Pioneering filmmaker John Waters was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Monday.
The director of cult classics including Polyester, Crybaby and Pink Flamingos was honored at the ceremony by Ricki Lake, who starred in his 1988 film Hairspray.
That film marked an unexpected critical and commercial success for Water, who was better known for making raunchy and surreal underground films in the previous decade.
Others who honored Water included his regular actress Mink Stole and photographer Greg Gorman.
Waters, 77, who stood out as usual in an eye-catching sports coat, paid touching tribute to his late parents Patricia and John S. Waters at the ceremony as he posed with his budding star while holding up a photograph of the two.
After Patricia’s death in 2014 at the age of 89, the iconic filmmaker paid tribute to her Washington Post to teach him ‘the articles of good taste’, which he said he ‘made a career of’, although he has primarily focused on exploring bad taste in his filmography.
Waters wore an eye-catching gray striped sports coat covered in red and orange spots, which he accessorized with a crimson paisley tie.
His jacket also had a striking knit collar to complement the red theme.
The Female Trouble director toned down the rest of her look with navy trousers and tan leather shoes.
As usual, he sported his instantly identifiable pencil mustache that has been worn for decades.
Waters was joined by her former leading lady Lake, who glowed in a lovely emerald green satin gown.
She beamed as she showed off her natural salt-and-pepper hair, and she added extra class with long black gloves that reached her upper arms.
She starred as Tracy Turnblad, a bubbly high school student who dreams of dancing on TV before a social awakening prompts her to push for racial integration of her school.
Lake’s role led to an acting career and minor roles in most of Waters’ subsequent films.
Her profile increased in 1993 with the launch of her eponymous talk show, which remained on air until 2004.
Also paying tribute to Waters was another member of his regular acting company, actress Mink Stole (real name: Nancy Paine Stoll).
She put on a colorful display with a multi-coloured coat which she wore with a white blouse and dark trousers.
Photographer Greg Gorman wore a smart black suit with a tieless gray shirt.
Waters, who is openly gay, is considered a major influence on subsequent generations of queer filmmakers thanks to his films that openly deal with different sexualities and sex acts, although usually with an absurd and surrealist style.
‘God, here I am, closer to the gutter than ever,’ the self-deprecating filmmaker joked at the unveiling, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
He dedicated the credit to his parents, ‘who, despite being appalled by my early films and some of the last ones, also encouraged me to continue because I guess they thought what else could I do but be in show business?’
The ceremony was sponsored by Warner Bros. and Outfest, and he thanked the organizations for their years of support while joking that he was glad they thought he was ‘gay enough to receive’ the star.
‘Hollywood Walk of Fame, you are the best and I hope the most desperate showbiz rejects walk past me here and feel some kind of respect and strength. The drain on this magical boulevard will never wash away the gutter of my gratitude, the splendor of my film career, or the waste of Waters’ appreciation,” he continued.
“Thanks Hollywood, this time I’ve finally gone beyond the valley of the dolls.”
He also recalled how he had had a run-in with the law during an early trip to California after leaving his home turf of Baltimore, Maryland, where most of his films have been shot.
“I got out of my vehicle in 1970 at Hollywood and Vine and droned across the street and got a jaywalking ticket, the first one, and I never looked back,” he said proudly.
Waters hasn’t made a film since 2004’s A Dirty Shame, which featured Johnny Knoxville, Selma Blair and Tracey Ullman in an ensemble cast.
However, last year it was announced that he was finally returning to the director’s chair with the film Liarmouth, an adaptation of his novel of the same name.
The unveiling of his Hollywood Walk of Fame star also coincides with the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures’ exhibition John Waters: Pope of Trash.
The museum bills it as the first ‘comprehensive exhibition’ to explore his history, filmmaking and artistic style.
The exhibit, which opened Sunday and runs through August 4, 2024, includes a series of screenings of Waters’ films that continue through October 28.
