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 Fil…

Directed

1. Cry-Baby (1990) — Director
2. Serial Mom (1994) — Director
3. Pink Flamingos (1972) — Director
4. Hairspray (1988) — Director
5. A Dirty Shame (2004) — Director
6. Cecil B. Demented (2000) — Director
7. Female Trouble (1976) — Director
8. Pecker (1998) — Director
9. Polyester (1981) — Director
10. Multiple Maniacs (1970) — Director
11. Desperate Living (1977) — Director
12. Mondo Trasho (1969) — Director
13. The Diane Linkletter Story (1970) — Director
14. Eat Your Makeup (1968) — Director
15. Roman Candles (1967) — Director
16. Hag in a Black Leather Jacket (1964) — Director
17. 30/30 Vision: Three Decades of Strand Releasing (2019) — Director
18. Dorothy, the Kansas City Pot Head (1968) — Director
19. Kiddie Flamingos (2015) — Director
20. Nuart Theatre No Smoking PSA (1982) — Director
21. Liarmouth: A Feel-Bad Romance — Director

Also appeared in

1. The Simpsons (1989) — John (voice)
2. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999) — Pornmonger Man
3. Chucky (2021) — Wendell Wilkins
4. The Blacklist (2013) — John Waters
5. Hairspray (2007) — Flasher
6. Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip (2015) — First Class Passenger
7. Seed of Chucky (2004) — Pete Peters
8. Jackass Number Two (2006) — Self
9. My Name Is Earl (2005) — Walter Hamerick
10. Frasier (1993) — Roger (voice)
11. Serial Mom (1994) — Ted Bundy (voice) (uncredited)
12. The Daily Show (1996) — Self - Guest
13. Excision (2012) — William
14. Pink Flamingos (1972) — Mr. J (narration) (uncredited)
15. Sweet and Lowdown (1999) — Mr. Haynes
16. Saturday Night Live (1975) — Self - Cameo (uncredited)
17. Hairspray (1988) — Dr. Fredrickson
18. Something Wild (1986) — Used Car Guy
19. This Film Is Not Yet Rated (2006) — Self - Director of 'A Dirty Shame'
20. The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (2015) — Self - Guest
21. Clarence (2014) — Captain Tom (voice)
22. The Colbert Report (2005) — Self - Guest
23. Cecil B. Demented (2000) — Reporter
24. RuPaul's Drag Race (2009) — Self - Guest Judge
25. The Graham Norton Show (2007) — Self - Guest
26. FEUD (2017) — William Castle
27. Real Time with Bill Maher (2003) — Self - Guest
28. Pecker (1998) — Pervert on Phone (voice) (uncredited)
29. 21 Jump Street (1987) — Mr. Bean
30. Late Show with David Letterman (1993) — Self - Guest
31. Search Party (2016) — Sheffield
32. Suburban Gothic (2014) — Cornelius
33. Inside Deep Throat (2005) — Self
34. Homicide: Life on the Street (1993) — R. Vincent Smith
35. Explained (2018) — Narrator (voice)
36. Late Night with Seth Meyers (2014) — Self - Guest
37. The Velvet Underground (2021) — Self
38. The View (1997) — Self
39. Thinking XXX (2004) — Self
40. Helluva Boss (2020) — Rolando (voice)