Biography
Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American musician, composer, songwriter and actor. His lyrics often focus on the underbelly of society and are delivered in his trademark deep, gravelly voice. He worked primarily in jazz during the 1970s, but his music since the 1980s has reflected greater influence from blues, rock, vaudeville, and experimental genres. Waits was born and raised in a middle-class family in Whittier, California. Inspired by the work of Bob Dylan and the Beat Gener...
Known For
Complete Filmography

Father Mother Sister Brother
2025
as Father
Three separate stories all concern the relationships between adult children, their somewhat distant parent (or parents), and each other. Each of the t...

Human Nature in Eleven Parts
2025
as Narrator "Laughing Heart" (archive footage)
Short vignettes explore different facets of human behavior and social issues.

The Absence of Eden
2024
as Hunley
An ICE Agent struggling with the moral dilemmas of border security and an undocumented woman fighting to escape a ruthless cartel cross paths and work...

Tom Waits: Glitter and Doom Concert Experience
2024
as Self
A compilation of professional footage and fan films to reconstruct an entire Tom Waits concert from his "Glitter and Doom Tour" of 2008.

This Is Sparklehorse
2022
as Self
An comprehensive look at the life and music of Mark Linkous, a influential figure in the alternative music scene. Critically-acclaimed Linkous had a ...

Robert Wilson: The Beauty of the Mysterious
2022
as Self
We look back at more than half a century of mysterious artistic creation while trying to crack a unique artistic code. Why are people moved to tears w...

Licorice Pizza
2021
as Rex Blau
The story of Gary Valentine and Alana Kane growing up, running around and going through the treacherous navigation of first love in the San Fernando V...

Motherless Brooklyn
2019
as News Stand Owner (uncredited)
New York City, 1957. Lionel Essrog, a private detective living with Tourette syndrome, tries to solve the murder of his mentor and best friend, armed ...

The Dead Don't Die
2019
as Hermit Bob
In a small peaceful town, zombies suddenly rise to terrorize the town. Now three bespectacled police officers and a strange Scottish morgue expert mus...

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
2018
as Prospector (segment "All Gold Canyon")
Vignettes weaving together the stories of six individuals in the old West at the end of the Civil War. Following the tales of a sharp-shooting songste...
MARC RIBOT FEAT. TOM WAITS – Bella Ciao (Goodbye Beautiful)
2018
Original Music Composer

The Old Man & the Gun
2018
as Waller
The true story of Forrest Tucker, from his audacious escape from San Quentin at the age of 70 to an unprecedented string of heists that confounded aut...

The Moon’s Milk
2018
as Captain Millipede (voice)
At a time when the moon could be reached by ladder, Captain Millipede, his daughter, a deaf milk miner, a beautiful accordionist, and a wannabe pole d...

Roy Orbison: Black and White Night 30
2017
as Self
Black and White Night 30 is a re-imagined, re-edited, remastered and expanded version of the original television special. Re-edited by Roy's youngest ...

Tom Waits: Tales from a Cracked Jukebox
2017
as Self
Tom Waits is one of the most original musicians of the last five decades. Renowned for his gravelly voice and dazzling mix of musical styles, he's als...

Keith Richards: Under the Influence
2015
as Self
A portrait of Keith Richards that takes us on a journey to discover the genesis of his sound as a songwriter, guitarist and performer.
The Laughing Heart
2013
as Narrator
From a Charles Bukowski poem

Seven Psychopaths
2012
as Zachariah Rigby
A struggling screenwriter inadvertently becomes entangled in the Los Angeles criminal underworld after his oddball friends kidnap a gangster's beloved...

A Brief History of John Baldessari
2012
as Narrator
The epic life of a world-class artist, jammed into six minutes.

Twixt
2011
as Narrator (voice)
A struggling horror writer visiting a small town on a book tour gets caught up in a murder mystery involving a young girl. That night in a dream, he i...

The Monster of Nix
2011
as Virgil (Voice)
Life is good in the idyllic fairytale village of Nix... until an all-devouring monster appears. Young Willy has to fight it. Alone.

The Book of Eli
2010
as Engineer
A post-apocalyptic tale, in which a lone man fights his way across America in order to protect a sacred book that holds the secrets to saving humankin...

