Rick Baker
Costume & Make-Up
Born: December 8, 1950 (age 75) · Binghamton, New York, USA
Highest Rated
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
Star Wars
1977
The Empire Strikes Back
1980
Men in Black
1997
Maleficent
2014
Men in Black 3
2012
Men in Black II
2002
The Exorcist
1973
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
2000
TRON: Legacy
2010
Click
2006
The Ring
2002
Enchanted
2007
Photos (2)
Movies (21)
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Puppeteer
Men in Black II
MIB Passport Control Agent
Men in Black 3
Brain Alien
Planet of the Apes
Old Ape #2
The Wolfman
Gypsy Man / First Killed
King Kong
King Kong
V/H/S/Halloween
Rich (segment "Home Haunt")
Michael Jackson's Thriller
Zombie Opening the Crypt (uncredited)
Into the Night
Drug Dealer
The Kentucky Fried Movie
Dino (segment "A.M. Today") (as Richard A. Baker)
The Incredible Shrinking Woman
Sidney
The AGFA Mystery Mixtape Vault
(archive footage)
The Thing with Two Heads
Gorilla
Keep the Gaslight Burning
Mr Maxwell
The Making of David Cronenberg's Videodrome
Interviewee
Old Time Radio: The Specter of Christmas
The Caretaker
The Night Turkey
Little Kathy's Date
Tales Beyond Madness
2019
Making an American Werewolf in London
1981
Old Time Radio: Your Move
The Caretaker
The Beast Inside: Creating 'Wolf'
Rick Baker
TV Shows (2)
Self / Appearances (41)
DC Daily
Self · 1 eps
RKO Production 601: The Making of “Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World”
Self
Masters of Illusion: The Wizards of Special Effects
Self
King Cohen: The Wild World of Filmmaker Larry Cohen
Self
Creature Designers: The Frankenstein Complex
Self
Birth Pains
himself
Face Off: Game Face
Self - Judge · 7 eps
Ray Harryhausen: The Early Years Collection
Self
The Perfect Scary Movie
Self
Making Apes: The Artists Who Changed Film
Self
Men in Black II: Creature Featurettes
Self
The 'Frankenstein' Files: How Hollywood Made a Monster
Self
Beware the Moon: Remembering 'An American Werewolf in London'
Self
Monster by Moonlight! The Immortal Saga of 'The Wolf Man'
Self
Videodrome: Forging the New Flesh
Self
The Making of Captain EO
Self
Cult of Terror
Self - Make-up Designer
Monsterland
Self
She's Alive! Creating 'The Bride of Frankenstein'
Self
Mummy Dearest: A Horror Tradition Unearthed
Self
It's Alive: The True Story of Frankenstein
Self
Making Michael Jackson's Thriller
Self
He Who Made Monsters: The Life and Art of Jack Pierce
Self
The Making of Men in Black
Self
The Sci-Fi Boys
Self
Working with a Master: John Landis
Self
Pure in Heart: The Life and Legacy of Lon Chaney, Jr.
Self
Fangoria's Weekend of Horrors
Self
House of Wax: Unlike Anything You've Seen Before!
Self
Gremlins, an american nightmare!
Himself
Fear and Love: The Story of The Exorcist
Self
A Tribute to the Wizard of Oz
Himself
The Art of Imagination: A Tribute to Oz
Self
The Wolf Man: From Ancient Curse to Modern Myth
Self
Charlie Gemora: Uncredited
Himself
Metamorphosis of 'Men in Black'
Self
The Road to 'Dracula'
Self
Ed Wood: Making Bela
Self
MonsterKids: The Impact of Things That Go Bump In The Night
Self
AGFA Mystery Mixtape #1
Self
Rick Baker: Alien Maker
Self
Upcoming (1)
Producing (1)
Other Crew (95)
Star Wars
Makeup Artist
The Exorcist
Special Effects Assistant
The Empire Strikes Back
Makeup Artist
Men in Black
Special Effects Makeup Artist
Maleficent
Makeup Artist
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Makeup Effects Designer
Men in Black II
Makeup Artist
The Ring
Makeup Effects
The Ring
Makeup Artist
Enchanted
Special Effects Makeup Artist
TRON: Legacy
Makeup Artist
Batman Forever
Makeup Artist
Click
Special Effects Makeup Artist
Coming to America
Makeup Effects
Coming to America
Makeup Artist
An American Werewolf in London
Makeup Effects
An American Werewolf in London
Makeup Artist
Men in Black 3
Makeup Artist
Planet of the Apes
Makeup Effects Designer
Gremlins 2: The New Batch
Special Effects
Gremlins 2: The New Batch
Creature Design
Gremlins 2: The New Batch
Special Effects Supervisor
Baby's Day Out
Makeup Artist
Norbit
Makeup Artist
The Frighteners
Makeup Artist
Wild Wild West
Makeup Effects Designer
The Nutty Professor
Makeup Effects Designer
Videodrome
Makeup Effects Designer
The Wolfman
Makeup Effects Designer
The Wolfman
Special Effects Makeup Artist
Wolf
Makeup Artist
King Kong
Makeup Artist
Escape from L.A.
Makeup Artist
Life
Special Effects Makeup Artist
Harry and the Hendersons
Makeup Artist
Silver Bullet
Visual Effects
Michael Jackson's Thriller
Makeup Effects Designer
Mighty Joe Young
Special Effects
Mighty Joe Young
Special Effects Makeup Artist
The Rocketeer
Makeup Artist
The Howling
Special Effects Makeup Artist
Ed Wood
Makeup Designer
Psycho
Makeup Artist
Nutty Professor II: The Klumps
Special Effects Makeup Artist
Altered States
Special Effects Makeup Artist
Altered States
Makeup Artist
Gorillas in the Mist
Makeup Artist
Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes
Makeup Artist
Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes
Special Effects Makeup Artist
Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes
Creature Design
Cursed
Special Effects Makeup Artist
Body Bags
Makeup Artist
Summer School
Makeup Artist
The Fury
Makeup Effects
The Fury
Makeup Artist
The Funhouse
Special Effects Makeup Artist
Flesh Gordon
Special Effects
Ghosts
Makeup Effects
Ghosts
Makeup Artist
Ghost Story
Special Effects Makeup Artist
Ghost Story
Makeup Artist
It's Alive
Makeup Artist
It's Alive
Special Effects Makeup Artist
Matinee
Makeup Effects
Matinee
Makeup Artist
The Amazing Panda Adventure
Special Effects
Black Caesar
Makeup Designer
Black Caesar
Special Effects
Black Caesar
Makeup Artist
Missing Link
Makeup Artist
Squirm
Makeup Designer
The Incredible Melting Man
Makeup Artist
My Science Project
Makeup Artist
The Incredible Shrinking Woman
Makeup Artist
An American Christmas Carol
Makeup Artist
Max My Love
Makeup Effects Designer
Max My Love
Sequence Lead
Tanya's Island
Special Effects
It Lives Again
Makeup Effects
It Lives Again
Makeup Artist
Schlock
Makeup Artist
Schlock
Special Effects
Dark Avenger
Makeup Artist
Skinned Deep
Thanks
Ratboy
Makeup Artist
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman
Makeup Artist
Octaman
Costume Design
The Thing with Two Heads
Special Effects
Track of the Moon Beast
Makeup Artist
Beauty and the Beast
Creature Design
Bone
Makeup Designer
Bone
Special Effects
The Zebra Force
Makeup Artist
The Night Turkey
Makeup Artist
Cop Killers
Makeup Artist