John Waters: Quick Facts

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Sep. 26, 2026

Facts

Also Known As	John Samuel Waters, Jr.
Born	April 22, 1946 (age 80) • Baltimore • Maryland
Notable Works	“Cecil B. Demented” • “Cry-Baby” • “Female Trouble” • “Hairspray” • “Liarmouth: A Feel-Bad Romance” • “Mondo Trasho” • “Pecker” • “Pink Flamingos” • “Polyester” • “Serial Mom” • “Shock Value”

Photos

The Pope of Trash

Divine, with dramatic makeup and long blond hair, grins while holding a pig's head in a scene from the film Pink Flamingos.

Divine, Ricki Lake, and Jerry Stiller sit around a kitchen table set with food and drinks in a scene from the 1988 film Hairspray.

Kathleen Turner stands behind a chair with arms raised menacingly, while Patsy Grady Abrams sits unaware in front of her in a scene from the film Serial Mom.

Katrina Rose Dideriksen as Tracy Turnblad and Harvey Fierstein as Edna Turnblad stand on stage in bright pink costumes, holding bouquets and acknowledging the audience at the Hairspray musical.

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Fannie Hurst.

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Portrait of Miranda July in a black blouse, standing beside a patterned wall with one hand raised near her hair.

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Sherman Alexie, 2007

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John Sayles in 2010, wearing a dark shirt and looking at the camera against a plain brown background.

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