts and Letters in France. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2023.
Description above from the Wikipedia article John Waters, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Acting
My Life with the Waters
as Self
The Brandon Novak Story
as Self
(2025)
It's Dorothy!
as Self
(2024)
Scala!!!
as Self
(2024)
TURA!
as Self (archive footage)
(2024)
Doc of Chucky
as Self
(2023)
(2023)
Lynch/Oz
as Host (Chapter 3: 'Kindred') (voice)
(2022)
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed
as Self (Archive Footage)
(2022)
The Book of Harth
as Self
(2022)
Tell Me Iggy
as Self
(2022)
Living with Chucky
as Self
(2022)
Fragments of Paradise
as Self
(2022)
(2022)
Don't Fall in Love with Yourself
as Self (Archival)
(2021)
The Velvet Underground
as Self
(2021)
Blood, Guts and Sunshine: The History of Horror Made in Florida
as Self [archival]
(2020)
The Mystery of the Pink Flamingo
as Himself
(2020)
(2020)
(2020)
(2020)
(2019)
At the Video Store
as Self
(2019)
(2019)
Sniffing Out ‘Polyester’
as Self
(2019)
(2018)
Sickies Making Films
as Self
(2018)
Mugworth
as Sir Butler
(2018)
(2017)
Mansfield 66/67
as Self
(2017)
(2016)
Weiner
as Self (archive footage)
(2016)
Wall Writers
as Narrator (voice)
(2016)
Whatever Happened to Gelitin
as Self
(2016)
(2015)
(2015)
(2015)
Tab Hunter Confidential
as Self
(2015)
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip
as First Class Passenger
(2015)
(2014)
Suburban Gothic
as Cornelius
(2013)
Jingle Bell Rocks!
as Self
(2013)
(2013)
I Am Divine
as Self
(2013)
(2012)
Excision
as William
(2012)
Mansome
as Self
(2012)
Frankenstein: A Modern Myth
as Self - Director
(2011)
Mangus!
as Jesus Christ
(2011)
The Advocate for Fagdom
as Self
(2011)
These Amazing Shadows
as Self
(2011)
Blank City
as Self
(2010)
(2010)
Uncle Bob
as Self (archiveFootage)
(2010)
Beautiful Darling
as Self
(2010)
(2009)
It Came from Kuchar
as Self
(2009)
(2008)
The Wild World of Ted V. Mikels
as Narrator
(2008)
Obscene
as Self
(2008)
(2008)
Starz Inside: In the Gutter
as Self
(2008)
Coven of the Heathenites
as Self
(2007)
Here’s Looking at You, Boy
as Self
(2007)
The Junior Defenders
as Narrator
(2007)
Each Time I Kill
as Movie Watcher
(2007)
(2007)
Hairspray
as Flasher
(2007)
(2007)
(2007)
There's a Hippo in my House
as Narrator (Voice)
(2006)
(2006)
Plagues and Pleasures on the Salton Sea
as Self - Narrator (voice)
(2006)
(2006)
This Film Is Not Yet Rated
as Self - Director of 'A Dirty Shame'
(2006)
This Filthy World
as Self
(2006)
That Man: Peter Berlin
as Self
(2006)
(2006)
(2006)
(2006)
(2006)
(2006)
(2006)
Jackass Number Two
as Self
(2006)
(2006)
(2006)
(2005)
(2005)
Inside Deep Throat
as Self
(2005)
It Came from... Baltimore!!
as Self
(2004)
Seed of Chucky
as Pete Peters
(2004)
Thinking XXX
as Self
(2004)
Closer Than That: A Documentary on Low
as Himself
(2003)
A History of Sex
as Self
(2003)
Abby Singer
as John Waters (uncredited)
(2002)
Blood Feast 2: All U Can Eat
as The Reverend
(2002)
Sylvester: Mighty Real
as Self
(2002)
The Cockettes
as Self
(2001)
Memories of Oz
as Self
(2000)
Divine Trash
as Self
(2000)
(2000)
Cecil B. Demented
as Reporter
(1999)
Sweet and Lowdown
as Mr. Haynes
(1999)
Yesterday's Tomorrows
as Self
(1999)
In Bad Taste
as Self
(1999)
Forever Hollywood
as Self
(1998)
Welcome to Hollywood
as John Waters
(1998)
Pecker
as Pervert on Phone (voice) (uncredited)
(1998)
(1997)
Anthem
as Self
(1996)
(1995)
(1994)
Serial Mom
as Ted Bundy (voice) (uncredited)
(1993)
Growing Up with John Waters
as Self
(1991)
(1989)
Homer and Eddie
as Robber #1
(1988)
(1988)
Hairspray
as Dr. Fredrickson
(1986)
Something Wild
as Used Car Guy
(1985)
(1985)
Divine Waters
as Self
(1982)
No Smoking in This Theater
as Self
(1976)
Edith's Shopping Bag
as Self
(1975)
Love Letter to Edie
as Self
(1972)
Pink Flamingos
as Mr. J (voice) (uncredited)
(1969)
Mondo Trasho
as Reporter (voice) (uncredited)
Crew
Liarmouth
Novel, Writer, Director
(2025)
Marisa y Gomoso
Thanks
(2019)
Sniffing Out ‘Polyester’
Thanks
(2019)
(2016)
Hairspray Live!
Associate Producer, Original Story
(2015)
Kiddie Flamingos
Writer, Director
(2010)
Putty Hill
Thanks
(2007)
Hairspray
Original Film Writer
(2007)
An American Crime
Thanks
(2006)
This Filthy World
Screenplay
(2004)
A Dirty Shame
Director, Writer
(2000)
Cecil B. Demented
Director, Writer
(1998)
Pecker
Director, Screenplay
(1994)
Serial Mom
Director, Writer
(1991)
Poison
Thanks
(1990)
Cry-Baby
Director, Writer
(1988)
Hairspray
Director, Screenplay, Co-Producer
(1981)
Polyester
Director, Screenplay, Producer
(1977)
Desperate Living
Director, Writer, Additional Photography, Producer
(1974)
Female Trouble
Director, Screenplay, Editor, Director of Photography, Producer
(1972)
Pink Flamingos
Editor, Director, Producer, Director of Photography, Writer
(1970)
The Diane Linkletter Story
Producer, Writer, Editor, Director, Director of Photography
(1970)
Multiple Maniacs
Original Music Composer, Writer, Director, Producer, Editor, Director of Photography
(1969)
Mondo Trasho
Original Music Composer, Writer, Director, Producer, Editor, Director of Photography
(1968)
Dorothy, the Kansas City Pot Head
Writer, Director
(1968)
Eat Your Makeup
Director, Writer, Producer, Director of Photography, Editor
(1967)
Roman Candles
Director, Writer, Editor, Director of Photography, Producer
(1964)
Hag in a Black Leather Jacket
Director, Director of Photography, Producer, Writer, Editor