FILM DIRECTOR
John Carpenter
1948 - Today

John Carpenter
John Howard Carpenter (born January 16, 1948) is an American filmmaker, composer, and actor. Most commonly associated with horror, action, and science fiction films of the 1970s and 1980s, he is generally recognized as a master of the horror genre. At the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, the French Directors' Guild gave him the Golden Coach Award and lauded him as "a creative genius of raw, fantastic, and spectacular emotions". On April 3, 2025, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. John Carpenter is the 92nd most popular film director (up from 107th in 2019), the 833rd most popular biography from United States (down from 743rd in 2019) and the 24th most popular American Film Director.
John Carpenter is most famous for his work in the horror genre. He is known for directing and writing some of the most iconic horror films of all time including Halloween, The Thing, and They Live.
Memorability Metrics
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Among FILM DIRECTORS
Among film directors, John Carpenter ranks 92 out of 2,041. Before him are Fred Zinnemann, Howard Hawks, James Ivory, Terry Gilliam, Manoel de Oliveira, and Carl Theodor Dreyer. After him are Wolfgang Petersen, Aki Kaurismäki, Dario Argento, Christopher Nolan, Carlos Saura, and Richard Attenborough.
Most Popular Film Directors in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsFred Zinnemann
1907 - 1997
HPI: 71.49
Rank: 86
Howard Hawks
1896 - 1977
HPI: 71.46
Rank: 87
James Ivory
1928 - Present
HPI: 71.46
Rank: 88
Terry Gilliam
1940 - Present
HPI: 71.34
Rank: 89
Manoel de Oliveira
1908 - 2015
HPI: 71.28
Rank: 90
Carl Theodor Dreyer
1889 - 1968
HPI: 71.25
Rank: 91
John Carpenter
1948 - Present
HPI: 71.19
Rank: 92
Wolfgang Petersen
1941 - 2022
HPI: 71.17
Rank: 93
Aki Kaurismäki
1957 - Present
HPI: 71.17
Rank: 94
Dario Argento
1940 - Present
HPI: 71.13
Rank: 95
Christopher Nolan
1970 - Present
HPI: 71.08
Rank: 96
Carlos Saura
1932 - 2023
HPI: 71.07
Rank: 97
Richard Attenborough
1923 - 2014
HPI: 71.07
Rank: 98
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1948, John Carpenter ranks 44. Before him are Steven Tyler, Yoshihide Suga, Elizabeth Blackburn, Alice Cooper, Donna Summer, and Robert Plant. After him are Mikhail Baryshnikov, Kathy Bates, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, Frank Abagnale, Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo, and John Bonham.
Others Born in 1948
Go to all RankingsSteven Tyler
SINGER
1948 - Present
HPI: 72.73
Rank: 38
Yoshihide Suga
POLITICIAN
1948 - Present
HPI: 72.34
Rank: 39
Elizabeth Blackburn
BIOLOGIST
1948 - Present
HPI: 72.13
Rank: 40
Alice Cooper
MUSICIAN
1948 - Present
HPI: 72.06
Rank: 41
Donna Summer
SINGER
1948 - 2012
HPI: 71.92
Rank: 42
Robert Plant
SINGER
1948 - Present
HPI: 71.68
Rank: 43
John Carpenter
FILM DIRECTOR
1948 - Present
HPI: 71.19
Rank: 44
Mikhail Baryshnikov
DANCER
1948 - Present
HPI: 71.16
Rank: 45
Kathy Bates
ACTOR
1948 - Present
HPI: 71.09
Rank: 46
Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu
POLITICIAN
1948 - Present
HPI: 70.77
Rank: 47
Frank Abagnale
MAFIOSO
1948 - Present
HPI: 70.74
Rank: 48
Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1948 - Present
HPI: 70.71
Rank: 49
John Bonham
MUSICIAN
1948 - 1980
HPI: 70.66
Rank: 50
In United States
Among people born in United States, John Carpenter ranks 833 out of 20,380. Before him are Joe DiMaggio (1914), Danny Glover (1946), Ruth Benedict (1887), Joan Crawford (1904), G. W. Bailey (1944), and Ray Liotta (1954). After him are Krist Novoselic (1965), Roy J. Glauber (1925), Merrick Garland (1952), Allen Ginsberg (1926), King Oliver (1881), and John Dillinger (1903).
Others born in United States
Go to all RankingsJoe DiMaggio
BASEBALL PLAYER
1914 - 1999
HPI: 71.22
Rank: 827
Danny Glover
ACTOR
1946 - Present
HPI: 71.22
Rank: 828
Ruth Benedict
ANTHROPOLOGIST
1887 - 1948
HPI: 71.22
Rank: 829
Joan Crawford
ACTOR
1904 - 1977
HPI: 71.21
Rank: 830
G. W. Bailey
ACTOR
1944 - Present
HPI: 71.20
Rank: 831
Ray Liotta
ACTOR
1954 - 2022
HPI: 71.20
Rank: 832
John Carpenter
FILM DIRECTOR
1948 - Present
HPI: 71.19
Rank: 833
Krist Novoselic
MUSICIAN
1965 - Present
HPI: 71.19
Rank: 834
Roy J. Glauber
PHYSICIST
1925 - 2018
HPI: 71.18
Rank: 835
Merrick Garland
LAWYER
1952 - Present
HPI: 71.18
Rank: 836
Allen Ginsberg
WRITER
1926 - 1997
HPI: 71.18
Rank: 837
King Oliver
MUSICIAN
1881 - 1938
HPI: 71.18
Rank: 838
John Dillinger
MAFIOSO
1903 - 1934
HPI: 71.17
Rank: 839
Among FILM DIRECTORS In United States
Among film directors born in United States, John Carpenter ranks 24. Before him are Sydney Pollack (1934), Chuck Jones (1912), John Waters (1946), Howard Hawks (1896), James Ivory (1928), and Terry Gilliam (1940). After him are Sidney Lumet (1924), John Huston (1906), Edwin S. Porter (1870), George Cukor (1899), Robert Altman (1925), and Walter Hill (1942).
Sydney Pollack
1934 - 2008
HPI: 72.70
Rank: 18
Chuck Jones
1912 - 2002
HPI: 72.44
Rank: 19
John Waters
1946 - Present
HPI: 72.23
Rank: 20
Howard Hawks
1896 - 1977
HPI: 71.46
Rank: 21
James Ivory
1928 - Present
HPI: 71.46
Rank: 22
Terry Gilliam
1940 - Present
HPI: 71.34
Rank: 23
John Carpenter
1948 - Present
HPI: 71.19
Rank: 24
Sidney Lumet
1924 - 2011
HPI: 70.73
Rank: 25
John Huston
1906 - 1987
HPI: 70.64
Rank: 26
Edwin S. Porter
1870 - 1941
HPI: 70.60
Rank: 27
George Cukor
1899 - 1983
HPI: 70.58
Rank: 28
Robert Altman
1925 - 2006
HPI: 70.47
Rank: 29
Walter Hill
1942 - Present
HPI: 70.42
Rank: 30