Rufus Wainwright

Biography

Rufus Wainwright is a Canadian and American singer and songwriter who also writes operas and classical music. He grew up in Montreal as the son of the folk singers Kate McGarrigle and Loudon Wainwright III, studied classical music as a youth and began playing piano at six. Signing to DreamWorks Records in 1996 led to his self-titled debut album in 1998, followed by Poses (2001), Want One (2003), Want Two (2004) and Release the Stars (2007). He has recorded eleven studio albums, among them Folkocracy (2023), and wrote the operas Prima Donna and Dream Requiem, the latter premiering in 2024. His first live album, Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall, was nominated for a Grammy, and he won two Juno Awards for Best Alternative Album. His screen work includes Heights (2005), Silver Bullets (2011) and the special Dick Van Dyke: 98 Years of Magic (2023).

53years old

Turns 54 on July 22in 252 days

Born July 22, 1973Rhinebeck
Star sign: CancerLast day of the sign, on the Leo cusp
Also credited as Rufus McGarrigle Wainwright

Movie Career

Films: 5
Career span: 18 years2005 to 2023

Every film, newest first

2023Dick Van Dyke: 98 Years of MagicIMDb rating 8.3
2023Miley Cyrus - Endless Summer Vacation (Backyard Sessions)IMDb rating 7.4
2022Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a SongIMDb rating 7.6
2011Silver BulletsIMDb rating 5.2
2005HeightsIMDb rating 6.8

Genres

Did you know?!

A role that slipped away
Wainwright's first opera, Prima Donna, was commissioned by Metropolitan Opera general manager Peter Gelb, but the Met ended the relationship over his French libretto and scheduling, so it premiered at the Manchester International Festival in 2009.
Behind the camera
Wainwright wrote the music and lyrics for a 2024 stage adaptation of John Cassavetes's Opening Night, with a book by Ivo van Hove, which opened at the Gielgud Theatre in London.
Beyond film
Wainwright's 2006 Carnegie Hall shows recreated Judy Garland's entire 1961 concert album, and he later performed the same program at the London Palladium, the Paris Olympia and the Hollywood Bowl.