John Cameron Mitchell
Acting
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.
Known for
Acting64
movieCockroach
2026
James
movieNicole Kidman: Eyes Wide Open
2023
Self (interview)
tvCity on Fire
2023
Amory
tvDr. Jackie
2022
John Cameron Mitchell
tvThe Sandman
2022
Hal Carter
tvJoe vs Carole
2022
Joe 'Exotic' Schreibvogel
tvYellowjackets
2021
Caligula
movieJohn Cameron Mitchell & Stephen Trask: Nation of One
2021
John Cameron Mitchell
tvShrill
2019
Gabe
movieHow to Talk to Girls at Parties
2017
Punk (uncredited)
tvThe Good Fight
2017
Felix Staples
movieMy Entire High School Sinking Into the Sea
2016
Brent Daniels (voice)
tvVinyl
2016
Andy Warhol
movieThe Hooping Life
2014
Himself
tvLate Night with Seth Meyers
2014
Self - Guest
tvGirls
2012
David Pressler-Goings
tvIndie Sex
2007
Self
movieShortbus
2006
Sextra (one of the participants in the orgy sequence)
movieLance Loud!: A Death in An American Family
2003
Self (uncredited)
movieHedwig and the Angry Inch
1998
Hedwig Robinson/Tommy Gnosis
movieDavid Searching
1997
Man with Fruit
Party Girl
1996
Derrick
movieDaybreak
1993
Lennie
tvLaw & Order
1990
Eddie
tvFreddy's Nightmares
1988
Bryan Ross
movieA Friendship in Vienna
1988
Tommi Lowberg
movieOne More Saturday Night
1986
Teenager #2
tvMacGyver
1985
Aaron
tvThe Twilight Zone
1985
Tom (segment "The Last Defender of Camelot")
tvThe Equalizer
1985
Ed Donahue
movieThe Roommate
1984
Calvin Fitch
tvAmerican Playhouse
1982
Calvin Fitch / 1st Android (segment 'Teach 109') / Jacek Nowak
movieHeaven Above Rowen
Promise (voice)
Directing7
Production6
moviePaying for It
2025
Executive Producer
Seraph
2013
Producer
movieShortbus
2006
Producer
movieTarnation
2003
Executive Producer
movieUntitled Candy Darling Biopic
Executive Producer
Writing6
movieHow to Talk to Girls at Parties
2017
Screenplay
movieInterior. Leather Bar.
2013
Story Consultant
Seraph
2013
Writer
movieShortbus
2006
Screenplay
movieHedwig and the Angry Inch
2001
Musical, Writer
Sound1
movieJohn Cameron Mitchell & Stephen Trask: Nation of One
2021
Vocals, Musician