Directed credits
16
Established
Strong directing catalog.
Director
John Waters
Directing
Career Snapshot
ExplainedThese indicators come from TMDB. They are relative signals, not review ratings.
TMDB popularity
2.3
Moderate attention
TMDB internal trend index. Higher usually means more searches and page activity now.
Directed movies: 16Directed series: 0All crew credits: 29
TMDB ID: 10367
IMDb ID: nm0000691
Known for: Directing
Born: April 22, 1946
Age: 79
Place of birth: Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Gender: Male
Adult content flag: No
Career span: 1964 - 2025
Years active: 62
Average TMDB rating: 6.61
Wikidata: Q314926
Also known as
John S. Waters • جان واترز
Frequent jobs
Director (16)Thanks (7)Original Music Composer (2)Associate Producer (1)Editor (1)Original Film Writer (1)Screenplay (1)
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.
Photos
Movies
Directed Movies
Movies directed by John Waters.
5.3
30/30 Vision: Three Decades of Strand Releasing
Director
2019 Movie
8.0
Kiddie Flamingos
Director
2015 Movie
5.3
A Dirty Shame
Director
2004 Movie
6.4
Cecil B. Demented
Director
2000 Movie
6.1
Pecker
Director
1998 Movie
6.7
Serial Mom
Director
1994 Movie
6.5
Cry-Baby
Director
1990 Movie
6.8
Hairspray
Director
1988 Movie
7.0
Polyester
Director
1981 Movie
6.4
Desperate Living
Director
1977 Movie
6.9
Female Trouble
Director
1974 Movie
6.2
Pink Flamingos
Director
1972 Movie
7.1
Eat Your Makeup
Director
1968 Movie
4.0
Dorothy, the Kansas City Pot Head
Director
1968 Movie
6.4
Roman Candles
Director
1967 Movie
6.7
Hag in a Black Leather Jacket
Director
1964 Movie
Movies
Top Rated Movies
Highest rated movies linked with John Waters.
7.3
An American Crime
Thanks
2007 Movie
7.3
Hairspray Live!
Associate Producer
2016 Movie
7.3
I Am Divine
as Self
2014 Movie
7.1
This Film Is Not Yet Rated
as Self - Director of 'A Dirty Shame'
2006 Movie
7.0
Polyester
Director
1981 Movie
6.9
Female Trouble
Director
1974 Movie
6.8
Hairspray
Director
1988 Movie
6.8
The Velvet Underground
as Self
2021 Movie
6.8
Sweet and Lowdown
as Mr. Haynes
1999 Movie
6.7
Serial Mom
Director
1994 Movie
6.7
Hairspray
Original Film Writer
2007 Movie
6.6
Something Wild
as Used Car Guy
1986 Movie
Series
Top Rated Series
Highest rated series linked with John Waters.
8.1
Homicide: Life on the Street
as R. Vincent Smith • 2 eps
1993 Series
8.0
The Simpsons
as John (voice) • 1 eps
1989 Series
8.0
Clarence
as Captain Tom (voice) • 1 eps
2014 Series
7.9
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
as Pornmonger Man • 2 eps
1999 Series
7.8
Chucky
as Wendell Wilkins • 1 eps
2021 Series
7.7
Frasier
as Roger (voice) • 1 eps
1993 Series
7.7
My Name Is Earl
as Walter Hamerick • 1 eps
2005 Series
7.6
The Blacklist
as John Waters • 1 eps
2013 Series
7.6
FEUD
as William Castle • 1 eps
2017 Series
7.5
RuPaul's Drag Race
as Self - Guest Judge • 1 eps
2009 Series
7.5
Explained
as Narrator (voice) • 1 eps
2018 Series
7.2
21 Jump Street
as Mr. Bean • 1 eps
1987 Series
Movies
Most Popular Movies
Most viewed movie titles linked with John Waters.
6.0
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip
as First Class Passenger
2015 Movie
6.8
Hairspray
Director
1988 Movie
5.5
Seed of Chucky
as Pete Peters
2004 Movie
5.9
Poison
Thanks
1991 Movie
7.0
Polyester
Director
1981 Movie
6.7
Hairspray
Original Film Writer
2007 Movie
6.1
Pecker
Director
1998 Movie
4.8
Anarchy TV
1998 Movie
Series
Most Popular Series
Most viewed series linked with John Waters.
