John Waters is an American film director, screenwriter, actor and author. He was born in Baltimore, Maryland on April, 22, 1946. Waters developed a cult following in the 1970s and '80s for his transgressive cult films that were intended to shock and amuse. Filmed around his native Baltimore, his early films were shot on a shoe-string budget and starred a recurring group of relatively unknown actors called the Dreamlanders. His first mainstream success came with the release of Hairspray in 1988, which was adapted into a long-running Broadway musical in 2002. His other popular films include: Crybaby, Serial Mom and Cecil B. Demented. In addition to filmmaking and other artistic endeavors, Waters has written numerous books. His most recent is entitled Carsick: John Waters Hitchhikes Across America. Other works include: Role Models, Art: A Sex Book, Crackpot: The Obsessions of John Waters, and Shock Value.
