Rick Baker
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
Credits
- 2024 · Fear and Love: The Story of The Exorcist as Himself
- 2023 · Old Time Radio: Your Move as The Caretaker
- 2020 · AGFA MYSTERY MIXTAPE #1 as Self
- 2019 · Tales Beyond Madness as
- 2019 · Making Apes: The Artists Who Changed Film as Self
- 2018 · Keep the Gaslight Burning as Mr Maxwell
- 2018 · DC Daily as Self
- 2018 · King Cohen: The Wild World of Filmmaker Larry Cohen as Self
- 2017 · The Beast Inside: Creating 'Wolf' as Rick Baker
- 2017 · Cult of Terror as Self - Make-up Designer
- 2017 · MonsterKids: The Impact of Things That Go Bump In The Night as Self
- 2017 · Face Off: Game Face as Self - Judge
- 2016 · Charlie Gemora: Uncredited as Himself
- 2015 · Creature Designers: The Frankenstein Complex as Self
- 2015 · Birth Pains as himself
- 2014 · The Scanners Way: Creating the Special Effects in 'Scanners' as Himself
- 2013 · House of Wax: Unlike Anything You've Seen Before! as Self
- 2012 · Men in Black 3 as Brain Alien
- 2012 · Unchained Reaction as
- 2011 · Face Off as Guest Judge
- 2010 · The Wolfman as Gypsy Man / First Killed
- 2010 · Pure in Heart: The Life and Legacy of Lon Chaney, Jr. as Self
- 2010 · The Wolf Man: From Ancient Curse to Modern Myth as Self
- 2009 · I Walked with a Werewolf as Himself
- 2009 · Beware the Moon: Remembering 'An American Werewolf in London' as Self
- 2009 · Monsterland as Self
- 2008 · He Who Made Monsters: The Life and Art of Jack Pierce as Self
- 2006 · Teddy Scares as Hester Golem (voice)
- 2006 · Working with a Master: John Landis as Self
- 2006 · The Sci-Fi Boys as Self
- 2005 · RKO Production 601: The Making of 'Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World' as
- 2005 · The Perfect Scary Movie as Self
- 2005 · The Art of Imagination: A Tribute to Oz as Self
- 2004 · Ed Wood: Making Bela as Self
- 2004 · Videodrome: Forging the New Flesh as Self
- 2002 · Rick Baker: Alien Maker as Self
- 2002 · The 'Frankenstein' Files: How Hollywood Made a Monster as Self
- 2002 · Men in Black II as MIB Passport Control Agent
- 2001 · Planet of the Apes as Old Ape #2
- 2000 · How the Grinch Stole Christmas as Puppeteer
- 2000 · Metamorphosis of 'Men in Black' as Self
- 2000 · Mummy Dearest: A Horror Tradition Unearthed as Self
- 1999 · The Road to 'Dracula' as Self
- 1999 · She's Alive! Creating 'The Bride of Frankenstein' as Self
- 1999 · Monster by Moonlight! The Immortal Saga of 'The Wolf Man' as Self
- 1999 · A Tribute to the Wizard of Oz as Himself
- 1997 · The Making of Men in Black as Self
- 1994 · It's Alive: The True Story of Frankenstein as Self
- 1994 · Masters of Illusion: The Wizards of Special Effects as Self
- 1986 · The Making of Captain EO as Self
- 1986 · King Kong! The Living Legend as Self / King Kong
- 1986 · Fangoria's Weekend of Horrors as Self
- 1985 · Into the Night as Drug Dealer
- 1983 · Making Michael Jackson's Thriller as Self
- 1983 · Michael Jackson's Thriller as Zombie Opening the Crypt (uncredited)
- 1982 · The Making of David Cronenberg's Videodrome as Interviewee
- 1981 · The Incredible Shrinking Woman as Sidney
- 1977 · The Kentucky Fried Movie as Dino (segment "A.M. Today") (as Richard A. Baker)
- 1976 · King Kong as King Kong
- 1972 · The Thing with Two Heads as Gorilla
- Future · Dance With Me as Caretaker