John Waters Net Worth
John Waters Net Worth is
$38 Million
John Waters Bio/Wiki, Net Worth, Married 2018
John Samuel Waters Jr. is an American film director, screenwriter, actor, stand-up comedian, journalist, visual artist, and art collector, who rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films. Waters's 1970s and early '80s trash films feature his regular trou... | Full Name | John Waters |
| Net Worth | $38 Million |
| Date Of Birth | April 22, 1946 |
| Place Of Birth | Baltimore, Maryland, United States |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Profession | Film director, Film Producer, Screenwriter, Actor, Writer, Visual Artist, Stand-up comedian, Cinematographer, Voice Actor, Film Editor |
| Education | Calvert Hall College High School, Boys' Latin School of Maryland, New York University |
| Nationality | United States of America |
| Spouse | Zoe Burton |
| Children | Rusty Waters, Archie Waters, Rebecca Waters, Ivan Waters, Gloria Waters |
| Parents | Pat Waters, John Waters Sr |
| Siblings | Trish Waters, Kathy Waters, Steve Waters |
| Nicknames | John Samuel Waters Jr. , Prince of Puke , Pope of Trash , John Samuel Waters, Jr. |
| Awards | GLAAD Media Stephen F. Kolzak Award |
| Nominations | Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album, Independent Spirit Award for Best Director, Independent Spirit Award for Best Screenplay, Goodreads Choice Awards Best Humor, Lambda Literary Award for Photography/Visual Arts |
| Movies | Pink Flamingos, Female Trouble, Cry-Baby, Hairspray, Multiple Maniacs, Serial Mom, A Dirty Shame, Pecker, Desperate Living, Cecil B. Demented, Mondo Trasho, Polyester, This Filthy World, Eat Your Makeup, Hag in a Black Leather Jacket, Roman Candles, The Diane Linkletter Story, Seed of Chucky, Excisi... |
| TV Shows | 'Til Death Do Us Part, Offspring, John Waters Presents Movies That Will Corrupt You, I Love the '70s |
| Star Sign | Taurus |
| # | Trademark |
|---|---|
| 1 | Pencil-thin moustache and camp personality |
| 2 | Many of his characters have alliterated names (Dawn Davenport, Francine Fishpaw, Tracy Turnblad, Penny Pingleton, Sylvia Stickles). |
| 3 | Films combine outrageous subject matter with a sense of humor |
| 4 | Casts Mink Stole in nearly all of his films |
| 5 | Frequently casts Patricia Hearst |
| 6 | All his movies are set in Baltimore |
| # | Quote |
|---|---|
| 1 | [when asked by a reporter why crossdresser Divine ate a piece of dog dirt in his film Pink Flamingos] It was just a little piece of dogshit, and it made her a star. |
| 2 | [on Camille Claudel 1915 (2013)]: Not since Freaks (1932) has there been such a harrowing pairing of a star (the sensational Juliette Binoche) with a cast of genuinely handicapped actors. Once again, the great Bruno Dumont proves he is the ultimate master of cinematic misery.[2013] |
| 3 | No film can come near The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)'s snuff-like power to horrify. Just saying that great title out loud should give even real serial killers the creeps. |
| 4 | (On The Wizard of Oz (1939)) When they throw the water on the witch, she says, "Who would have thought a good little girl like you could destroy my beautiful wickedness". That line inspired my life. I sometimes say it to myself before I go to sleep, like a prayer. |
| 5 | Irony ruined everything. I wish my movies could have played at drive-ins, but they never did, because of irony. Even the best exploitation movies were never meant to be 'so bad they were good'. They were not made for the intelligentsia. They were made to be violent for real, or to be sexy for real. But now everybody has irony. Even horror films now are ironic. Everybody's in on the joke now. Everybody's hip. Nobody takes anything at face value anymore. |
