John Waters might never have become one of Australia's most famous stage and screen actors, were it not for a little bit of luck and a whole lot of chutzpah. Arriving as a 19-year-old 10-pound Pom with a single name on an envelope, he talked his way onto a film set, setting him on a path to stardom. Now 77, he is preparing to open in Fiddler on the Roof at Her Majesty's Theatre in Melbourne.
Waters' journey began with a bluff. Seeing that the film Adam's Woman was being shot, he went to the Sydney hotel where its director, Philip Leacock, was staying. His actor father knew Leacock, and Waters claimed an appointment. “I bullshitted my way,” Waters told Cassidy Knowlton over lunch. Leacock told his production manager to get him a job, and Waters started as a runner.
From there, he landed a part in the Australian production of Hair, setting him on a path to stardom across stage and screen. For nearly 20 years he hosted Play School, making him the most famous man in Australia for the preschool set. His own children were unfazed; they thought everybody’s dad was on Play School.
Waters was just 22 when his first child was born, and became a father again in his 50s after marrying his third wife, Zoe Burton. By the time his younger children arrived, they were barely aware that their father had once been the talk of the playground, though they were not unaware of his stardom.
Photographer Simon Schluter said a scar on Waters’ cheek gave him a certain rock-star bad boy glamour on Play School. The scar has faded. Waters also still performs with his band Radio Luxembourg.
Fiddler on the Roof is set in the Jewish village of Anatevka in 1905. Waters plays Lazar Wolf, the village butcher, joining a cast that includes Sigrid Thornton and Troy Sussman as Tevye. He said joining the cast after rehearsals had started was daunting, but seeing Thornton there felt like finding a friend at a new school.
Fiddler is set to play through to the end of the year. Waters does not yet know what 2027 will bring, but is considering whether to return to a show with his band Radio Luxembourg.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- John Waters' career mirrors the evolution of Australian theatre and television over the past five decades.
- His accidental start illustrates the unpredictability and resourcefulness required in the performing arts.
- Fiddler on the Roof brings a classic story of resilience and tradition to Melbourne audiences.
Background
John Waters is a Scottish-born Australian actor and television presenter, best known for his long-running role on the children's show Play School and for countless roles in productions such as All the Rivers Run and Underbelly. He emigrated to Australia at 19. Fiddler on the Roof is a classic musical set in early 20th-century Russia, dealing with themes of family, faith, and persecution.
What to Watch
- Fiddler on the Roof plays at Her Majesty's Theatre in Melbourne until the end of the year.
- Waters' next project is unknown, but he has hinted at a return to performing with his band Radio Luxembourg.
- The production's success in Melbourne could determine whether it tours further.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 11 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedWaters built a 50-year career on luck and chutzpah.The Age - Latest News: “The accidental star: How John Waters turned a cheeky bluff into a 50-year career.”
- SupportedThe story presents Waters as reflecting on bluffing his way into show business and his new role in Fiddler on the Roof.The Age - Latest News: “He said anything. And he said to his production manager, ‘Get the boy a job.’ So I started as a runner on the movie.””
- SupportedLuck and chutzpah helped make Waters one of Australia’s most famous stage and screen actors.The Age - Latest News: “John Waters might not have ever become one of Australia’s most famous stage and screen actors, were it not for a little bit of luck and a whole lot of chutzpah.”
- SupportedWaters arrived in Australia aged 19 as a 10-pound Pom with one name on an envelope.The Age - Latest News: “He arrived as a 10-pound Pom at the age of 19”
- SupportedWaters claimed an appointment with director Philip Leacock and got a job on the film.The Age - Latest News: “I said, ‘Oh, I’ve got an appointment to see Philip Leacock,’ ... He said, ‘Do you want to be on that film? What do you want?’ I said anything. And he said to his production manager, ‘Get the boy a job.’”
- SupportedWaters said, “I bullshitted my way.”The Age - Latest News: ““So I went to the Sebel Townhouse and I bullshitted my way. I said, ‘Oh, I’ve got an appointment to see Philip Leacock,’””
- Partly supportedWaters told Cassidy Knowlton over lunch that he “bullshitted” his way in.The Age - Latest News: “His temporary home now is in Melbourne, and we’ve met for lunch at Farmer’s Daughters the day before technical rehearsals begin for Fiddler on the Roof”
- SupportedAfter starting as a runner, Waters landed a part in the Australian production of Hair, setting him on a path to stardom.The Age - Latest News: “He landed the part in the Vietnam-era anti-war paean to free love and revolution, which set him on the path to stardom across stage and screen”
- SupportedWaters hosted Play School for nearly 20 years and became the most famous man in Australia for the preschool set.The Age - Latest News: “including, of course, nearly 20 years hosting Play School. He became the most famous man in Australia for the preschool set”
- SupportedWaters was 22 when his first child was born and became a father again in his 50s after marrying his third wife, Zoe Burton.The Age - Latest News: “Waters was just 22 when his first child, Rebecca, was born ... He unexpectedly found himself a father again in his 50s, after marrying his third wife, Zoe Burton.”
- SupportedPhotographer Simon Schluter said Waters’s scar gave him rock-star bad-boy glamour on Play School.The Age - Latest News: “Our photographer, Simon Schluter, says Waters brought a certain rock-star bad boy glamour. John Waters, pictured on the set of Play School”
- SupportedFiddler on the Roof is set in Anatevka in 1905, and Waters plays village butcher Lazar Wolf in a cast that includes Sigrid Thornton and Troy Sussman as Tevye.The Age - Latest News: “Fiddler is set in the Jewish village of Anatevka in 1905”