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Mark Waters, actor & director
Actor & Director

Mark Waters: Movies & Box Office

films
20
as director
17
on screen
1997–2025
box office
$901M
average score
51
Born
June 30, 1964 (age 62)
Birthplace
Wyandotte, Michigan, U.S.
Full name
Mark Stephen Waters
Citizenship
American
Occupations
Director, Producer
Years active
1997-present
Children
2
Known for

The Best Mark Waters Movies

The highest-rated films Mark Waters is credited on, by the Movie Echo Score that blends critic reviews, audience ratings and lasting impact. Chasing the Present (2019) scores highest, at 84. The full ranking adds the biggest box office hits and the most awarded films.

Full ranking
Career at a glance

Mark Waters's Career in Numbers

Mark Waters's films in numbers — as an actor and a director, not counting appearances as themselves: when they were made, the genres Mark Waters works in most and the milestones along the way. The filmography runs from The House of Yes (1997) to La Dolce Villa (2025), and the 2010s were the busiest decade.

Mark Waters Movies by Decade

  1. 1990s 1
  2. 2000s 7
  3. 2010s 8
  4. 2020s 4

The 2010s were Mark Waters's busiest decade, with 8 films.

Mark Waters Movies by Genre

  • Comedy 5
  • Drama 5
  • Fantasy 4
  • Documentary 1
  • Romance 1
  • Action 1
  • Crime 1
  • Adventure 1
  • Mystery 1

Comedy is the genre Mark Waters has worked in most, with 5 films, ahead of drama (5).

Mark Waters Career Milestones

First film
The House of Yes 1997
Biggest box office hit
Mr. Popper's Penguins $187M worldwide
Best-rated film
Chasing the Present Movie Echo Score 84
Newest film
La Dolce Villa 2025
20 credits

Mark Waters Filmography: Every Movie

Every film Mark Waters is credited on, newest first, with the role, the box office and the Movie Echo Score. 17 as director and 3 as actor. Rated films average a score of 51. Re-order the list to see the best-rated films or the biggest hits first.

Biography

Who Is Mark Waters?

Mark Waters was born in Wyandotte, Michigan, U.S. in 1964 and is 62 years old. Credited on films since 1997, as both an actor and a director. The background, training and the roles that shaped the career.

Mark Stephen Waters, born on June 30, 1964, is celebrated as an accomplished American director and producer. During his early life, Waters was brought up in South Bend, Indiana and then proceeded to study theatre arts at the prestigious University of Pennsylvania, later joining the American Film Institute. His passion for film was ignited when he saw the play 'The House of Yes' during his time at Penn. Sensing the cinematic potential of the play, Waters contacted the author, Wendy MacLeod, presenting himself as a film producer and securing a manuscript copy. Before joining AFI, he fostered his craft further as a stage actor and director in both Philadelphia and San Francisco, where he created several short films. He graduated from AFI in 1994, ready to imprint his name on the larger world of film.

Waters has demonstrated his directorial prowess through a range of comedy films including the likes of 'Freaky Friday', 'Mean Girls', 'Mr. Popper's Penguins', and 'Vampire Academy'. His directorial journey began with the independent hit 'The House of Yes' that starred Parker Posey. His repertoire has since broadened, producing more successful films such as 'Head Over Heels', 'The Spiderwick Chronicles', 'Bad Santa 2', 'Magic Camp', 'He's All That', and others. He was also entrusted to direct a movie famously known as 'Minimum Wage', written by Scott Atkinson and Tegan West.

FAQ

Mark Waters: Questions & Answers

How many movies Mark Waters has made, the biggest hit, the best-rated film, the award record and more, answered from the filmography above.

How many movies has Mark Waters been in?

Mark Waters is credited on 20 films, from 1997 to 2025. 3 of them as an actor and 17 as a director. The filmography on this page lists every one of them, newest first, with the role and the Movie Echo Score.

What is Mark Waters's highest-grossing movie?

Mr. Popper's Penguins (2011) is Mark Waters's biggest box office hit, with $187M worldwide, ahead of The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008) ($164M). Across every film with box office figures, Mark Waters's movies have made $901M.

Mark Waters's biggest hits

What is the best Mark Waters movie?

By the Movie Echo Score, which blends critic reviews, audience ratings and lasting impact, Mark Waters's best-rated film is Chasing the Present (2019) with a score of 84, followed by La Dolce Villa (2025) (58).

Best Mark Waters movies, ranked

How old is Mark Waters?

Mark Waters is 62 years old, born on June 30, 1964 in Wyandotte, Michigan, U.S..

What is Mark Waters's newest movie?

The most recent film on Mark Waters's filmography is La Dolce Villa (2025), which Mark Waters directed.

Who does Mark Waters work with most often?

Mark Waters shares the most films with Isabella Crovetti-Cramp (2 films) and Lindsay Lohan (2 films).

The Best Mark Waters Movies, Ranked

Top rated, most awarded and biggest box office hits from 20 credits.

See the ranking

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