| 6 | Pink Flamingos - I don't think it's my best movie, but God knows the day I die it will be in the first paragraph of my obituary. It helped make trash more respectable. It lasted longer than I ever would have imagined. I still meet young kids who have just seen it and they react with the same disbelief that people did the first time. I'm proud of it. It was made to make fun of censorship laws at the time. All that has kind of faded. If I hadn't done the scene where Divine ate dog shit, Johnny Knoxville would have done it in Jackass. The Jackass movies are the closest in spirit to Pink Flamingos than anything else. |
| 7 | No matter what your sexual preference or gender, no one likes a man who is fussy about his looks. You can spend as much time as you want looking good. But don't do it in public. |
| 8 | A movie star is someone you want to either get drunk with or have sex with. |
| 9 | Sometimes I wish I was a woman, just so that I could get an abortion. |
| 10 | I'm 100% gay and about 20% in gay society. Sometimes I'm more comfortable in punk rock clubs than gay clubs. There are just as many rules I rebel from in the gay world as the straight one. I'm gaily incorrect, but I do vote gay. |
| 11 | As a child, I always wanted to sit in William Castle's lap, not Santa's! |
| 12 | I would never do hard-core pornography, because it looks too much like open-heart surgery. |
| 13 | My favorite movie idea is to do a movie where everything's fake -- the trees, the grass, even the sun. |
| 14 | If someone threw up at one of my screenings, it would be like a standing ovation. |
| 15 | I'll never be able to do a sequel to Pink Flamingos (1972) because it would have to end with Divine taking a shit and the dog eating it. |
| 16 | Who on earth would want to assassinate Danny Thomas? It wouldn't even make the front page! |
| 17 | I love Judy Garland, but if a reporter were coming to my home, I wouldn't have her music playing. A gay man loving Judy would be like a black person watching a minstrel show. |
| 18 | As far as socially redeeming value, I hope I don't have any. [1983] |
| 19 | Oh, Squeaky Fromme, where were you when we needed you? [1977: when asked about Anita Bryant] |
| 20 | I would love to make a movie for very neurotic children. But then perhaps, I've already done that. I've shown my films at children's birthday parties. They just love them, like Punch and Judy shows. |
| 21 | I pride myself on the fact that my work has no socially redeeming value. |
| 22 | To me, bad taste is what entertainment is all about. If someone vomits watching one of my films, it's like getting a standing ovation. But one must remember that there is such a thing as good bad taste and bad bad taste. |
| 23 | Strive for art in reverse. |
| 24 | Some call me director, producer, filmmaker. I prefer to call myself pube-king. |
| 25 | "If you can make someone laugh who's dead set against you, that's the first step to winning them over to your side." (2000) |
| 26 | "My hobby is extreme Catholic behavior -- BEFORE the Reformation." (2000) |
| # | Fact |
|---|---|
| 1 | Was good friends with Russ Meyer, the sexploitation filmmaker. As a fan of his work he would often go see his films in the theatre with Divine. |
| 2 | Is a well known bibliophile and owns over 8,000 books. |
| 3 | Favorite movies are The Wizard of Oz (1939), Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1965), Boom! (1968), Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970), The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom (1975), I Stand Alone (1998), and Maps to the Stars (2014). |
| 4 | In 2008, Waters was planning to make a children's Christmas film called Fruitcake, starring Johnny Knoxville and Parker Posey. Filming was planned for November 2008, but it was shelved in January 2009. In 2010, Waters told the Chicago Tribune that "Independent films that cost $5 million are very hard to get made. I sold the idea, got a development deal, got paid a great salary to write it-and now the company is no longer around, which is the case with many independent film companies these days". |
| 5 | Through Richard Owings and his wife Rachel, he is a sixth cousin once removed to Maria Shriver. |
| 6 | Has released a collection of his scripts called Hairspray, Female Trouble, and Multiple Maniacs (Thunder's Mouth Press). [September 2005] |
| 7 | Owns a house in San Francisco. [January 2009] |