The Fallen
2010
Music
Dedicated to all who have risked climbing, and to those who have fallen by choice, circumstance or by accident. Mixing of original, found, and approp...

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
2009
as Devil
A travelling theatre company has more to it than meets the eye.

Tom Waits: Romeo Bleeding - Live from Austin
2009
as Self
Taped in 1978, Waits and his band of Herbert Hardesty, Arthur Richardson, John Thomassie and Greg Cohen were in Austin to support the release of Blue ...
Tom Waits: Under Review
2008
as Self
.It's almost 40 years since Tom Waits' debut record, and during a career that, for most fans, has quite simply gotten better, more exciting and more c...

One Fast Move or I'm Gone: Kerouac's Big Sur
2008
as Self
"One Fast Move or I'm Gone: Kerouac's Big Sur" examines Jack Kerouac's escape from post "On The Road" fame to his dream of an isolated retreat in a ca...

Wristcutters: A Love Story
2007
as Kneller
Zia, distraught over breaking up with his girlfriend, decides to end it all. Unfortunately, he discovers that there is no real ending, only a run-down...

To Live and to Die in Samarkand
2007
Sound
Having gone to Samarkand in search of traces of colonial culture, of which there were quite a few left there, having carefully photographed them, we s...

Tom Waits - No Visitors After Midnight
2006
as Self
Tom Waits live: Chicago, IL, USA, PBS Soundstage 1975 & London, UK, BBC Studios, "Live in Person" TV Show
![Tom Waits - Burma Shave [Live Concert]](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/lxpmTfyfn20JnsbJmjfUKlT7ugU.jpg)
Tom Waits - Burma Shave [Live Concert]
2006
as Self
Singer/songwriter extraordinaire Tom Waits has become an American musical institution over the last few decades. His audience continues to grow, more ...

The Tiger and the Snow
2005
as Self / Sè stesso
Love and injury in time of war. Attilio de Giovanni teaches poetry in Italy. He has a romantic soul, and women love him. But he is in love with Vittor...

Domino
2005
as Wanderer
The story of the life of Domino Harvey, who abandoned her career as a Ford model to become a bounty hunter.

Coffee and Cigarettes
2004
as Tom (segment "Somewhere in California")
Coffee And Cigarettes is a collection of eleven films from cult director Jim Jarmusch. Each film hosts star studded cast of extremely unique individua...

Bukowski: Born Into This
2003
as Self
Director John Dullaghan’s biographical documentary about infamous poet Charles Bukowski, Bukowski: Born Into This, is as much a touching portrait of t...

The Last Castle
2001
Original Music Composer
A court-martialed general rallies together 1200 inmates to rise against the system that put him away.

Stille Nacht V: Dog Door
2001
Lyricist
Tom Waits, the brothers Quay, and a dog door.
Tom Waits - Bridge School Benefit
1999
as Self

Mystery Men
1999
as Doc Heller
When Champion City's hero Captain Amazing is kidnapped by the recently paroled supervillain Casanova Frankenstein, a trio of average, everyday superhe...
Tom Waits: VH1 Storytellers
1999
as Self
VH1 Storytellers: Season 4 Episode 2 - Tom Waits (1999)

Bunny
1998
Music, Music Producer
Bunny, an elderly rabbit who uses a walker, is in her kitchen one night baking a cake. A photograph from her wedding day is on her wall. A pesky and p...

Guy Maddin: Waiting for Twilight
1997
as Narrator (voice)
Interviews with Guy Maddin and his pals are included in this documentary about the Canadian film-maker's life and movies. Features clips from most of ...

Coffee and Cigarettes III
1997
as Tom
This shortcut repeats the structure of Coffee and Cigarettes. This time, Iggy Pop and Tom Waits meet in a bar. But, again, we don't know why they agre...

Short Cuts
1993
as Earl Piggot
Many loosely connected characters cross paths in this film, based on the stories of Raymond Carver. Waitress Doreen Piggot accidentally runs into a bo...

Luck, Trust & Ketchup: Robert Altman in Carver Country
1993
as Self
A documentary insight behind the scenes of Roberts Altman's Short Cuts.

