About

Known credits:
69
Birthday:
1963-04-21
Place of birth:
El Paso, Texas, United States
Website:

John Cameron Mitchell

Overview

American writer, director, actor. Mitchell, the son of a U.S. Army general and a Scottish mother, grew up on various army bases, including Berlin; later the family lived in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where he attended a Catholic school.

Since the mid-1980s, he has worked as a theatre actor and director in New York City and played small roles in television and film productions. Among other things, he directed a play by Tennessee Williams. From 1991, he appeared in the original Broadway production of Marsha Norman and Lucy Simon's musical adaptation of The Secret Garden, which won several Tony Awards.

In the early 1990s, together with musician Stephen Trask, he developed the character of Hedwig, a transgender rock musician who grew up in East Berlin, for performances in the New York drag bar Squeezebox. This led to the successful Off-Broadway musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch in 1998, which won two Obie Awards, and three years later to the film version of the musical, again with himself in the title role. The film premiered at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Director's and Audience Awards, and the play won the 2001 Lambda Literary Award. At the 2002 Chlotrudis Awards, he won the prize for best leading actor. At the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) in 2001, the film was shown in the ‘PANORAMA’ section and won the Teddy Award.

In 2003, he produced the film Tarnation by Jonathan Caouette, which was honoured as best documentary film by the US National Society of Film Critics, among others. In 2004, Mitchell shot the music video for the Scissor Sisters' single Filthy/Gorgeous with stars from the New York drag scene. The clip was not shown on American MTV due to its explicit sexual depictions.

IMDb minii bio by; yusufpiskin

Known for

Acting

2025 Cockroach Actor James N/A
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2025 Reclaim the Flag Actor Self N/A
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2025 Lisbon Actor N/A
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2023 Angelheaded Hipster: The Songs of Marc Bolan & T. Rex Actor Self 58
Average
2023 Nicole Kidman: Eyes Wide Open Actor Self (interview) 59
Average
2023 City on Fire Actor Amory 68
Fair
2022 Impresario Actor N/A
N/A
2022 Joe vs Carole Actor Joe 'Exotic' Schreibvogel 65
Fair
2021 John Cameron Mitchell & Stephen Trask: Nation of One Actor John Cameron Mitchell N/A
N/A
2020 Skin: A History of Nudity in the Movies Actor Self 59
Average
2020 Time Warp Vol. 3: Comedy and Camp Actor Self 59
Average
2019 The Spark: The Origins of Pride Actor Self 59
Average
2019 Shrill Actor Gabe 66
Fair
2017 Broadway: The Next Generation Actor Self 58
Average
2017 How to Talk to Girls at Parties Actor Punk (uncredited) 59
Average
2016 My Entire High School Sinking Into the Sea Actor Brent Daniels (voice) 59
Average
2015 Larry Kramer In Love & Anger Actor Himself 58
Average
2015 Danny Says Actor Self 59
Average
2014 The Hooping Life Actor Himself 59
Average
2007 Anita O'Day: The Life of a Jazz Singer Actor Himself 59
Average
2007 Gifted and Challenged: The Making of 'Shortbus' Actor Himself 59
Average
2006 Shortbus Actor Sextra (one of the participants in the orgy sequence) 60
Fair
2006 Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema Actor Self 58
Average
2006 Apparition of the Eternal Church Actor Self N/A
N/A
2003 Whether You Like It or Not: The Story of Hedwig Actor Self 59
Average
2003 Totally Gay! Actor Self 58
Average
2003 Lance Loud!: A Death in An American Family Actor Self (uncredited) 59
Average
2001 Hedwig and the Angry Inch Actor Hedwig 65
Fair
1999 I Remember Actor Joe 59
Average
1998 Hedwig and the Angry Inch Actor Hedwig Robinson/Tommy Gnosis N/A
N/A
1997 David Searching Actor Man with Fruit 58
Average
1996 Party Girl Actor Derrick N/A
N/A
1996 Girl 6 Actor Rob 56
Average
1993 Daybreak Actor Lennie 58
Average
1990 The Dreamer of Oz Actor Albert 58
Average
1990 Book of Love Actor Floyd 58
Average
1989 Misplaced Actor Jacek N/A
N/A
1988 A Friendship in Vienna Actor Tommi Lowberg 58
Average
1987 The Stepford Children Actor Kenny 58
Average
1986 One More Saturday Night Actor Teenager #2 58
Average
1986 Band of the Hand Actor J.L. 59
Average
1984 The Roommate Actor Calvin Fitch N/A
N/A
Heaven Above Rowen Actor Promise (voice) N/A
N/A
Ron Forever Actor Ron N/A
N/A

Directing

2017 How to Talk to Girls at Parties Directing Director 59
Average
2013 HAPPYish Directing Director N/A
N/A
2013 Agent Provocateur: Control Yourself Directing Director N/A
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2013 Sigur Rós: Valtari Film Experiment Directing Director 58
Average
2010 Rabbit Hole Directing Director 63
Fair
2010 Lady Grey London Directing Director 59
Average
2006 Shortbus Directing Director 60
Fair
2001 Hedwig and the Angry Inch Directing Director 65
Fair

Writing

2021 John Cameron Mitchell & Stephen Trask: Nation of One Writing Writer N/A
N/A
2017 How to Talk to Girls at Parties Writing Screenplay 59
Average
2013 Interior. Leather Bar. Writing Story Consultant 58
Average
2013 Seraph Writing Writer 58
Average
2010 Lady Grey London Writing Writer 59
Average
2006 Shortbus Writing Screenplay 60
Fair
2001 Hedwig and the Angry Inch Writing Screenplay 65
Fair
2001 Hedwig and the Angry Inch Writing Musical 65
Fair

Production

2025 Paying for It Production Executive Producer 58
Average
2023 xXPonyBoyDerekXx Production Executive Producer N/A
N/A
2017 How to Talk to Girls at Parties Production Producer 59
Average
2013 Seraph Production Producer 58
Average
2006 Shortbus Production Producer 60
Fair
2003 Tarnation Production Executive Producer 60
Fair
Untitled Candy Darling Biopic Production Executive Producer N/A
N/A

Sound

2021 John Cameron Mitchell & Stephen Trask: Nation of One Sound Musician N/A
N/A
2021 John Cameron Mitchell & Stephen Trask: Nation of One Sound Vocals N/A
N/A