| 8 | His musical, "Hairspray" at the Marriott Theatre in Chicago, Illinois was nominated for a 2010 Joseph Jefferson Award for Production of a Musical (Large). |
| 9 | Son of John Waters Sr. and Pat Waters. |
| 10 | Brother-in-law of Sharon Waters. |
| 11 | Was considered for the role of Det. John Munch on Homicide: Life on the Street (1993). |
| 12 | Attended Calvert Hall College High School in Towson, Maryland. |
| 13 | Was member of the dramatic jury at the Sundance Film Festival in 2002. |
| 14 | One of his closest friends is Baltimore based casting director Pat Moran. |
| 15 | Maintains a home in north Baltimore, Maryland. |
| 16 | Was supposed to have a cameo in American Splendor (2003), as the David Letterman guest holding a alligator. |
| 17 | There is a special section of his immense book collection devoted to Liberace. |
| 18 | Waters originally wanted a man named "Mr. Ray" to be the narrator of Pink Flamingos (1972). Mr. Ray was famous for his hair-weave radio ads and for his Baltimore accent. Mr. Ray refused, so Waters recorded the voice-over himself, imitating Mr. Ray's voice as "Mr. J." |
| 19 | Member of the 'Official Competition' jury at the 48th Cannes International Film Festival in 1995. |
| 20 | Grew his thin pencil-line mustache in honor of Little Richard. |
| 21 | Big fan of 1950s director Douglas Sirk and actually got to meet him while in Europe. |
| 22 | Bears such a strong resemblance to actor Steve Buscemi that as a joke, John Waters sent out cards with a photo of Buscemi made up to look like Waters. |
| 23 | As a youth, he made as much as $50 a week doing puppet shows for the neighborhood children, and was often hired to entertain at birthday parties. He stated that many of his puppet shows were inspired by the gimmick-heavy films of William Castle. |
| 24 | Waters has always been very gracious in acknowledging his creative influences, such as Russ Meyer, Otto Preminger, Liberace, William Castle, Herschell Gordon Lewis, Jayne Mansfield, Robert Bresson, and Pier Paolo Pasolini. |
| 25 | Has taught classes at the Patuxent Institution, a correctional facility located halfway between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. The classes are meant as rehabilitation therapy for convicted killers, in which they learn to write about their violent fantasies rather than act them out. |
| 26 | Subscribes to more than 80 magazines. Also goes to see just about every movie that comes out and hardly ever rents movies. |
| 27 | Older brother of Steve Waters. |
| 28 | He is obsessed with true-crime and used to regularly attend gory trials all over the US, where he often saw the same faces in the public galleries. |
| 29 | As a youth he would watch adult-only films at the local drive-in, with binoculars. |
| 30 | His favorite childhood memory was seeing real blood on the seat of a wrecked car when visiting a scrap yard and fantasizing about lethal car crashes. |
Actor
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mugworth | post-production | Sir Butler | |
| Feud | 2017 | TV Series | William Castle |
| Groundbreakers | 2015-2017 | TV Series | |
| Clarence | 2016 | TV Series | Captain Tom |
| Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip | 2015 | First Class Passenger | |
| Mr. Pickles | 2014 | TV Series | Dr. Kelton |
| Suburban Gothic | 2014 | Cornelius | |
| Mickey Mouse | 2013 | TV Series short | |
| The Culinary Adventures of Baron Ambrosia | 2012 | TV Series | J.W. |
| Fish Hooks | 2012 | TV Series | The Yeti Lobster |
| Excision | 2012 | William | |
| Mangus! | 2011 | Jesus Christ | |
| The Lonely Island: The Creep | 2011 | Video short | John Waters |
| Hairspray | 2007 | Flasher | |
| In the Land of Merry Misfits | 2007 | Narrator | |
| Each Time I Kill | 2007 | Movie Watcher | |
| My Name Is Earl | 2007 | TV Series | Funeral Director |
| 'Til Death Do Us Part | 2006-2007 | TV Series | The Groom Reaper |
| Seed of Chucky | 2004 | Pete Peters | |
| Dead Like Me | 2004 | TV Series | Old man in WaffleHouse |
| Blood Feast 2: All U Can Eat | 2002 | The Reverend | |