Bram Stoker's Dracula
1992
as R.M. Renfield
In 19th century England, Count Dracula travels to London and meets Mina Harker, a young woman who appears as the reincarnation of his lost love.

Night on Earth
1991
Original Music Composer, Songs
An anthology of 5 different cab drivers in 5 American and European cities and their remarkable fares on the same eventful night.

At Play in the Fields of the Lord
1991
as Wolf
Martin and Hazel Quarrier are small-town fundamentalist missionaries sent to the jungles of South America to convert the Indians. Their remote mission...

The Fisher King
1991
as Disabled Vet (uncredited)
Two troubled men face their terrible destinies and events of their past as they join together on a mission to find the Holy Grail and thus to save the...

Until the End of the World
1991
as Singer in Bar
In 1999, a woman's life is forever changed after she survives a car crash with two bank robbers, who enlist her help to take the money to a drop in Pa...

Queens Logic
1991
as Monte
When childhood friends Al, Dennis and Eliot get together for Ray's wedding, which may or may not happen, they end up on a roller-coaster ride through ...

Red Hot + Blue: A Tribute to Cole Porter
1990
as Self
This music special is dedicated to dispelling the prejudices associated with the HIV infection and raising money for AIDS research and relief. Some of...

The Two Jakes
1990
as Plainclothes Policeman (uncredited)
Real estate developer Jake Berman hires private investigator and war veteran Jake Gittes for some run-of-the-mill matrimonial work. After Berman shoot...

The Black Rider
1990
Original Music Composer
Inspired by the German folktale, Wilhelm, a file clerk, falls in love with a huntsman's daughter. In order to marry, Wilhelm must prove his worth as a...
John Lurie: A Lounge Lizard Alone
1990
as Zack (Archive footage)
"Lounge Lizard" John Lurie — actor, performer, and musician — talks about love and life and gives a gentle insight into modern time's hipster attitude...

Bearskin: An Urban Fairytale
1989
as Silva
Johnny Fortune (Damon Lowry) is no good to anyone, not mean, but just no good. Surrounded by violence and dishonesty, Johnny lives with Kate. Johnny m...

La fine della notte
1989
Songs

Mystery Train
1989
as Radio DJ (voice)
In Memphis, Tennessee, over the course of a single night, the Arcade Hotel, run by an eccentric night clerk and a clueless bellboy, is visited by a yo...

Cold Feet
1989
as Kenny
Three criminals run into complications when they attempt to smuggle emeralds across the Mexican border.
Őrült és angyal
1989
Music

Big Time
1988
as Self
Bringing his unique sense of humor to this bizarre and original piece of moviemaking, Tom Waits takes the audience through a musical journey with his ...

Big Time
1988
Writer, Original Music Composer, Lighting Design
Bringing his unique sense of humor to this bizarre and original piece of moviemaking, Tom Waits takes the audience through a musical journey with his ...

Candy Mountain
1988
as Al Silk
A mediocre musician goes on the road in search of the world's greatest guitar maker

Greasy Lake
1988
as Narrator
A short film from a collection of four Greasy Lake is a part of the Discovery Program: Four Short Stories (Ray's Male Heterosexual Dancehall/Greasy La...

Roy Orbison and Friends: A Black and White Night
1988
as Self - Organ/Guitar
Recorded live at the Coconut Grove in Los Angeles, Roy is joined by an eclectic ensemble of rock and roll superstars including Jackson Browne, Elvis C...

Ironweed
1987
as Rudy
An alcoholic drifter spends Halloween in his hometown of Albany, New York after returning there for the first time in decades.

Temptation
1987
Bromberg’s music video for Tom Waits is characteristically multi-layered and expressive.

Temptation
1987
Music
Bromberg’s music video for Tom Waits is characteristically multi-layered and expressive.

Tom Waits - Live at Premio Tenco in Sanremo Italy
1986
as Himself
Television concert documentary from the San Remo Festival (Club Tenco), Teatro Ariston. San Remo/ Italy. November 22, 1986. With Greg Cohen on upright...

Down by Law
1986
as Zack
A disc jockey, a pimp and an Italian tourist escape from jail in New Orleans.

Down by Law
1986
Songs
A disc jockey, a pimp and an Italian tourist escape from jail in New Orleans.

