American filmmaker John Waters was BOTD in 1946. Born in Baltimore, Maryland to a middle-class family, he began making films as a teenager, inspired by the work of Andy Warhol and Kenneth Anger (and often under the influence of LSD). Made on a shoestring budget, his films pushed the boundaries of censorship with wildly camp and cheerfully offensive subject matter, earning him the title “The Pope of Trash”. His 1970s trilogy Multiple Maniacs, Pink Flamingos and Female Trouble made a cult star of drag queen Divine, whom Waters famously persuaded to eat dogshit on camera for Pink Flamingos. His 1988 comedy Hairspray was an international hit, spawning a stage musical and two film adaptations. He achieved mainstream success with the 1994 comedy Serial Mom, starring Kathleen Turner as a homicidal housewife. Recognisable for his trademark pencil moustache, he has made frequent appearances in television series including Ryan Murphy‘s Feud: Bette and Joan and The Marvellous Mrs Maisel. Credited with putting sex and perversion on American movie screens long before it was fashionable, hid films have influenced gay filmmakers Pedro Almodóvar and Bruce LaBruce. Waters lives with his partner in Baltimore.