| Cecil B. DeMented | 2000 | Reporter (uncredited) | |
| Sweet and Lowdown | 1999 | Mr. Haynes | |
| Welcome to Hollywood | 1998 | John Waters | |
| Pecker | 1998 | Pervert on Phone (voice, uncredited) | |
| Frasier | 1998 | TV Series | Roger |
| Anarchy TV | 1998 | ||
| The Simpsons | 1997 | TV Series | John |
| Homicide: Life on the Street | 1993-1995 | TV Series | R. Vincent Smith / Bartender |
| Serial Mom | 1994 | Ted Bundy (voice, uncredited) | |
| Family Album | 1994 | TV Series | Vincent |
| 21 Jump Street | 1990 | TV Series | Mr. Bean |
| Homer and Eddie | 1989 | Robber #1 | |
| Hairspray | 1988 | Dr. Fredrickson | |
| Something Wild | 1986 | Used Car Guy | |
| Pink Flamingos | 1972 | Mr. J (voice, uncredited) | |
| Mondo Trasho | 1969 | Reporter (voice, uncredited) |
Writer
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hairspray Live! | 2016 | TV Movie original screenplay | |
| Kiddie Flamingos | 2015 | ||
| Hairspray | 2007 | 1988 screenplay | |
| This Filthy World | 2006 | Documentary written by | |
| John Waters Presents Movies That Will Corrupt You | 2006 | TV Series writer - 13 episodes | |
| A Dirty Shame | 2004 | written by | |
| The 2003 IFP Independent Spirit Awards | 2003 | TV Movie documentary written by | |
| Cecil B. DeMented | 2000 | written by | |
| Pecker | 1998 | written by | |
| Serial Mom | 1994 | written by | |
| Cry-Baby | 1990 | written by | |
| Hairspray | 1988 | written by | |
| Polyester | 1981 | written by | |
| Desperate Living | 1977 | ||
| Female Trouble | 1974 | written by | |
| Pink Flamingos | 1972 | ||
| Multiple Maniacs | 1970 | ||
| The Diane Linkletter Story | 1970 | Short | |
| Mondo Trasho | 1969 | written by | |
| Dorothy, the Kansas City Pot Head | 1968 | Short | |
| Eat Your Makeup | 1968 | writer | |
| Roman Candles | 1966 | Short | |
| Hag in a Black Leather Jacket | 1964 | Short |
Director
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kiddie Flamingos | 2015 | ||
| A Dirty Shame | 2004 | ||
| Cecil B. DeMented | 2000 | ||
| Pecker | 1998 | ||
| Serial Mom | 1994 | ||
| Cry-Baby | 1990 | ||
| Hairspray | 1988 | ||
| Polyester | 1981 | ||
| Desperate Living | 1977 | ||
| Female Trouble | 1974 | ||
| Pink Flamingos | 1972 | ||
| Multiple Maniacs | 1970 | ||
| The Diane Linkletter Story | 1970 | Short | |
| Mondo Trasho | 1969 | ||
| Dorothy, the Kansas City Pot Head | 1968 | Short | |
| Eat Your Makeup | 1968 | ||
| Roman Candles | 1966 | Short | |
| Hag in a Black Leather Jacket | 1964 | Short |
Producer
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hairspray | 1988 | co-producer | |
| Polyester | 1981 | producer | |
| Desperate Living | 1977 | producer | |
| Female Trouble | 1974 | producer | |
| Pink Flamingos | 1972 | producer | |
| Multiple Maniacs | 1970 | producer | |
| The Diane Linkletter Story | 1970 | Short producer | |
| Mondo Trasho | 1969 | producer | |
| Eat Your Makeup | 1968 | producer | |
| Roman Candles | 1966 | Short producer | |
| Hag in a Black Leather Jacket | 1964 | Short producer |
Cinematographer
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Female Trouble | 1974 | filmed by | |
| Pink Flamingos | 1972 | ||
| Multiple Maniacs | 1970 | ||
| The Diane Linkletter Story | 1970 | Short | |
| Mondo Trasho | 1969 | filmed by | |
| Eat Your Makeup | 1968 | ||
| Roman Candles | 1966 | Short | |
| Hag in a Black Leather Jacket | 1964 | Short | |
| Desperate Living | 1977 |
Editor
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Female Trouble | 1974 | ||
| Pink Flamingos | 1972 | ||
| Multiple Maniacs | 1970 | ||
| The Diane Linkletter Story | 1970 | Short | |
| Mondo Trasho | 1969 | ||
| Eat Your Makeup | 1968 | ||
| Roman Candles | 1966 | Short | |
| Hag in a Black Leather Jacket | 1964 | Short |
Soundtrack
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday Night Live | 2011 | TV Series performer - 1 episode | |
| Cecil B. DeMented | 2000 | writer: "Bankable Bitch", "No Budget", "Demented Forever" | |
| Pecker | 1998 | writer: "Straight Boys", "Don't Drop the Soap For Anyone Else But Me" | |
