Rick Baker
Richard A. Baker (born December 8, 1950)[1] is a retired American special make-up effects creator and actor, mostly known for his creature effects and designs. Baker won the Academy Award for Best Makeup a record seven times from a record eleven nominations, beginning when he won the inaugural award for the 1981 film An American Werewolf in London.[2]
Rick Baker | |
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![]() Baker in February 2015 | |
Born | Binghamton, New York, U.S. | December 8, 1950
Nationality | American |
Alma mater | Academy of Art University |
Occupation | Special make-up effects artist, actor |
Years active | 1971–2017 |
Spouse(s) | Elaine Baker (m. 1974–1984)Silvia Abascal (m. 1987) |
Children | 2 daughters, Veronica and Rebecca |
Early life
Baker was born in Binghamton, New York, to Doris (née Hamlin), a bank teller, and Ralph B. Baker, a professional artist. Baker and his family moved to Covina, California when he was less than one year old.[1][3]
Career
As a teen, Baker began creating artificial body parts in his own kitchen. He also appeared briefly in the fan production The Night Turkey, a one-hour, black-and-white video parody of The Night Stalker directed by William Malone. Baker's first professional job was as an assistant to prosthetic makeup effects veteran Dick Smith on the 1973 film The Exorcist.[2][4] While working on The Exorcist, Baker was hired by director Larry Cohen to design and create a mutant infant for Cohen's 1974 film It's Alive.[5]
Baker received the inaugural Academy Award for Best Makeup for his work on An American Werewolf in London.[6] He also created the werewolf creature Michael Jackson transforms into in the music video Thriller. Subsequently, Baker has been nominated for the Best Makeup Oscar ten more times, winning on seven occasions, both records in his field.[7]
![](../I/Rick_Baker_at_Saturn_Awards.jpg.webp)
Baker claims that his work on Harry and the Hendersons is one of his proudest achievements.[8] On October 3, 2009, he received the Jack Pierce – Lifetime Achievement Award title of the Chiller-Eyegore Awards.[9]
He was awarded a Doctorate of Humane Letters from the Academy of Art University San Francisco in 2008.[10] He also contributes commentaries to the web series Trailers from Hell for trailers about horror and science fiction films.[11]
Baker received the 2485th star of the Hollywood Walk of Fame on November 30, 2012. The star is located in front of the Guinness World Records Museum.[12]
Baker announced his retirement on May 28, 2015: "First of all, the CG stuff definitely took away the animatronics part of what I do. It's also starting to take away the makeup part. The time is right, I am 64 years old, and the business is crazy right now. I like to do things right, and they wanted cheap and fast. That is not what I want to do, so I just decided it is basically time to get out. I would consider designing and consulting on something, but I don't think I will have a huge working studio anymore."[13][14][15]
Acting roles
Baker played the title role in the 1976 remake of King Kong. In the 2005 remake, he had a cameo as the pilot and gunner (with director Peter Jackson) who shot down Kong. He has also made cameo appearances in: the John Landis film Into the Night as a drug dealer with a business card; Men in Black II as an MIB agent helping provide aliens with disguises; Men in Black 3 as a "brain alien"; Michael Jackson's music video Thriller as one of the zombies; The Haunted Mansion as multiple graveyard ghosts; The Wolfman as the Wolfman's first kill; and Rings as a flea market vendor.[16]
Personal life
Baker is married; he was previously married to Elaine Melba Parkyn for ten years. He met his second wife, hairstylist Silvia Abascal, while they were both working on Into the Night.[3] He also has two daughters, Veronica and Rebecca.
Filmography
- Octaman (1971) (Octaman costume; with Doug Beswick)[17]
- The Thing with Two Heads (1972) (special effects)
- Schlock (1973) (makeup artist)
- The Exorcist (1973) (special effects assistant)
- It's Alive (1974) (makeup artist)
- The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1974) (makeup artist)
- King Kong (1976) (makeup effects, actor)
- Track of the Moon Beast (1976) (makeup artist)
- Squirm (1976) (makeup designer)
- The Incredible Melting Man (1977) (special makeup effects)
- Star Wars (1977) (makeup artist: second unit)
- The Fury (1978) (special makeup effects)
- An American Werewolf in London (1981) (special makeup effects)
- The Howling (1981) (special makeup effects consultant)
- The Funhouse (1981) (special makeup design)
- The Incredible Shrinking Woman (1981) (makeup effects)
- Videodrome (1983) (special makeup effects designer)
- Thriller (1983) (special makeup effects creator, special makeup effects design)
- Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes (1984) (special makeup effects)
- Starman (1984) (Starman transformation)
- Into the Night (1985) (actor)
- My Science Project (1985) (special makeup effects artist)
- Captain EO (1986) (special makeup effects)
- Ratboy (1986) (designer: Ratboy)
- Harry and the Hendersons (1987) (makeup artist, creature designer: Harry)
- Beauty and the Beast (1987–89) (creature designer: Beast)
- Werewolf (1987–88) (special makeup effects artist)
- Coming to America (1988) (special makeup effects)
- Gorillas in the Mist (1988) (special makeup effects, associate producer)
- Missing Link (1988) (special makeup effects)
- Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990) (special effects supervisor, co-producer)
- The Rocketeer (1991) (makeup creator: Lothar)
- Wolf (1994) (special makeup effects)
- Ed Wood (1994) (makeup creator: Bela Lugosi, makeup designer: Bela Lugosi)
- Batman Forever (1995) (special makeup designer/creator)
- The Nutty Professor (1996) (special makeup effects)
- The Frighteners (1996) (special makeup artist: The Judge)
- Escape from L.A. (1996) (special makeup effects)
- Ghosts (1997) (special makeup effects artist)
- Men in Black (1997) (alien makeup effects, special makeup effects artist)
- Critical Care (1997) (special makeup effects: Mr. Brooks)
- Mighty Joe Young (1998) (special makeup effects)
- Psycho (1998) (Norma Bates corpse dummy design)
- Life (1999) (special makeup effects)
- Wild Wild West (1999) (special makeup effects)
- Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) (special makeup effects)
- Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (2000) (special makeup effects)
- Planet of the Apes (2001) (makeup artist, special makeup effects designer/creator)
- Men in Black II (2002) (alien makeup effects, special makeup effects artist)
- The Ring (2002) (special makeup effects artist)
- The Haunted Mansion (2003) (special makeup effects artist)
- Hellboy (2004) (special effects director, special makeup effects artist)
- The Ring Two (2005) (special makeup effects artist)
- King Kong (2005) (actor)
- Cursed (2005) (special makeup effects artist, special makeup effects designer/creator)
- X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) (special makeup effects consultant, visual effects consultant)
- Click (2006) (special age makeup artist, special makeup effects artist)
- Enchanted (2007) (special makeup effects artist)
- Norbit (2007) (special makeup effects artist)
- Tropic Thunder (2008) (makeup designer: Mr. Downey Jr.)
