Known For:
Acting
Birthday:
December 8, 1948
Place of Birth:
London, England, UK
John Waters (born December 8, 1948) is one of Australia's most recognised and respected film and theatre actors. He was born in London England, the middle of five children of Scottish actor, Russell Waters. As a child John often hung around film studios while dad worked and even starred in a few young parts. He first faced a live audience as a singer and bass player with 60s R & R Band The Riots and appeared in Macbeth before travelling to Australia in 1968 with only a guitar and $90. He soon heard a US film called Adam's Woman, starring Beau Bridges, was being filmed in NSW so he managed to get himself cast in a small role. Fellow cast members recommended he try auditioning for a musical. He did, and landed the lead role of Claude in Sydney's 1969 production of the landmark rock musical, Hair. This was followed by the role of Judas in Godspell. This led to an acting career on stage, film and television that elevated him to his current status as Australia's most versatile leading man. From the brooding Sgt. McKellar Of ABC TV's Rush in 1974 which earned him a Logie Award for Best New Talent, through the Australian film boom that followed with films such as End Play, Summerfield, Breaker Morant, and on to the mini-series of the 80's, All The Rivers Run, Nancy Wake and Alice To Nowhere. Not to be forgotten was his ten year stint as host of childrens ABC program PlaySchool. John has always intrigued audiences with his diversity. Since collecting Australia's highest accolade as the Australian Film Institute's Best Actor Award in 1988 for the film Boulevard of Broken Dreams, John has re-embraced musical theatre as Professor Higgins in My Fair Lady, and They're Playing Our Song, and in productions of The Hunting of the Snark for Mike Batt, and A Little Night Music for the Sydney Theatre Company. He has also appeared in Love Letters at the Sydney Opera House and Children of a Lesser God. In 1995 he appeared in ReUnion a rock musical written and financed by himself and Stewart D'Arrietta. He won unanimous acclaim in the role of Pontius Pilate in the 1992 concert version of Jesus Christ Superstar with John Farnham, Kate Ceberano, Jon Stevens and Angry Anderson which successfully toured the nation. He has made guest appearances in various TV series, including Good Guys Bad Guys, The Man From Snowy River, All Together Now and Young Lions. John's self written one man show Looking Through a Glass Onion, based on the life of John Lennon, toured nationally and regularly since 1992 and also played six months in London's West End in 1995.
Year | Movie | Role |
---|---|---|
2024 | The Rooster | Norris |
2024 | Better Man | Michael Parkinson |
2022 | Blaze | Magistrate |
2020 | Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears | Professor Linnaeus |
2017 | 2:22 | Bill |
2017 | Three Summers | Eamon |
2013 | Return to Nim's Island | Booker |
2012 | The Mystery of a Hansom Cab | Mark Frettlby |
2011 | Kapyong | Narrator |
2010 | Centre Place | Jack Houghton |
2008 | Not Quite Hollywood | Self |
2007 | Ten Pound Poms | Narrator |
2006 | Carnivore Reflux | Narrator |
2006 | Telling Schoolgirl Tales: The Making of 'The Getting of Wisdom’ | Self |
2006 | The Bouncer | Dave |
2005 | Stealth | Black Ops Doctor |
2003 | Evil Never Dies | Professor Arkin |
2003 | Totally Gay! | Self |
1999 | Chameleon II: Death Match | Henry Kubica |
1999 | The Sugar Factory | Sam Lejeune |
1998 | The Real Macaw | Dr. Lance Hagen |
1995 | Singapore Sling: Midnight Orchid | John Stamford |
1994 | Ebbtide | Michael Suresch |
1994 | Singapore Sling | John Stamford |
1992 | Jesus Christ Superstar | Pontius Pilate |
1991 | Which Way Home | Steve Hannah |
1990 | Heaven Tonight | Johnny Dysart |
1988 | Grievous Bodily Harm | Morris Martin |
1988 | Boulevard of Broken Dreams | Tom Garfield |
1988 | Captain Johnno | Frank |
1987 | Bushfire Moon | Patrick O'Day |
1987 | Passion Flower | Leslie Gaitland |
1987 | The Last of the Mohicans | Hawkeye Bumppo (voice) |
1987 | Going Sane | Martin Brown |
1985 | The Perfectionist | Stuart Gunn |
1985 | I Can't Get Started | |
1984 | High Country | Ben Lomax |
1982 | Attack Force Z | Ted King |
1980 | Breaker Morant | Cpt. Alfred Taylor |
1979 | Demolition | |
1979 | The Prophecies of Nostradamus | Host |
1978 | Weekend of Shadows | Rabbit |
1978 | The Scalp Merchant | |
1978 | Cass | Mike |
1977 | Summerfield | David Abbott |
1977 | The Getting of Wisdom | Rev. Shepherd |
1976 | The Adventures of Eliza Fraser | David Bracefell |
1976 | The Haunting of Hewie Dowker | Hewie Dowker |
1976 | End Play | Mark Gifford |
Year | TV Show | Role |
---|---|---|
2024 | The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy | (voice) |
2022 | Darby and Joan | Ian Kirkhope |
2020 | The End | Henry |
2020 | Halifax: Retribution | Ryan |
2018 | Mystery Road | Travis James |
2014 | ANZAC Girls | Colonel Thomas Fiaschi |
2013 | The Doctor Blake Mysteries | Bernie Thompson |
2013 | Mickey Mouse | (voice) |
2011 | Bubble Guppies | Baron von Bland (voice) |
2010 | Offspring | |
2009 | Celebrity Ghost Stories | Self |
2008 | Underbelly | John Hatton MP |
2008 | Who Do You Think You Are? | Self |
2004 | Fireflies | Perry Luscombe |
2004 | Wonders of Australia's National Parks | Narrator |
2002 | Young Lions | Senior Detective Bill Martin |
1999 | The Lost World | Lento |
1998 | All Saints | Mike Vlasek |
1997 | Good Guys, Bad Guys | Oscar Drake |
1994 | The Man from Snowy River | Damien Winters |
1991 | Kelly | Mr. Nichols |
1990 | All The Rivers Run II | Brenton Edwards |
1987 | Nancy Wake | Henri Fiocca |
1986 | Alice to Nowhere | Johnny Parson |
1983 | All the Rivers Run | Brenton Edwards |
1976 | The Sullivans | Chris Merchant |
1974 | Rush | Sergeant Robert McKellar |