| Serial Mom | 1994 | writer: "Gas Chamber" | |
| Female Trouble | 1974 | lyrics: "Female Trouble" |
Miscellaneous
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| I Am Divine | 2013 | Documentary archival material | |
| Hairspray | 2007 | consultant |
Music Department
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cry-Baby | 1990 | lyric adapter |
Thanks
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Vixens | 2015 | very special thanks | |
| Out of Print | 2014/I | Documentary the director would like to thank | |
| Haunted Trailer | 2014 | very special thanks | |
| Nosferatu vs. Father Pipecock & Sister Funk | 2014 | special thanks | |
| Faraday | 2013 | thanks | |
| Death by VHS | 2013 | special thanks | |
| First Period | 2013 | special thanks | |
| I Am Divine | 2013 | Documentary special thanks | |
| Daisy Derkins, Dogsitter of the Damned | 2013 | special thanks | |
| The Sarnos: A Life in Dirty Movies | 2013 | Documentary special thanks | |
| I Used to Be Darker | 2013 | special thanks | |
| Trashology | 2012 | special thanks | |
| Vixen Highway 2006: It Came from Uranus! | 2010 | special thanks | |
| Kaboom | 2010 | thanks | |
| All About Evil | 2010 | special thanks | |
| Shine Like Stars | 2010 | Documentary short special thanks | |
| 3rd Shift: Michael's Lament | 2009 | special thanks | |
| Stiff Jobs | 2009 | Video special thanks | |
| Little Joe | 2009 | Documentary thanks | |
| Stupa-Man | 2008 | special thanks | |
| Abbey of Thelema | 2007 | special thanks | |
| An American Crime | 2007 | very special thanks | |
| Madison Class of '64 | 2006 | Short a tribute to the genius of | |
| Yeti: A Love Story | 2006 | Video special thanks | |
| This Film Is Not Yet Rated | 2006 | Documentary the producers wish to thank | |
| Small Town Gay Bar | 2006 | Documentary thanks | |
| All the Dirt on 'A Dirty Shame' | 2005 | Video documentary very special thanks | |
| That Man: Peter Berlin | 2005 | Documentary special thanks | |
| Inside Deep Throat | 2005 | Documentary thanks | |
| Meet Bob Shaye | 2004 | Video documentary short special thanks | |
| Love and Deaf | 2004 | Short thanks | |
| Welcome to Hollywood | 1998 | special thanks | |
| Latin Boys Go to Hell | 1997 | thank you | |
| Headless Body in Topless Bar | 1995 | special thanks | |
| Homicide: Life on the Street | 1995 | TV Series special thanks - 1 episode | |
| Love Four | 1994 | Video acknowledgment: super duper extra special thanks to | |
| Poison | 1991 | thanks | |
| Paris Is Burning | 1990 | Documentary special thanks | |
| The Passing | 1985 | special thanks |
Self
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cult Queen Mary Woronov from Warhol to Corman | 2016 | Documentary post-production | Himself |
| At the Video Store | Documentary post-production | Himself | |
| Where Is My Needle?! The Brandon Novak Story | Documentary filming | Himself | |
| Queercore: How to Punk a Revolution | 2017 | Documentary | Himself |
| Tavis Smiley | 2017 | TV Series | Himself |
| A Conversation with Director John Waters, Actress Kathleen Turner and Actress Mink Stole | 2017 | Video documentary short | Himself |
| Real Time with Bill Maher | 2005-2017 | TV Series | Himself - Guest / Himself - Panelist |
| Mansfield 66/67 | 2017 | Documentary | Himself |
| The Late Show with Stephen Colbert | 2016 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Arts Show | 2016 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| Beyond the Beyond | 2016/II | Documentary short | Himself |
| Whatever Happened to Gelitin | 2016 | Documentary | |
| The New Yorker Presents | 2016 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| Wall Writers | 2016 | Documentary | Narrator |
| The 1000 Eyes of Dr. Maddin | 2015 | Documentary | |
| RuPaul's Drag Race | 2015 | TV Series | Himself - Guest Judge |
| Seed Money: The Chuck Holmes Story | 2015 | Documentary | Himself |
| Tab Hunter Confidential | 2015 | Documentary | Himself |
| Enjoy Your Intermission | 2015 | Documentary short | Himself |
| Groundbreakers | 2015 | TV Series | Himself - Host |
