John Carpenter

Biography

John Carpenter is an American filmmaker, composer and actor whose name is most often linked with horror, action and science fiction. He grew up in Bowling Green, Kentucky, after being born in Carthage, New York, and started out making short films. He co-wrote and scored The Resurrection of Broncho Billy, which won an Academy Award in the live-action short category. His first feature as director was the science fiction comedy Dark Star (1974), and he followed it with Assault on Precinct 13 (1976), The Fog (1980), Escape from New York (1981) and The Thing (1982), usually writing and scoring his own work. Halloween (1978) was a commercial success that helped develop the slasher genre. Later films include Body Bags (1993) and Vampires (1998), whose soundtrack earned him a Saturn Award for best music. In 2025 the Hollywood Walk of Fame gave him a star.

78years old

Turns 79 on January 16in 95 days

Born January 16, 1948Carthage
Star sign: CapricornThe sign runs December 22 to January 19
John Howard Carpenter (birth name)Also credited as John Chance, John T. Chance and Martin Quatermass

Movie Career

Films: 19
Career span: 48 years1974 to 2022

Genres

Documentary63%, 12 films
Horror47%, 9 films
Sci-Fi26%, 5 films
Comedy16%, 3 films
Action11%, 2 films

First and latest

Photos

Did you know?!

About the name
Carpenter edited Assault on Precinct 13 under the pseudonym John T. Chance, borrowed from John Wayne's character in Rio Bravo, the Hawks film that influenced it.
A role that slipped away
Carpenter lost the directing job on the 1984 science fiction horror film Firestarter, since The Thing had performed poorly. Universal, where a multiple-film contract had come from his earlier success, chose to buy him out of it.
Early training
Carpenter moved to California in 1968 to attend the USC School of Cinematic Arts, then dropped out in his final semester to make his first feature film.
A first
Carpenter wrote the spec script Eyes, which became the 1978 Faye Dunaway thriller Eyes of Laura Mars and his first major studio film.

John Carpenter movies on Netflix

In Search of Tomorrow2022IMDb rating 7.7as Self - Interviewee
Studio 6662022IMDb rating 5.6as Engineer
In Search of Darkness - Part II2020IMDb rating 7.9as Self - Interviewee
In Search of Darkness2019IMDb rating 8.0as Self - Director - The Fog, The Thing, They Live, Prince of Darkness
The Rise of the Synths2019IMDb rating 7.0as Narrator (voice)
Nightmares in Red, White and Blue: The Evolution of the American Horror Film2009IMDb rating 7.1as Himself
Tales from the Script2009IMDb rating 7.1as Himself
Lovecraft: Fear of the Unknown2008IMDb rating 7.1as Himself
Starz Inside: Fantastic Flesh2008IMDb rating 7.4as Himself
Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film2006IMDb rating 7.2as Himself
Halloween: 25 Years of Terror2006IMDb rating 7.4as Himself
The American Nightmare2000IMDb rating 7.2as Himself
The Thing: Terror Takes Shape1998IMDb rating 7.7as Himself
Body Bags1993IMDb rating 6.2as Coroner
The Thing1982IMDb rating 8.2as Norwegian (video footage)
Escape from New York1981IMDb rating 7.1as Secret Service #2 / Helicopter Pilot / Violin Player
The Fog1980IMDb rating 6.8as Bennett
Assault on Precinct 131976IMDb rating 7.3as Gang Member
Dark Star1974IMDb rating 6.1as Talby Voice

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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The Thing1982 Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fias Norwegian (video footage)
IMDb rating 8.2536K votes
Escape from New York1981 Action, Sci-Fias Secret Service #2 / Helicopter Pilot / Violin Player
IMDb rating 7.1175K votes
The Fog1980as Bennett
IMDb rating 6.893K votes
Assault on Precinct 131976as Gang Member
IMDb rating 7.362K votes
Dark Star1974as Talby Voice
IMDb rating 6.131K votes
Body Bags1993as Coroner
IMDb rating 6.215K votes
Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film2006as Himself
IMDb rating 7.23.8K votes
Lovecraft: Fear of the Unknown2008as Himself
IMDb rating 7.12.3K votes

Most often with

David A. Weiner directed three of these films. Nick Castle appears in five of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Nick Castle