- The Wolfman (2010) (special makeup effects)
- Tron: Legacy (2010) (special makeup effects artist)
- Men in Black 3 (2012) (alien makeup effects, special makeup effects artist)
- Maleficent (2014) (Maleficent makeup design)
- Rings (2017) (actor)
Awards
Academy Awards for Best Makeup
Year | Nominated work | Result |
---|---|---|
1981 | An American Werewolf in London | Won |
1984 | Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes | Nominated |
1987 | Harry and the Hendersons | Won |
1988 | Coming to America | Nominated |
1994 | Ed Wood | Won |
1996 | The Nutty Professor | Won |
1997 | Men in Black | Won |
1999 | Life | Nominated |
2000 | How the Grinch Stole Christmas | Won |
2007 | Norbit | Nominated |
2010 | The Wolfman | Won |
BAFTA Awards
Year | Nominated work | Result |
---|---|---|
1984 | Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes | Won |
1994 | Ed Wood | Nominated |
1996 | The Nutty Professor | Won |
2000 | How the Grinch Stole Christmas | Won |
2001 | Planet of the Apes | Nominated |
Saturn Awards
Year | Nominated work | Result |
---|---|---|
1977 | Star Wars | Won |
1978 | The Fury | Won |
1980 | The Howling | Nominated |
1981 | An American Werewolf in London | Won |
1987 | Harry and the Hendersons | Nominated |
1994 | Ed Wood | Won |
Wolf | Nominated | |
1995 | Batman Forever | Nominated |
1996 | The Nutty Professor | Won |
The Frighteners | Nominated | |
1997 | Men in Black | Nominated |
2000 | How the Grinch Stole Christmas | Won |
Nutty Professor II: The Klumps | Nominated | |
2001 | Planet of the Apes | Nominated |
2002 | The Ring | Nominated |
2003 | The Haunted Mansion | Nominated |
2010 | The Wolfman | Won |
Other awards
- Inducted to the Monster Kid Hall of Fame at the Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards
- Jack Pierce – Lifetime Achievement Award at the Chiller-Eyegore Awards
- 2485th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
- Emmy Award for Outstanding Makeup
- Time Machine Award, Sitges Film Festival 2015
See also
References
- "Rick Baker Biography (1950-)".
- "Rick Baker". Oscars.org. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
- "Fatman Begins, episode "The Legendary Rick Baker", 9/24/2019".
- Nelson, Valerie J. (July 31, 2014). "Dick Smith dies at 92; 'Exorcist' makeup man won Oscar for 'Amadeus'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
- Martin, R. H. (August 1984). "Rick Baker: The Wonder Years Part Three". Fangoria. No. 37. Starlog Group, Inc. pp. 31–32. ISSN 0164-2111.
- Barnes, Mike (2009-08-04). "Makeup artist Howard J. Smit dies". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2009-08-12. Abstract only; full article requires subscription.
- "Rick Baker".
- Rebecca Murray. "Rick Baker on CGI, Changes in the Industry". About.com Entertainment. Archived from the original on 2008-06-04. Retrieved 2007-09-08.
- "Dread Central at the 2009 Chiller-Eyegore Awards and Halloween Horror Nights".
- "Academy of Art University to Preview NOVA's "Becoming Human" — Students Modeled Recreations of Neanderthal Physiology". academyart.edu. Academy of Art University. 25 October 2009.
- "Rick Baker | Gurus |". Trailersfromhell.com. Retrieved 2016-12-21.
- Baguio, Lindsey (14 November 2012). "Rick Baker to Receive Walk of Fame Star". hollywood.patch.com. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
- "Rick Baker, special effects and make-up designer for 'Thriller,' to retire and auction off his collection - EW.com". Entertainment Weekly's EW.com.
- "Make-Up Legend Rick Baker Retiring; Cites Lack of Good Work". Collider. 28 May 2015.
- "Rick Baker Retiring; The FX World Will Not Be the Same". Slashfilm.
- "Rick Baker - Actor Filmography", The Internet Movie Database, Retrieved May 3, 2017
- Scheib, Richard (n.d.). "Octaman". Moria.
External links
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