Biography for
Rufus Wainwright More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

22 July 1973, Rhinebeck, New York, USA

Birth Name

Rufus McGarrigle Wainwright

Height

5' 11" (1.80 m)

Trivia

Performed songs featured in the soundtracks for The Myth of Fingerprints (1997) and Big Daddy (1999).

Named "Best New Artist" by "Rolling Stone" magazine in 1999.

Won a Juno Award for "Best Alternative Album" in 1999 and 2002.

Son of singer/actor Loudon Wainwright III and singer Kate McGarrigle.

Older brother of Martha Wainwright.

Performed the song "Complainte de la Butte" for the film Moulin Rouge! (2001), the only song in French featured in the Paris-set movie.

His song "Natasha" is written about Natasha Lyonne.

His father is an American of Scotch-Irish ancestry. His mother is of French-Canadian decent.

Grew up in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

His song "Beauty Mark" is about his mother, Kate McGarrigle.

His song "Dinner At Eight" is about an argument he and his father Loudon Wainwright III had once.

His song "Matinee Idol" is about River Phoenix.

His song "Memphis Sky Line" (from his album Want Two) is dedicated to Jeff Buckley.

His parents considered naming him Oscar.

Once lived in New York's famous Chelsea Hotel.

A fan of the film Grey Gardens (1975), he wrote a song with the same name for his second album, Poses. The song features an audio clip of 'Edith 'Little Edie' Bouvier Beale', taken from the film.

I Eat Dinner (When the Hunger's Gone), the song he sings in Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004), was written by his mother, Kate McGarrigle.

The music video for a song from his debut album was filmed in Gwen Stefani's home.

Wainwright is a big fan of opera and counts the Metropolitan Opera House as one of his favorite places in New York.

Kate Winslet is a fan of his song 'Poses' -- mentioned in one of her ads for AmEx.

The song 'The One You Love' (from his album 'Want Two') features a line from the song 'See What Percy's Picked Up in the Park.' The line is modified, so instead of "Singing, oh Jerusalem, oh Jerusalem, see what Percy's picked up in the park" it is "I'm singing oh Jerusalem, oh Jerusalem, see what he's picked up in the park. The song is about coming to terms with ones sexual escapades.

His character Jeremy in Heights (2005) was based on himself.

Heard an amazing recording of Verdi's Requiem when he was 14, and for ten years, he listened to opera and only opera.

Studied classical and modern piano at McGill University.

Is friends with actor Alan Cumming.

His song 'Gay Messiah' originally started out as a political song to sing at parties.

Is writing an opera, which will be called "Prima Donna".

His debut album ('Rufus Wainwright') is about a straight man who he fell for named Danny. This can be reflected in the song 'Danny Boy.'.

Considers Judy Garland his top gay icon, according to an interview with "The Observer" (21 December 2006).

Longtime companion has been Jorn Weissbrodt, a German concert manager for the Berlin State Opera, since 2005.

Nephew of Anna McGarrigle and Jane McGarrigle.

His favorite songs are "Mystery Train" by Elvis Presley, "Talk To Me Of Mendocino" by 'Kate Mcgarrigle' & Anna McGarrigle, "Trains And Boats And Planes" by Dionne Warwick, "I Want You" by Bob Dylan, "69 Anne Erotic" by Serge Gainsbourg, "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" by Roberta Flack, "Heart Of Glass" by Blondie, "Accentuate The Positive" by Harold Arlen, "Venus As A Boy" by 'Bjork' and "In My Room" by The Beach Boys. (Source: BBC Radio 2 "Tracks of My Years").

Once saved from drowning in a hotel pool by Betty Buckley.

Is good friends with Melissa Auf der Maur, whose father, Nick Auf der Maur, was a political activist in Montreal. Melissa appeared in Rufus's video, "April Fools".

Wainwright's album "Out of the Game" (2012), produced by Mark Ronson, features Helena Bonham Carter in the title track video.

Personal Quotes

Why be in music, why write songs, if you can't use them to explore life or an idealized vision of life? I believe a lot of our lives are spent asleep, and what I've been trying to do is hold on to those moments when a little spark cuts through the fog and nudges you.

Frank Sinatra has passed on the torch to me. But little did he know that he'd be passing it on to a gay opera queen.

[When asked if all his older songs were getting tiresome to sing] "No, they're all fresh; fresh as daisies!"

Everything I do, I feel is genius. Whether it is or it isn't.

I like to make the mundane fabulous whenever I can.

I may not lead the most dramatic life, but in my brain it's War and Peace everyday.

I've developed into quite a swan. I'm one of those people that will probably look better and better as I get older - until I drop dead of beauty.

"It seems like the older I get, the more unreal the world becomes.

There's no life without humor. It can make the wonderful moments of life truly glorious, and it can make tragic moments bearable.

They wanted me to be, you know, whatever..a little Japanese girl with tiny little fingers who played Rachmaninoff. I could only play Mozart very slowly, so whatever, I had to leave. So I was basically thrown out of the classical world for being a renegade.

I have a good face for what I do.

I find so many songwriters today are missing an element ... either the production is amazing but the songs aren't, or it's the other way around.

[on 'Out of the Game', his most commercial album to date (2012)] There hasn't been a lot of time to philosophize or construct these kinds of elaborate cathedrals that I tend to do - which is great.

Where Are They Now

(August 2006) Recording his new record.

(January 2006) Mixing next record called 'Release the Stars'

(2007) Writing an opera for the Metropolitan Opera House in New York.

(2007) Touring the world promoting his new album 'Release the Stars'.