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John McNaughton

b. 1950

American film and television director

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About John McNaughton

Born 1950. John McNaughton is an American film producer, film director, screenwriter, writer and director.

John McNaughton is an American film and television director, best known for directing the controversial Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer and Wild Things (1998). His works encompass a wide array of genres such as horror, thriller, drama and comedy. Other directorial credits include The Borrower (1991), Mad Dog and Glory (1993), and Normal Life (1996).

Career His first feature film, made in 1986, was Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, a film McNaughton directed, co-wrote, and co-produced. Numerous complications plagued the controversial film, delaying its theatrical release until 1989. The film made Time magazine's and Roger Ebert's ten best lists and won best picture honors at Fantasporto, Sitges Film Festival and the Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Film.

His other works include the films Mad Dog and Glory and Wild Things, the documentary Condo Painting as well as episodes of Homicide: Life on the Street, John From Cincinnati, Masters of Horror and the pilot episode for Push, Nevada.

Personal life McNaughton studied fine arts at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and graduated from Columbia College Chicago with a degree in television production and a minor in photography.

Filmography Film Documentary film Year Title Director Producer Writer 1984 Dealers in Death 2000 Condo Painting

Feature film Year Title Director Producer Writer 1986 Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer 1991 The Borrower 1991 Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll 1993 Mad Dog and Glory 1996 Normal Life 1998 Wild Things 2001 Speaking of Sex 2013 The Harvest

Television TV movies Year Title Notes 1994 Girls in Prison 1997 Firehouse Credited as Alan Smithee 1999 Lansky 2003 Expert Witness Unaired pilot

TV series Year Title Notes 1994–1996 Homicide: Life on the Street 5 episodes 2002 Push, Nevada Episode "The Amount" 2003 Without a Trace Episode "Maple Street" 2006 Masters of Horror Episode "Haeckel's Tale" 2007 John from Cincinnati Episode "His Visit: Day Three"

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
Columbia College Chicago
Awards
Sitges Film Festival Best Director award

People in John McNaughton's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped John McNaughton's

Frequently asked questions

Who is John McNaughton?

American film and television director

When was John McNaughton born?

John McNaughton was born on 13 January 1950 in Chicago.

What is John McNaughton's occupation?

John McNaughton is a film producer, film director, screenwriter, writer and director.

What nationality is John McNaughton?

John McNaughton is American.

Sources & further reading

Β· Wikipedia: John McNaughton

Β· Wikidata: Q522382

Β· DBpedia: John McNaughton

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). John McNaughton. https://biography.guide/john-mcnaughton/

MLA: "John McNaughton." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/john-mcnaughton/.

Chicago: "John McNaughton." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/john-mcnaughton/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-22 Β· Spot an error? Report a correction.

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