| The Playboy Morning Show | 2015 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Colbert Report | 2010-2014 | TV Series | Himself - Guest |
| The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson | 2005-2014 | TV Series | Himself - Guest |
| HitRECord on TV | 2014 | TV Series | Himself - Interviewee |
| The Last Impresario | 2013 | Documentary | Himself - Interviewee |
| The Daily Show | 1997-2013 | TV Series | Himself - Guest / Himself |
| I Am Divine | 2013 | Documentary | Himself |
| The Sarnos: A Life in Dirty Movies | 2013 | Documentary | Himself |
| Frankenstein: A Modern Myth | 2012 | TV Movie documentary | Himself - Director |
| The Rep | 2012 | Documentary | Himself |
| Paul Bowles: The Cage Door is Always Open | 2012 | Documentary | Himself |
| Time Zero: The Last Year of Polaroid Film | 2012 | Documentary | Himself |
| Mansome | 2012 | Documentary | Himself |
| Of Dolls and Murder | 2012 | Documentary | Himself - Narrator |
| CQC: Custe o Que Custar | 2012 | TV Series | Himself |
| The 2012 Film Independent Spirit Awards | 2012 | TV Special | Himself - Announcer |
| Días de cine | 2011 | TV Series | Himself |
| The 2011 Independent Spirit Awards | 2011 | TV Special | Himself |
| The Advocate for Fagdom | 2011 | Documentary | Himself |
| Saturday Night Live | 2011 | TV Series | Himself |
| These Amazing Shadows | 2011 | Documentary | Himself |
| Late Review | 2010 | TV Series | Himself - Cultural Highlights Interviewee |
| The Graham Norton Show | 2007-2010 | TV Series | Himself - Guest |
| The Hour | 2010 | TV Series | Himself - Guest |
| Herschell Gordon Lewis: The Godfather of Gore | 2010 | Video documentary | Himself |
| Uncle Bob | 2010 | Documentary | Himself |
| Festivals SUNcovered | 2010 | TV Series | Himself |
| 25th Film Independent Spirit Awards | 2010 | TV Special | Himself |
| Blank City | 2010 | Documentary | |
| Beautiful Darling | 2010 | Documentary | Himself |
| William S. Burroughs: A Man Within | 2010 | Documentary | Himself |
| The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special: In 3-D! On Ice! | 2010 | TV Special documentary | Himself |
| Celebrity Ghost Stories | 2009 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| The 2009 Independent Spirit Awards | 2009 | TV Special | Himself |
| It Came from Kuchar | 2009 | Documentary | Himself |
| Séries express | 2009 | TV Series | Himself |
| Starz Inside: Ladies or Gentlemen | 2008 | TV Movie documentary | Himself - Filmmaker |
| The Wild World of Ted V. Mikels | 2008 | Documentary | Himself / Narrator |
| Sex: The Revolution | 2008 | TV Mini-Series documentary | Himself |
| Kings of Rock 'n' Roll | 2008 | TV Movie documentary | Himself - Film Director |
| Starz Inside: In the Gutter | 2008 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| Dead On: The Life and Cinema of George A. Romero | 2008 | Documentary | Himself |
| The 62nd Annual Tony Awards | 2008 | TV Special | Himself - Presenter |
| Guest of Cindy Sherman | 2008 | Documentary | Himself |
| SqueezeBox! | 2008 | Documentary | Himself |
| New Line Cinema: The First Generation and the Next Generation | 2008 | Video documentary | Himself |
| Speechless | 2008 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| Serial Mom: Surreal Moments | 2008 | Video documentary short | Himself |
| The Kings of Gore: Herschell Gordon Lewis and David Friedman | 2008 | Video documentary short | Himself |
| You Can't Stop the Beat: The Long Journey of 'Hairspray' | 2007 | Video documentary | Himself |
| Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story | 2007 | Documentary | Himself |
| Jessica the Hippo | 2007 | TV Movie documentary voice | |
| Ace of Cakes | 2007 | TV Series | Himself |
| Obscene | 2007 | Documentary | Himself |
| The Junior Defenders | 2007 | Himself | |
| HBO First Look | 1994-2007 | TV Series documentary short | Himself |
| The Henry Rollins Show | 2007 | TV Series | Himself - Guest |
| Shootout | 2007 | TV Series | Himself - Guest |
| Happy Birthday Elton! From Madison Square Garden, New York | 2007 | TV Movie | Himself |
