John Waters
1946–

Introduction

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 the films Sweet and Lowdown (1999), Mangus! (2011), Excision (2012), and Suburban Gothic (2014), as well as the Child's Play franchise with the film Seed of Chucky (2004) and the 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 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.

Wikidata identifier

Q314926

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Information from Wikipedia, made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Accessed November 7, 2024.

Introduction

Primarily known as a filmmaker, beginning in the 1970s with transgressive comedies starring Divine, Waters in his later career has embraced various media including photography, sculpture, collage, and installation, exhibiting in galleries. He is a published author and prolific essayist as well.

Country of birth

United States

Roles

Artist, actor, cinematographer, comedian, photographer, sculptor, writer

ULAN identifier

500331901

Names

John Waters, John Samuel Waters, Jr. John Samuel Waters

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Information from the Getty Research Institute's Union List of Artist Names ® (ULAN), made available under the ODC Attribution License. Accessed November 7, 2024.


On the Hour

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Maya Man, A Realistic Day In My Life Living In New York City

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