John Waters Biography (1946-)
Born April 22, 1946, in Baltimore, MD; son of John Samuel (manufacturer of fire-protection equipment) and Patricia Ann (maiden name, Whitaker) Waters. Avocational interests: Attending trials, teaching in jail, study of extreme Catholic behavior before the Reformation. Career: Producer, director, cinematographer, screenwriter, actor, and journalist. Worked in book stores; lecturer at comedy clubs and colleges in the United States and Australia,1968--; teacher of English and film at Patuzent Institution, a psychiatric prison in Maryland, 1983-86. AIDS Action Baltimore, fundraiser; Anti-Violence Campaign, New York City, spokesman, 1991. Member: AFTRA, Screen ActorsGuild, Directors Guild of America, Writers Guild of America, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Awards, Honors: Co-recipient of Charlie Comedy Award for special contributions to art of comedy, Association of ComedyArtists, 1987; John Waters Day, state of Maryland, February 16, 1985; John Waters Week, city of Baltimore, 1988.
- Nationality
- American
- Gender
- Male
- Occupation
- Producer, director, cinematographer, screenwriter, actor, journalist
- Birth Details
- April 22, 1946
- Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Famous Works
- CREDITS
- Film Director and Screenwriter, Except Where Indicated
- Hag in a Black Leather Jacket (short), 1964
- Roman Candles (short), 1966-67
- And editor, Eat Your Makeup! (short), 1968
- And producer, cinematographer, and editor, Mondo Trasho (also known as The Gutter Movie), New Line Cinema, 1969
- And producer, cinematographer, and editor, Multiple Maniacs, New Line Cinema, 1970
- And editor and cinematographer, The Diane Linkletter Story (short), 1970
- And producer, cinematographer, and editor, Pink Flamingos (also known as John Waters' Pink Flamingos), New Line Cinema, 1972
- And producer, and cinematographer, Female Trouble (also known as Rotten Mind, Rotten Face), New Line Cinema, 1974
- And producer, Desperate Living (also known as Mortville), New Line Cinema, 1977
- And producer, Polyester, New Line Cinema, 1981
- And producer (with Rachel Talalay and Stanley F. Buchthal), Hairspray (also known as White Lipstick), New Line, 1988
- Cry-Baby, Universal, 1990
- Serial Mom, Home Box Office Video, 1994
- Pecker, Fine Line, 1998
- Cecil B. Demented, 1999
- Film Appearances
- Hag in a Black Leather Jacket (short), 1964
- Roman Candles (short), 1966-67
- Eat Your Makeup! (short), 1968
- Mondo Trasho (also known as The Gutter Movie), New Line Cinema, 1969
- Voice of Mr. J, Pink Flamingos (also known as John Waters' PinkFlamingos), New Line Cinema, 1972
- Himself, Love Letter to Edie, 1975
- End Play, 1975
- Himself, Divine Waters, 1985
- Used car salesman, Something Wild, Orion, 1986
- Dr. Fredrickson, Hairspray (also known as White Lipstick),New Line, 1988
- First robber, Homer & Eddie, Skouras, 1989
- Johnny Dysart, Heaven Tonight, 1990
- (Uncredited) Steve Hannah, Serial Mom, Home Box Office Video, 1994
- Ebbtide, 1994
- John Stamford, Singapore Sling: Road to Mandalay, 1995
- Sam Lejeune, The Sugar Factory, 1997
- Himself, Divine Trash, 1997
- Himself, Anthem, 1997
- Television Appearances
- Movies
- Leslie Gaitland, Passion Flower, 1986
- Steve Hannah, Which Way Home, 1991
- Episodic
- 21 Jump Street, Fox, 1990
- Bartender, Homicide: Life on the Streets, NBC, 1993
- R. Vincent Smith, Homicide: Life on the Streets, NBC, 1994
- American Cinema, PBS, 1995
- Voice of John, "Homer's Phobia," The Simpsons (animated), Fox, 1997
- Voice of Roger, "The Maris Counselor," Frasier, NBC, 1998
- Himself, The Roseanne Show, 1998
- Other Television Appearances
- Danielle Steel's "Family Album" (miniseries), 1994
- Ballyhoo: The Hollywood Sideshow! (special), AMC, 1996
- WRITINGS
- Screenplays
- Hag in a Black Leather Jacket (short), 1964
- Roman Candles (short), 1966-67
- Eat Your Makeup! (short), 1968
- Mondo Trasho (also known as The Gutter Movie), New Line Cinema, 1969
- Multiple Maniacs, New Line Cinema, 1970
- The Diane Linkletter Story (short), 1970
- Pink Flamingos (also known as John Waters' Pink Flamingos),New Line Cinema, 1972
- Female Trouble (also known as Rotten Mind, Rotten Face), New Line Cinema, 1974
- Desperate Living (also known as Mortville), New Line Cinema, 1977
- Polyester, New Line Cinema, 1981
- Hairspray (also known as White Lipstick), New Line, 1988
- Cry-Baby, Universal, 1990
- Serial Mom, Home Box Office Video, 1994
- Pecker, Fine Line, 1998
- Cecil B. Demented, 1999
- Books
- Shock Value: A Tasteful Book about Bad Taste (autobiography), Dell, 1981
- Crackpot: The Obsessions of John Waters (essays), MacMillan, 1986
- Trash Trio: Three Screenplays (contains Pink Flamingos, Desperate Living, and Flamingos Forever), Vintage Books, 1988
- Also contributor to periodicals including Rolling Stone, Vogue, Vanity Fair, American Film, Film Comment, New York Times Book Review and British Vogue.
Further Reference
OTHER SOURCES
- Artforum, October 1998, p. 32.
- Art in America, March 1997, p. 100.
- Entertainment Weekly, April 29, 1994, p. 42.
- Interview, April 29, 1994, p. 56.
- People Weekly, April 18, 1994, .
- U.S. News & World Report, April 28, 1997, p. 16.*