Keith David

Tom Atkins

Joe Dante

Wes Craven

Mick GarrisDavid A. WeinerDirector, 3 films

Films together

Nick Castle5 films together, 1974 to 2020
Nick Castle's page
- In Search of Darkness - Part II2020IMDb rating 7.9Carpenter as Self - IntervieweeCastle as Self - Interviewee
- In Search of Darkness2019IMDb rating 8.0Carpenter as Self - Director - The Fog, The Thing, They Live, Prince of DarknessCastle as Self - Halloween
- Halloween: 25 Years of Terror2006IMDb rating 7.4Carpenter as HimselfCastle as Himself
- The American Nightmare2000IMDb rating 7.2Carpenter as HimselfCastle as Himself
- Dark Star1974IMDb rating 6.1Carpenter as Talby VoiceCastle as Alien
Keith David4 films together, 1982 to 2022
Keith David's page
- In Search of Tomorrow2022IMDb rating 7.7Carpenter as Self - IntervieweeDavid as Self - Interviewee
- In Search of Darkness - Part II2020IMDb rating 7.9Carpenter as Self - IntervieweeDavid as Self - Interviewee
- In Search of Darkness2019IMDb rating 8.0Carpenter as Self - Director - The Fog, The Thing, They Live, Prince of DarknessDavid as Self - The Thing, They Live
- The Thing1982IMDb rating 8.2Carpenter as Norwegian (video footage)David as Childs
Tom Atkins4 films together, 1980 to 2020
Tom Atkins's page
- In Search of Darkness - Part II2020IMDb rating 7.9Carpenter as Self - IntervieweeAtkins as Self - Interviewee
- In Search of Darkness2019IMDb rating 8.0Carpenter as Self - Director - The Fog, The Thing, They Live, Prince of DarknessAtkins as Self - The Fog, Halloween III, Night of the Creeps
- Escape from New York1981IMDb rating 7.1Carpenter as Secret Service #2 / Helicopter Pilot / Violin PlayerAtkins as Rehme
- The Fog1980IMDb rating 6.8Carpenter as BennettAtkins as Nick Castle
Joe Dante4 films together, 2008 to 2020
Joe Dante's page
- In Search of Darkness - Part II2020IMDb rating 7.9Carpenter as Self - IntervieweeDante as Self - Interviewee
- In Search of Darkness2019IMDb rating 8.0Carpenter as Self - Director - The Fog, The Thing, They Live, Prince of DarknessDante as Self - The Howling, Gremlins
- Nightmares in Red, White and Blue: The Evolution of the American Horror Film2009IMDb rating 7.1Carpenter as HimselfDante as Himself
- Starz Inside: Fantastic Flesh2008IMDb rating 7.4Carpenter as HimselfDante as Himself
Wes Craven4 films together, 1993 to 2008
Wes Craven's page
- Starz Inside: Fantastic Flesh2008IMDb rating 7.4Carpenter as HimselfCraven as Himself
- Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film2006IMDb rating 7.2Carpenter as HimselfCraven as Himself
- The American Nightmare2000IMDb rating 7.2Carpenter as HimselfCraven as Himself
- Body Bags1993IMDb rating 6.2Carpenter as CoronerCraven as Pasty Faced Man
Mick Garris4 films together, 2008 to 2020
Mick Garris's page
- In Search of Darkness - Part II2020IMDb rating 7.9Carpenter as Self - IntervieweeGarris as Self - Interviewee
- In Search of Darkness2019IMDb rating 8.0Carpenter as Self - Director - The Fog, The Thing, They Live, Prince of DarknessGarris as Self - Writer
- Nightmares in Red, White and Blue: The Evolution of the American Horror Film2009IMDb rating 7.1Carpenter as HimselfGarris as Himself
- Starz Inside: Fantastic Flesh2008IMDb rating 7.4Carpenter as HimselfGarris as Himself
David A. WeinerDirector, 3 films, 2019 to 2022
All films by David A. Weiner
- In Search of Tomorrow2022IMDb rating 7.7Carpenter as Self - Interviewee
- In Search of Darkness - Part II2020IMDb rating 7.9Carpenter as Self - Interviewee
- In Search of Darkness2019IMDb rating 8.0Carpenter as Self - Director - The Fog, The Thing, They Live, Prince of Darkness
Also four films together1 more actor
- Larry CohenIn Search of Darkness - Part II (2020), In Search of Darkness (2019), Nightmares in Red, White and Blue: The Evolution of the American Horror Film (2009) and Tales from the Script (2009)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.

Awards

Three awards and honors from 2007 to 2008.

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John Carpenter's awards and nominations, grouped by award
Year	Award	Result
Other honors
2008	Time Machine Award	Won
2007	Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement	Won
	The George Pal Memorial Award	Won

Online

Official profiles and reference pages.

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