| Queens of Disco | 2007 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| Schau mir in die Augen, Kleiner | 2007 | Documentary | Himself |
| Film Independent's 2007 Spirit Awards | 2007 | TV Special | Himself |
| The Roots of 'Hairspray' | 2007 | Video documentary short | Himself |
| Treasures Untold: The Making of Disney's 'The Little Mermaid' | 2006 | Video documentary | Himself |
| Jackass Number Two | 2006 | Documentary | Himself |
| This Filthy World | 2006 | Documentary | Himself |
| The Wire: It's All Connected | 2006 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players: Off and on Broadway | 2006 | Video | Himself |
| 50 Films to See Before You Die | 2006 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| I Love the '70s: Volume 2 | 2006 | TV Series | Himself |
| Mommie Dearest: Joan Lives On | 2006 | Video short | Himself |
| Jack Smith and the Destruction of Atlantis | 2006 | Documentary | Himself |
| (buz'be bur'kle)n. A Study in Style | 2006 | Video short | Himself |
| Busby Berkeley's Kaleidoscopic Eyes | 2006 | Video short | Himself |
| Footlight Parade: Music for the Decades | 2006 | Video short | Himself |
| Joe Does the Oscars | 2006 | TV Movie | Himself |
| The Bigger Picture | 2006 | TV Series | Himself |
| Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema | 2006 | Documentary | Himself |
| John Waters Presents Movies That Will Corrupt You | 2006 | TV Series | Himself |
| This Film Is Not Yet Rated | 2006 | Documentary | Himself - Director of 'A Dirty Shame' |
| I Love the Holidays | 2005 | TV Special documentary | Himself |
| I Love the 80's 3-D | 2005 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| It Came from... Baltimore!! | 2005 | Video documentary short | Himself |
| Last Call with Carson Daly | 2005 | TV Series | Himself - Guest |
| All the Dirt on 'A Dirty Shame' | 2005 | Video documentary | Himself |
| Conceiving the 'Seed of Chucky' | 2005 | Video documentary short | Himself |
| Midnight Movies: From the Margin to the Mainstream | 2005 | Documentary | Himself |
| Tracks | 2005 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| Le grand journal de Canal+ | 2005 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| The 20th IFP Independent Spirit Awards | 2005 | TV Special documentary | Himself - Presenter: Best First Screenplay |
| That Man: Peter Berlin | 2005 | Documentary | Himself - FIlmmaker |
| Inside Deep Throat | 2005 | Documentary | Himself - Filmmaker |
| X-Rated | 2004 | TV Mini-Series documentary | Himself |
| Biography | 2004 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| Thinking XXX | 2004 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| SexTV | 2004 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| Blondie: Live by Request | 2004 | TV Movie | Himself (voice) |
| The Graham Norton Effect | 2004 | TV Series | Himself - Guest |
| Class of '80 Debbie Harry | 2004 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| Dinner for Five | 2004 | TV Series | Himself |
| The 2004 IFP/West Independent Spirit Awards | 2004 | TV Movie documentary | Himself - Host |
| Plagues and Pleasures on the Salton Sea | 2004 | Documentary | Narrator (voice) |
| Larry Clark, Great American Rebel | 2003 | Documentary | Himself |
| Abby Singer | 2003 | Himself | |
| Art in the Twenty-First Century | 2003 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| Totally Gay! | 2003 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| Hollywood High | 2003 | TV Special documentary | Himself |
| V Graham Norton | 2003 | TV Series | Himself - Guest |
| The 2003 IFP Independent Spirit Awards | 2003 | TV Movie documentary | Himself - Host |
| A History of Sex | 2003 | Documentary | Himself |
| Sylvester: Mighty Real | 2002 | Documentary short | Himself |
| E! True Hollywood Story | 1999-2002 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| The 2002 IFP/West Independent Spirit Awards | 2002 | TV Special documentary | Himself - Host |
| So Graham Norton | 2002 | TV Series | Himself - Guest |
| The Cockettes | 2002 | Documentary | Himself |
| Independent View | 2002 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| The Celtic Crevasse | 2002 | Short | Himself |
