Rick Baker

For the Historian of the United States Senate, see Richard A. Baker (Senate Historian).

Rick Baker

Richard A. "Rick" Baker (born December 8, 1950) is an American special makeup effects artist known for his realistic creature effects.

Personal life

Baker was born in Binghamton, New York, the son of Doris (née Hamlin) and Ralph B. Baker, a professional artist. He was awarded a Doctorate of Humane Letters from the Academy of Art University San Francisco in 2008.

Effects career

As a teen, Baker began creating artificial body parts in his own kitchen. He also appeared briefly in the "lost" classic fan production "The Night Turkey" a one hour B&W video parody of "The Night Stalker" (winner of the Best Short Film award at an early San Diego Comic Con) directed by William Malone (who went on to direct feature films like the science fiction thriller "Creature") and included in its cast Bill Mills (currently a voice actor, independent audio producer and Director of Audio Productions for REB AudioBooks) and Robert Short (a fellow 'special make-up' artist who also went on to win an Academy Award for his work in "Beetlejuice"). Baker's first professional job was as an assistant to Dick Smith on the film The Exorcist. He received the inaugural Academy Award for Makeup for his work on An American Werewolf in London. He also created the "werecat" creature Michael Jackson transforms into in the music video Thriller. Subsequently, Baker has been nominated nine more times with five additional Oscars, both records in his field. Baker claims that his work on Harry and the Hendersons is one of his proudest achievements. On 3 October 2009 he received the Jack Pierce – Lifetime Achievement Award title of the Chiller-Eyegore Awards. Baker created also the special makeup effects for the 2010 film The Wolfman.

Acting roles

Baker portrayed a zombie emerging from his not-so-final resting place in the Thriller video. He also had cameos as the pilot and gunner (with Peter Jackson) who shot down Kong in the 2005 remake of King Kong and as a drug dealer with a business card in the John Landis film Into the Night.

Filmography

• Octaman (1971) (makeup artist)
• 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 Episode IV: A New Hope (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)
• Into the Night (1985) (actor)
• My Science Project (1985) (special makeup effects artist)
• Captain EO (1986) (special makeup effects)
• 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)
• Men in Black (1997) (alien makeup effects, special makeup effects artist)
• Ghosts (1997) (special makeup effects artist)
• Critical Care (1997) (special makeup effects: Mr. Brooks)
• Mighty Joe Young (1998) (special makeup effects)
• Life (1999) (special makeup effects)
• Wild Wild West (1999) (special effects makeup)
• 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)

Awards

• Inducted to the Monster Kid Hall of Fame at The Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards
• Academy Award, Best Makeup Effects
  • An American Werewolf in London, 1981 (First year of the award)
  • Harry and the Hendersons, 1988
  • Ed Wood, 1995
  • The Nutty Professor, 1997
  • Men in Black, 1998
  • How the Grinch Stole Christmas, 2001

See also

• Prosthetic makeup
• Special effect

External links

• Archive of American Television
• Rick Baker on FEARnet