John Waters

John Waters

Keynote Speaker: Cult Filmmaker, Actor, Writer & Visual Artist

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John Waters Biography

JohnWaters has written and directed sixteen movies including Pink Flamingos, Female Trouble, Polyester, Hairspray, Cry Baby, Serial Mom and A Dirty Shame.

He is the author of ten books: "Shock Value," "Crackpot," "Pink Flamingos and Other Trash," "Hairspray, Female Trouble and Multiple Maniacs," "Art: A Sex Book" (co-written with Bruce Hainley), "Role Models," "Carsick," "Make Trouble," "Mr. Know-It-All," and coming out in 2022 his first novel, "Liarmouth: A Feel Bad Romance."

Two music compilation CDs have been released by New Line Records, “A John Waters Christmas” (2004) followed up by “A Date With John Waters” (2007). In 2017 Third Man Records released a 7” EP of Waters reading “Make Trouble” and in 2021 Sub Pop records distributed his “Prayer to Pasolini” as part of its Singles Club. John’s audiobooks “Carsick” and “Mr. Know-It-All” were both nominated for Grammy Awards in the Best Spoken Word Album category.

John Waters is a member of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Additionally, he is a past member of the The Andy Warhol Foundation Board and the Wexner Center International Arts Advisory Council. He is currently on the Board of Directors for the Baltimore Museum of Art as well as the Maryland Film Festival, and has been a key advisor to the Provincetown International Film Festival since it began in 1999, the same year Waters was honored as the first recipient of PIFF’s “Filmmaker on the Edge” award.

In September 2014 Film Society of Lincoln Center honored John Waters’ filmmaking with a 10-day celebration entitled “Fifty Years of John Waters: How Much Can You Take?” featuring a complete retrospective of his work. The next year the British Film Institute also honored John’s contribution to cinema with their own program called “The Complete Films of John Waters…Every Goddam One of Them”. In 2015, Waters was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and the same by the Maryland Institute College of Arts (MICA) in May 2016, as well as by School of Visual Arts (SVA) in 2020. The French Minister of Culture bestowed the rank of Officer in the Order of Arts and Letters to Mr. Waters in 2015. In February 2017 John Waters was honored with the Writers Guild of America East’s Ian McLellan Hunter Award for his body of work as a writer in motion pictures.

Waters is a photographer whose work has been shown in galleries all over the world. In 2011 he was selected as a juror for the Venice Biennale. He’s performed his one man spoken-word lectures entitled “This Filthy World”, “False Negative” or “Make Trouble” and his annual Christmas show, “A John Waters Christmas”, at colleges, museums, film festivals and comedy clubs around the world. Waters has appeared in many motion pictures and television shows including Jonathan Demme’s Something Wild, Woody Allen’s Sweet and Lowdown, Seed of Chucky, Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip. The Simpsons, Ryan Murphy’s Feud, The Blacklist, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Search Party. He also was one of the faces of a Nike campaign in 2019 and the Saint Laurent fall 2020 menswear campaign in 2020.

Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on John Waters and other top speakers and celebrities.

John Waters Speaking Topics

This Filthy World

"This Filthy World" is Waters’s rapid-fire one-man spoken word "vaudeville" act that celebrates the film career and joyously appalling taste of the man William Burroughs once called "The Pope of Trash". Updated and expanded from the original film version that enjoyed critical success at the Edinburgh, Toronto and Berlin Film Festivals, the live performance of "This Filthy World" focuses on Waters’s early negative artistic influences, his fascination with true crime, exploitation films, fashion lunacy, the extremes of the art world, Catholicism, sexual deviancy and a love of reading.

How do I book John Waters to speak at my event?

Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like John Waters for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for John Waters, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for John Waters or any other speaker of your choice.

How much does it cost to book John Waters for a speaking engagement?

Speaking fees for John Waters, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. For the most current speaking fee to hire John Waters, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.

What topics does John Waters speak about?

John Waters is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as LGBTQ, Television & Film, Diversity & Inclusion, Acting and Culture.

Where does John Waters travel from?

John Waters generally travels from Baltimore, MD, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.

Who is the agent for John Waters?

AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like John Waters for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book John Waters for your next private or corporate function.

What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host John Waters or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.

Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.


John Waters is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics including LGBTQ, Television & Film and Diversity & Inclusion. Please contact us for live or virtual event fee details. John Waters generally travels from Baltimore, MD, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Daniel Franzese, Wilson Cruz and Aubrey Plaza. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling John Waters for an upcoming event.

Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 09/10/2024.

John Waters Speaking Topics

  • This Filthy World

    "This Filthy World" is Waters’s rapid-fire one-man spoken word "vaudeville" act that celebrates the film career and joyously appalling taste of the man William Burroughs once called "The Pope of Trash". Updated and expanded from the original film version that enjoyed critical success at the Edinburgh, Toronto and Berlin Film Festivals, the live performance of "This Filthy World" focuses on Waters’s early negative artistic influences, his fascination with true crime, exploitation films, fashion lunacy, the extremes of the art world, Catholicism, sexual deviancy and a love of reading.

John Waters Reviews

  • Stellar team and excellent customer service!!
    University of Maryland, Baltimore - Nov 29 2022

  • Really enjoyed working with the AAE Team, and felt well supported as someone who appreciates attention to detail! Hope to work with them in the future.
    American Association of Law Libraries - Jul 23 2018

  • How do I book John Waters to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like John Waters for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for John Waters, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for John Waters or any other speaker of your choice.
  • How much does it cost to book John Waters for a speaking engagement?

    Speaking fees for John Waters, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. For the most current speaking fee to hire John Waters, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does John Waters speak about?

    John Waters is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as LGBTQ, Television & Film, Diversity & Inclusion, Acting and Culture.
  • Where does John Waters travel from?

    John Waters generally travels from Baltimore, MD, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.
  • Who is the agent for John Waters?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like John Waters for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book John Waters for your next private or corporate function.
  • What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host John Waters or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.
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