‘The minute I had success, I stopped taking drugs’: John Waters on 60 years of screen carnage
Filmmaker John Waters reflects on his six-decade career in cinema, discussing his transition from underground 'Pope of Trash' to mainstream success with films like Hairspray. He shares personal anecdotes about his past drug use and his evolving relationship with his controversial artistic legacy.
Why it matters
Waters remains a significant cultural figure whose work challenged censorship and redefined the boundaries of independent and cult cinema.
‘He still lives today in so many ways’ … Divine and John Waters in New York in 1975. ‘He still lives today in so many ways’ … Divine and John Waters in New York in 1975. John Waters Interview ‘The minute I had success, I stopped taking drugs’: John Waters on 60 years of screen carnage Ryan Gilbey As Hairspray and his ‘angriest movie’ Desperate Living are rereleased, the ‘Pope of Trash’ reflects on dead dogs, dirty rats, ‘that lunatic RFK’ and why there are no novelty dances any more
The article is a retrospective interview focusing on artistic history and personal reflection without political bias.
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