John Waters (actor) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John Waters
John Waters rehearsing in stage version of The Addams Family as Gomez
Born	John Russell Waters 1948 (age 76–77) London, England
Occupation	Actor musician songwriter playwright theatre performer TV presenter
Years active	1967−present
Children	5

John Waters, born in England in 1948, is a talented Australian actor, singer, and musician. He has worked in movies, theatre, and television for more than 50 years! Many people know him from the popular Australian children's TV show Play School, where he was a presenter for 18 years. His father, Russell Waters, was also a well-known actor.

John Waters' Career Highlights

John Waters

John Waters has had a long and exciting career in entertainment. He has performed in many different ways, from singing on stage to acting in popular TV shows and movies.

Music Performances and Albums

John Waters started his music journey in the 1960s. He was a singer and played bass guitar in a blues band called The Riots in London. Later, he moved to Australia and made it his home.

Since 1992, John has performed a special one-man show called Looking Through a Glass Onion. This show is a tribute to the famous musician John Lennon. It features Lennon's music, words, and pictures. John Waters has toured this show all over Australia. He also performed it for six months in London and for 120 shows in New York City.

John has released several music CDs. These include:

• The Story of Pilliga Pete and Clarrie the Cocky (2010): A family story and music CD written and narrated by him.
• Brel (2010): A live album sung in French, honoring the Belgian singer Jacques Brel.
• John Waters Looking Through A Glass Onion (2011): A double live album from his tribute show.
• Cloudland (2011): His first album of original songs.

Theatre Roles

John Waters has starred in many theatre productions. Here are some of his notable roles:

• In 1980, he was in the first Australian production of They're Playing Our Song in Sydney. He starred alongside Jacki Weaver.
• In 2005, he played Ziggi Blasko in David Williamson's play Influence.
• In 2008, he was The Narrator in Richard O'Brien's Rocky Horror Show in Sydney.
• From 2006 to 2007, he toured Australia, Hong Kong, and New Zealand in The Woman in Black.
• In 2010, he performed in The Swimming Club for the Melbourne Theatre Company.
• In 2013, he played Gomez Addams in The Addams Family musical in Sydney.
• In 2017, he played Ulysses in a concert production of Paris. He had previously played Agamemnon on the musical's original album.
• In 2024, he starred in a new Australian tour of The Woman in Black as Arthur Kipps.

Television Appearances

Many Australians remember John Waters from his long time on Play School. He was a presenter on the children's show from 1972 to 1991. During this time, he also narrated many children's video trailers for ABC-TV.

Other well-known TV roles include:

• Sergeant Robert McKellar in the 1974–76 series Rush.
• Brenton Edwards in the 1983 Australian miniseries All the Rivers Run.
• Perry Luscombe in Fireflies (2004).
• Dr. Mike Vlasek, the head of surgery, in All Saints from 2006 to 2009.
• Guest roles in shows like Sea Patrol (2010) and City Homicide (2010).
• Mark Frettiby in the 2012 ABC TV mini-series The Mystery of a Hansom Cab.
• Darcy Proudman in the popular series Offspring from 2010 to 2014.
• Edgar Thompson in the ABC TV series Rake (2015).
• Travis James, a lawyer, in the ABC TV series Mystery Road (2018).

Film Roles

John Waters has acted in many films. Some of his notable movie roles include:

• Captain Alfred Taylor in the 1980 film Breaker Morant.
• Sub Lt. Ted "Kingo" Kong in the 1981 World War II film Attack Force Z, alongside Mel Gibson and Sam Neill.
• Booker in Return to Nim's Island (2013).
• Bill in 2:22 (2017).
• Eamon in Three Summers (2017).
• Christopher in At Last (2020).
• Simon Baker in Blaze (2022).
• Norris in The Rooster (2023).

Other Work

John Waters has also appeared in many television advertisements for well-known companies. He has narrated programs like Mind Games: Real Life Adventures and Triple Zero Heroes.

Awards and Recognition

John Waters has received several awards for his acting:

• In 1975, he won the George Wallace Memorial Logie for Best New Talent at the Logie Awards for his role in Division 4.
• In 1988, he won the AFI Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for his character Tom Garfield in the film Boulevard of Broken Dreams.

He has also been nominated for other awards, including:

• Best Lead Actor for Weekend of Shadows (1978).
• Best Supporting Actor in a Drama for All Saints (2006).
• Most Popular Actor in a Telemovie or Mini-Series for Which Way Home (1992).

ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards are annual awards for Australian music.

Personal Life

John Waters has been married three times and has five children. He currently lives in the Southern Highlands, NSW, with his third wife, Zoe Burton, and their three children.

Supporting Children's Music

John Waters cares about children's music. He supports the Australian Children's Music Foundation (ACMF), which was started by his fellow Play School presenter Don Spencer. He is an ambassador for this foundation, helping to bring music to more children.

Filmography

Selected Film Roles

Selected Television Roles

See also

In Spanish: John Waters (actor) para niños