| All About Desire: The Passionate Cinema of Pedro Almodovar | 2001 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| Save Our History | 2001 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| Memories of Oz | 2001 | TV Special short documentary | Himself |
| The 2001 IFP/West Independent Spirit Awards | 2001 | TV Special | Himself |
| Late Night with Conan O'Brien | 1994-2001 | TV Series | Himself - Guest |
| Indie Sex: Taboos | 2001 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| Murmurs of the Hearth | 2001 | Video short | Himself |
| In Bad Taste | 2000 | TV Special documentary | Himself |
| Film-Fest DVD: Issue 5 - Cannes 2000 & SXSW | 2000 | Video documentary | Himself |
| Pie in the Sky: The Brigid Berlin Story | 2000 | Documentary | Himself |
| Politically Incorrect | 2000 | TV Series | Himself - panelist |
| Forever Hollywood | 1999 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| The 20th Century: Yesterday's Tomorrows | 1999 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| El Magacine | 1999 | TV Series | Himself |
| Intimate Portrait | 1999 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| Home Movie on John Waters | 1998 | Documentary short | Himself |
| Little Castles | 1998 | Documentary short | Himself |
| The Roseanne Show | 1998 | TV Series | Himself - Guest |
| Behind the Music | 1998 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| The Tonight Show with Jay Leno | 1994-1998 | TV Series | Himself - Guest |
| Late Show with David Letterman | 1994-1998 | TV Series | Himself - Guest |
| Divine Trash | 1998 | Documentary | Himself |
| Anthem | 1997 | Documentary | Himself |
| Split Screen | 1997 | TV Series | Himself |
| Ballyhoo: The Hollywood Sideshow! | 1996 | Documentary | Himself |
| American Cinema | 1995 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| Ricki Lake | 1994 | TV Series | Himself |
| Last Dance | 1994 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| Eurotrash | 1993 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| Gastronomic Getaway | 1991 | Video short | Himself |
| Hotels | 1990 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| Late Night with David Letterman | 1982-1988 | TV Series | Himself / Himself - Guest |
| The Incredibly Strange Film Show | 1988 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| Divine Waters | 1985 | Documentary | Himself |
| Emerald City | 1977 | TV Series | Himself |
| Edith's Shopping Bag | 1976 | Documentary | Himself |
| Love Letter to Edie | 1975 | Short documentary | Himself |
| Lady Divine | 1975 | Documentary | Himself |
Archive Footage
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Graham Norton Show | 2008-2011 | TV Series | Himself |
| Carta blanca | 2006 | TV Series | Himself |
| Silenci? | 2005 | TV Series | Himself |
Won Awards
| Year | Award | Ceremony | Nomination | Movie |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Stephen F. Kolzak Award | GLAAD Media Awards | ||
| 2003 | Copper Wing Tribute Award | Phoenix Film Festival | Phoenix Film Foundation Awards | |
| 1999 | Filmmaker on the Edge Award | Provincetown International Film Festival | ||
| 1997 | Jack Smith Lifetime Achievement Award | Chicago Underground Film Festival |
Nominated Awards
| Year | Award | Ceremony | Nomination | Movie |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Grammy | Grammy Awards | Best Spoken Word Album | For the album "Carsick: John Waters Hitchhikes Across America." |
| 1998 | Grand Prix Asturias | Gijón International Film Festival | Best Feature | Pecker (1998) |
| 1989 | Independent Spirit Award | Independent Spirit Awards | Best Director | Hairspray (1988) |
| 1989 | Independent Spirit Award | Independent Spirit Awards | Best Screenplay | Hairspray (1988) |
| 1988 | Grand Jury Prize | Sundance Film Festival | Dramatic | Hairspray (1988) |
Known for movies
Hairspray (2007)
as Flasher
This Film Is Not Yet Rated (2006)
as Thanks
Plagues and Pleasures on the Salton Sea (2004)
as Narrator
Divine Trash (1998)
as Himself