'Til death do us part

Not a good idea to let Waters cut wedding cake

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - John Waters realizes that his newest role -- presiding as the Groom Reaper over Court TV's first original scripted series, "'Til Death Do Us Part" -- might make for some uncomfortable family situations.

The show, which marks Waters' first starring role on a TV series, finds the director of such twisted, offbeat films as "Pink Flamingos" and "A Dirty Shame" as well as the more mainstream "Hairspray" guiding viewers through dramatizations of true stories of doomed marriages that end with one spouse murdering the other. Waters admits his alter ego as the Groom Reaper might make it a bit awkward when attending the weddings of family or friends -- like his niece/goddaughter's upcoming nuptials.

Waters says he's not a big fan of weddings -- "I am single and therefore avoid being murdered," he says -- but was intrigued by the series' unique take on marriage the moment he was approached by its creator, horror director Jeff Lieberman.

He also has some advice for would-be newlyweds.

"Nobody thinks on their wedding day that they are going to murder each other," he says. "But right before you get married, you should look at the person, and if there's one little thing that gets on your nerves, think about how bad it will be in 10 years."

Having taught in prison for several years, Waters wasn't surprised at how many stories of spousal slayings are out there. But he says he did learn a thing or two about how tough it is to get away with murder.

"I learned that it's really hard to get rid of a body," he laughs. "They smell, and in America they are fat and heavy. It's also hard to get rid of DNA -- DNA ruins everything."

That's right folks... in case you missed it: In each episode the Groom Reaper chronicles a true story of spousal murder. I'm hoping my marriage is less..... deadly.