John McNaughton

Born: 13 January 1950
Where: Chicago, Illinois, USA

McNaughton will for ever be associated with Henry: Portrait of a Serial killer, his groundbreaking fictional tale of a mass murderer.

The faux documentary style has been much imitated but never surpassed and always caused an outcry where it was released.

He graduated in TV production from Chicago's Columbia College only to work in a succession of jobs from an advertising agency to a season with a carnival.

Working in local TV and on commercials, McNaughton was given the green light for what would be Henry in 1985.

Based on real-life murderer Henry Lee Lucas, the movie eventually saw release after censorship problemms in 1986 to rave reviews.

Since then, McNaughton has completed the screenplay Neverland and a story - Step Right Up - based on his time in the carnival.

He is also working on an adaptation of the William S Burroughs novel The Last Words of Dutch Shultz.