8.0
The Simpsons
as John (voice) • 1 eps
1989 Series
7.9
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
as Pornmonger Man • 2 eps
1999 Series
7.6
The Blacklist
as John Waters • 1 eps
2013 Series
5.0
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
as Self - Guest • 1 eps
2009 Series
6.4
The Daily Show
as Self - Guest • 2 eps
1996 Series
5.3
Late Night with Seth Meyers
as Self - Guest • 1 eps
2014 Series
7.0
Saturday Night Live
as Self - Cameo (uncredited) • 1 eps
1975 Series
7.7
Frasier
as Roger (voice) • 1 eps
1993 Series
7.2
The Graham Norton Show
as Self - Guest • 2 eps
2007 Series
7.5
RuPaul's Drag Race
as Self - Guest Judge • 1 eps
2009 Series
6.0
Real Time with Bill Maher
as Self - Guest • 9 eps
2003 Series
7.7
My Name Is Earl
as Walter Hamerick • 1 eps
2005 Series
Movies
Other Crew Work in Movies
Additional movie credits for John Waters.
7.8
Marisa y Gomoso
Thanks
2025 Movie
Sniffing Out ‘Polyester’
Thanks
2019 Movie
6.4
Permanent Green Light
Thanks
2019 Movie
7.3
Hairspray Live!
Associate Producer
2016 Movie
5.5
Putty Hill
Thanks
2010 Movie
7.3
An American Crime
Thanks
2007 Movie
6.7
Hairspray
Original Film Writer
2007 Movie
7.6
This Filthy World
Screenplay
2006 Movie
7.0
Whipped
Thanks
1998 Movie
5.9
Poison
Thanks
1991 Movie
6.3
Multiple Maniacs
Original Music Composer
1970 Movie
5.0
The Diane Linkletter Story
Editor
1970 Movie
5.1
Mondo Trasho
Original Music Composer
1969 Movie
Movies
Acting Appearances in Movies
Movie cast credits for John Waters.
4.7
Sarah Squirm: Live + in the Flesh
as Stage Manager
2025 Movie
Velvet Vision: The Story of James Bidgood and the Making of Pink Narcissus
as Self
2025 Movie
1.0
It's Dorothy!
as Self
2025 Movie
6.0
A Summer with Joe, Liz and Richard
as Self
2025 Movie
As Time Goes By
2024 Movie
6.0
TURA!
as Self (archive footage)
2024 Movie
7.8
Doc of Chucky
as Self
2024 Movie
7.8
Scala!!!
as Self
2024 Movie
6.9
Lynch/Oz
as Host (Chapter 3: 'Kindred') (voice)
2023 Movie
6.6
Little Richard: I Am Everything
as Self
2023 Movie
5.0
Don't Fall in Love with Yourself
as Self (Archival)
2022 Movie
6.5
Fragments of Paradise
as Self
2022 Movie
Series
Acting Appearances in Series
Series cast credits for John Waters.
5.0
Everybody's Live with John Mulaney
as Self - Writer and Film Director • 1 eps
2025 Series
6.1
Digman!
as Magnus (voice) • 1 eps
2023 Series
7.0
Charles Band’s Full Moon Freakshow
1 eps
2022 Series
6.7
The Andy Warhol Diaries
as Self • 6 eps
2022 Series
7.8
Chucky
as Wendell Wilkins • 1 eps
2021 Series
6.7
Pride
as Self • 6 eps
2021 Series
7.8
Helluva Boss
as Rolando (voice) • 1 eps
2020 Series
6.0
Liverspots and Astronots
as O-Dor • 21 eps
2018 Series
7.5
Explained
as Narrator (voice) • 1 eps
2018 Series
7.6
FEUD
as William Castle • 1 eps
2017 Series
6.8
Search Party
as Sheffield • 2 eps
2016 Series
6.8
The New Yorker Presents
as Self • 1 eps
2016 Series