Rick Baker
- Known for
- Costume & Make-Up
- Born
- December 8, 1950 (age 75)
- Birthplace
- Binghamton, New York, USA
Biography
Richard A. Baker (born December 8, 1950) 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. 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. 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. Baker received the inaugural Academy Award for Best Makeup for his work on An American Werewolf in London. 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. 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. He also contributes commentaries to the web series Trailers from Hell for trailers about horror and science fiction films. 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. 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."
Known For
Photos
Filmography
Maleficent
Movie · Makeup Artist
Men in Black 3
Movie · Makeup Artist
The Wolfman
Movie · Makeup Effects Designer, Special Effects Makeup Artist
TRON: Legacy
Movie · Makeup Artist
Enchanted
Movie · Special Effects Makeup Artist
Norbit
Movie · Makeup Artist
Click
Movie · Special Effects Makeup Artist
Cursed
Movie · Special Effects Makeup Artist
Men in Black II
Movie · Makeup Artist
The Ring
Movie · Makeup Artist
Planet of the Apes
Movie · Makeup Effects Designer
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Movie · Makeup Effects Designer
Nutty Professor II: The Klumps
Movie · Special Effects Makeup Artist
Wild Wild West
Movie · Makeup Effects Designer
Life
Movie · Special Effects Makeup Artist
Psycho
Movie · Makeup Artist
Mighty Joe Young
Movie · Special Effects Makeup Artist
Ghosts
Movie · Makeup Artist
Men in Black
Movie · Special Effects Makeup Artist
The Nutty Professor
Movie · Makeup Effects Designer
Escape from L.A.
Movie · Makeup Artist
The Frighteners
Movie · Makeup Artist
Batman Forever
Movie · Makeup Artist
Ed Wood
Movie · Makeup Designer
Wolf
Movie · Makeup Artist
Baby's Day Out
Movie · Makeup Artist
Matinee
Movie · Makeup Artist
Body Bags
Movie · Makeup Artist
The Rocketeer
Movie · Makeup Artist
Dark Avenger
Movie · Makeup Artist
Coming to America
Movie · Makeup Artist
Gorillas in the Mist
Movie · Makeup Artist
Missing Link
Movie · Makeup Artist
Summer School
Movie · Makeup Artist
Harry and the Hendersons
Movie · Makeup Artist
Max My Love
Movie · Makeup Effects Designer
Ratboy
Movie · Makeup Artist
My Science Project
Movie · Makeup Artist
Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes
Movie · Makeup Artist, Special Effects Makeup Artist
Videodrome
Movie · Makeup Effects Designer
Michael Jackson's Thriller
Movie · Makeup Effects Designer
The Howling
Movie · Special Effects Makeup Artist
The Funhouse
Movie · Special Effects Makeup Artist
Ghost Story
Movie · Special Effects Makeup Artist
The Incredible Shrinking Woman
Movie · Makeup Artist
An American Werewolf in London
Movie · Makeup Artist
Altered States
Movie · Special Effects Makeup Artist
The Empire Strikes Back
Movie · Makeup Artist
An American Christmas Carol
Movie · Makeup Artist
It Lives Again
Movie · Makeup Artist
The Fury
Movie · Makeup Artist
Cop Killers
Movie · Makeup Artist
The Incredible Melting Man
Movie · Makeup Artist
Star Wars
Movie · Makeup Artist
Squirm
Movie · Makeup Designer
Track of the Moon Beast
Movie · Makeup Artist
The Zebra Force
Movie · Makeup Artist
King Kong
Movie · Makeup Artist
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman
Movie · Makeup Artist
It's Alive
Movie · Makeup Artist, Special Effects Makeup Artist
Schlock
Movie · Makeup Artist
Black Caesar
Movie · Makeup Designer, Makeup Artist
The Night Turkey
Movie · Makeup Artist
Bone
Movie · Makeup Designer
Octaman
Movie · Costume Design