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Rick Baker

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For other people named Rick Baker, see Rick Baker (disambiguation).
Rick Baker
Baker in February 2015
Born (1950-12-08) December 8, 1950 (age 73)
Binghamton, New York
NationalityAmerican
Alma materAcademy of Art University
OccupationSpecial make-up effects artist
Years active1971–2014
Spouses
Elaine Baker
​
(m. 1974⁠–⁠1984)​
Silvia Abascal
​
(m. 1987)​
[1]
Children2 Daughters

Richard A. "Rick" Baker (born December 8, 1950)[1] is an American special make-up effects creator, make-up artist, and special effects supervisor, mostly known for his creature effects; he was also a creature designer. Baker won the Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling a record seven times from a record eleven nominations, starting in 1981 when he won the inaugural award for An American Werewolf in London.[2]

Personal life

Baker was born in Binghamton, New York, to Doris (née Hamlin) and Ralph B. Baker, a professional artist.[1] He is married and has two daughters.

Career

As a teen, Baker began creating artificial body parts in his own kitchen.[citation needed] He also appeared briefly[citation needed] 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 film The Exorcist.[3]

Baker received the inaugural Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling for his work on An American Werewolf in London.[4] He also created the "werecat" creature Michael Jackson transforms into in the music video Thriller.[citation needed] Subsequently, Baker has been nominated for the Best Makeup Oscar ten more times, winning on seven occasions, both records in his field.[5]

He was married to Elaine Melba Parkyn for ten years.

Baker at the 2011 Saturn Awards

Baker claims that his work on Harry and the Hendersons is one of his proudest achievements.[6] On October 3, 2009, he received the Jack Pierce – Lifetime Achievement Award title of the Chiller-Eyegore Awards.[7]

He was awarded a Doctorate of Humane Letters from the Academy of Art University San Francisco in 2008.[8] He also contributes commentaries to the web series Trailers From Hell for trailers about horror and science fiction films.[9]

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.[10]

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."[11][12][13]

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 also made cameo appearances in: the John Landis film Into the Night as a drug dealer with a business card; in Men in Black II as an MIB agent helping provide aliens with disguises; in Men in Black 3 as a "brain alien"; in Michael Jackson's music video Thriller as one of the zombies; in The Haunted Mansion as multiple graveyard ghosts; [citation needed] in The Wolfman as the Wolfman's first kill; and in Rings as a flea market vendor.[14]

Filmography

Awards

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Rick Baker Biography (1950-)".
  2. ^ Rick Baker at awardsdatabase.oscars.org
  3. ^ "prize-survey.com".
  4. ^ Barnes, Mike (2009-08-04). "Makeup artist Howard J. Smit dies". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2009-08-12. Abstract only; full article requires subscription.
  5. ^ "Rick Baker".
  6. ^ Rebecca Murray. "Rick Baker on CGI, Changes in the Industry". About.com Entertainment.
  7. ^ "Dread Central at the 2009 Chiller-Eyegore Awards and Halloween Horror Nights".
  8. ^ "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.
  9. ^ "Rick Baker | Gurus |". Trailersfromhell.com. Retrieved 2016-12-21.
  10. ^ Baguio, Lindsey (14 November 2012). "Rick Baker to Receive Walk of Fame Star". hollywood.patch.com. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
  11. ^ "Rick Baker, special effects and make-up designer for 'Thriller,' to retire and auction off his collection - EW.com". Entertainment Weekly's EW.com.
  12. ^ "Make-Up Legend Rick Baker Retiring; Cites Lack of Good Work". Collider. 28 May 2015.
  13. ^ "Rick Baker Retiring; The FX World Will Not Be the Same". Slashfilm.
  14. ^ "Rick Baker - Actor Filmography", The Internet Movie Database, Retrieved May 3, 2017
  15. ^ Scheib, Richard (n.d.). "Octaman". Moria.
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