John Samuel Waters Jr. (born April 22, 1946) is an American filmmaker, actor, writer, and artist. He rose to fame in the early 1970's for his transgressive cult films, including Multiple Maniacs (1970), Pink Flamingos (1972), and Female Trouble (1974). Waters wrote and directed the comedy film Hairspray (1988), which was later adapted into a hit Broadway musical and a 2007 musical film. His other films include Desperate Living (1977), Polyester (1981), Cry-Baby (1990), Serial Mom (1994), Pecker (1998), and Cecil B. Demented (2000), each containing elements of post-modern comedy and surrealism.

Waters also works as a visual artist and across different media, such as installations, photography, and sculpture. He was twice nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album, narrating his audiobooks Carsick (2015) and Mr. Know-It-All (2020). Waters was named an officer of the French Order of Arts and Letters in 2018. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2023.