John Cameron Mitchell
(April 21, 1963 - living) U.S.A.
Writer, director, playwright and actor
Born in El Paso, Texas, the son of an Army general under a strict Catholic upbringing, Mitchell moved from town to town and found science fiction, comic books, glam rock, and theater to be reliable companions.
When his father, a U.S. Army general, moved the family to Berlin, Mitchell's babysitter, Helga, a German army wife who was also an after-hours prostitute, became the visual model for Mitchell's later creation - the character of Hedwig. "She had that world-weary thing, which was very impressive. But it's like when you meet immigrants here- there's a hope and determination. And she was fun," says Mitchell.
Although he had been bisexual as a teenager, Mitchell finally came out as gay in college while visiting his brother in San Francisco and has always been open about his sexuality throughout his professional career.
Mitchell broke into the entertainment business in the mid-'80s, appearing on a variety of television shows and little-seen films. During the 1990s, while he was appearing on-stage in Hedwig, he also popped up in films such as Spike Lee's Girl 6 (1996) and the TV spin-off of Party Girl, Daisy von Scherler Mayer's 1995 cult film starring Parker Posey.
Mitchell's real screen breakthrough came courtesy of Hedwig and the Angry Inch; following its release, he began to receive attention from both critics and industry figures, many of whom wondered how Mitchell would choose to follow up such a unique and cult-inspiring directing debut.
Mitchell was listed as one of twelve "Promising New Actors of 1991" in John Willis' Screen World, Vol. 43, and named one of People Magazine's "Breakthrough Stars of 2001".
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