Tom Waits - Live On The Tube
1985
as Self
Tom Waits 1985 performance of "16 Shells From A 30.6" and “In the Neighborhood” from the album 'Swordfish Trombones' and "Cemetery Polka" and “Walking...

The Cotton Club
1984
as Irving Stark
Harlem's legendary Cotton Club becomes a hotbed of passion and violence as the lives and loves of entertainers and gangsters collide.

Streetwise
1984
Music
This documentary about teenagers living on the streets in Seattle began as a magazine article. The film follows nine teenagers who discuss how they li...

The Stone Boy
1984
as Petrified man at carnival (uncredited)
12-year-old Arnold Hillerman and his 17-year-old brother Eugene live with their family on a farm in Montana. In an accident, Eugene is killed by Arnol...

Rita Ritter
1984
Original Music Composer
A writer tries unsuccessfully to sell his screenplays and plays. He marries a television editor, but she only wants to fuck him and thinks nothing of ...

La première journée de Nicolas
1984
Music
Nicolas is a young man just released from jail. He spends his first day of freedom watching and hesitating, in a community care centre, in a hotel roo...

Rumble Fish
1983
as Benny
Rusty James, an absent-minded street thug, struggles to live up to his legendary older brother's reputation and longs for the days when gang warfare w...

The Outsiders
1983
as Buck Merrill
When two poor Greasers, Johnny and Ponyboy, are assaulted by a vicious gang, the Socs, and Johnny kills one of the attackers, tension begins to mount ...

Poetry in Motion
1982
as Self
More than 20 contemporary North American poets recite, sing, and perform their work. Early in the film, Charles Bukowski talks about the energy of poe...

The Making of 'One from the Heart'
1982
as Self
A short documentary on the Francis Ford Coppola musical One From the Heart.

One from the Heart
1981
as Trumpet player (uncredited)
The five-year romance of a window dresser and her boyfriend breaks up, as each of them finds a more interesting partner.

One from the Heart
1981
Original Music Composer, Songs
The five-year romance of a window dresser and her boyfriend breaks up, as each of them finds a more interesting partner.

Wolfen
1981
as Drunken Bar Owner (uncredited)
A New York City cop and an expert criminologist trying to solve a series of grisly deaths in which the victims have seemingly been maimed by feral ani...

Tom Waits at Theatre le Palace
1980
as Self
Tom Waits performs at Theatre le Palace in Paris, France. It was recorded for French television and broadcast on the program "Palace One" in 1980.
Tom Waits for No One
1979
as Self
In this rotoscope animation, Tom Waits sings about "The One That Got Away."
Tom Waits for No One
1979
Music
In this rotoscope animation, Tom Waits sings about "The One That Got Away."

Paradise Alley
1978
as Mumbles
Three Italian-American brothers, living in the slums of 1940's New York City, try to help each other with one's wrestling career using one brother's p...
Tom Waits: A Day in Vienna
1978
as Self
Short documentary film on the great and powerful Tom Waits, including clips from live performances and interviews.

Tom Waits: Rockpalast '77
1977
as Self
Excellent quality recording of Tom Waits, live at WDR Studios, in Koln, Germany on April 18th, 1977. This is early jazz-quartet style Tom Waits as opp...

Tom Waits: Rockpalast '77
1977
Music
Excellent quality recording of Tom Waits, live at WDR Studios, in Koln, Germany on April 18th, 1977. This is early jazz-quartet style Tom Waits as opp...
Tom Waits - Elephant Beer Blues - Songs After Closing Time
1976
as Self
June 1976 Denmark DR TV Studios Original Source PAL VHS Recording from a TV show transcripted to DVD. Sange efter Lukketid translates to Songs after ...
Tom Waits - One Star Shining : The First Decade
N/A
as Self

Wildwood
N/A
as (voice)
Set beyond Portland’s city limits, in Wildwood. You’re not supposed to go there. You’re not even supposed to know it exists. But Prue McKeel is about ...

Star.Wav
N/A
as The Caller
After prophesying the end of humanity, a reclusive conspiracy theorist receives a troubling call into his radio show.

Wild Horse Nine
N/A
Set on a South American island. Plot TBA.