CineScope
Rick Baker picture

Rick Baker

Costume & Make-Up
Known For

74 Years Old

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."

Born

Binghamton, New York, USA on 8th December 1950

All Credits

Face Off Image
Face Off
Guest Judge
DC Daily Image
DC Daily
Self
How the Grinch Stole Christmas Image
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Puppeteer
Men in Black II Image
Men in Black II
MIB Passport Control Agent
Men in Black 3 Image
Men in Black 3
Brain Alien
Planet of the Apes Image
Planet of the Apes
Old Ape #2
Face Off: Game Face Image
Face Off: Game Face
Self - Judge
Unchained Reaction Image
Unchained Reaction
The Wolfman Image
The Wolfman
Gypsy Man / First Killed
King Kong Image
King Kong
King Kong
Michael Jackson's Thriller Image
Michael Jackson's Thriller
Zombie Opening the Crypt (uncredited)
Into the Night Image
Into the Night
Drug Dealer
The Sci-Fi Boys Image
The Sci-Fi Boys
Self
The Kentucky Fried Movie Image
The Kentucky Fried Movie
Dino (segment "A.M. Today") (as Richard A. Baker)
King Cohen: The Wild World of Filmmaker Larry Cohen Image
King Cohen: The Wild World of Filmmaker Larry Cohen
Self
Fear and Love: The Story of The Exorcist Image
Fear and Love: The Story of The Exorcist
Self
The Incredible Shrinking Woman Image
The Incredible Shrinking Woman
Sidney
Making Apes: The Artists Who Changed Film Image
Making Apes: The Artists Who Changed Film
Self
Beware the Moon: Remembering 'An American Werewolf in London' Image
Beware the Moon: Remembering 'An American Werewolf in London'
Self
The Perfect Scary Movie Image
The Perfect Scary Movie
Self
Monster by Moonlight! The Immortal Saga of 'The Wolf Man' Image
Monster by Moonlight! The Immortal Saga of 'The Wolf Man'
Self
Creature Designers: The Frankenstein Complex Image
Creature Designers: The Frankenstein Complex
Self
The Thing with Two Heads Image
The Thing with Two Heads
Gorilla
Working with a Master: John Landis Image
Working with a Master: John Landis
Self
Masters of Illusion: The Wizards of Special Effects Image
Masters of Illusion: The Wizards of Special Effects
Self
The AGFA Mystery Mixtape Vault Image
The AGFA Mystery Mixtape Vault
Self
The Making of Men in Black Image
The Making of Men in Black
Self
Keep the Gaslight Burning Image
Keep the Gaslight Burning
Mr Maxwell
It's Alive: The True Story of Frankenstein Image
It's Alive: The True Story of Frankenstein
Self
Monsterland Image
Monsterland
Self
Ed Wood: Making Bela Image
Ed Wood: Making Bela
Self
RKO Production 601: The Making of “Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World” Image
RKO Production 601: The Making of “Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World”
Self
No Image
The Scanners Way: Creating the Special Effects in 'Scanners'
Himself
Cult of Terror Image
Cult of Terror
Self - Make-up Designer
The Wolf Man: From Ancient Curse to Modern Myth Image
The Wolf Man: From Ancient Curse to Modern Myth
Self
The Making of Captain EO Image
The Making of Captain EO
Self
A Tribute to the Wizard of Oz Image
A Tribute to the Wizard of Oz
Himself
The 'Frankenstein' Files: How Hollywood Made a Monster Image
The 'Frankenstein' Files: How Hollywood Made a Monster
Self
Fangoria's Weekend of Horrors Image
Fangoria's Weekend of Horrors
Self
Making Michael Jackson's Thriller Image
Making Michael Jackson's Thriller
Self
He Who Made Monsters: The Life and Art of Jack Pierce Image
He Who Made Monsters: The Life and Art of Jack Pierce
Self
The Art of Imagination: A Tribute to Oz Image
The Art of Imagination: A Tribute to Oz
Self
House of Wax: Unlike Anything You've Seen Before! Image
House of Wax: Unlike Anything You've Seen Before!
Self
Pure in Heart: The Life and Legacy of Lon Chaney, Jr. Image
Pure in Heart: The Life and Legacy of Lon Chaney, Jr.
Self
She's Alive! Creating 'The Bride of Frankenstein' Image
She's Alive! Creating 'The Bride of Frankenstein'
Self
No Image
I Walked with a Werewolf
Himself
The Making of David Cronenberg's Videodrome Image
The Making of David Cronenberg's Videodrome
Interviewee
Metamorphosis of 'Men in Black' Image
Metamorphosis of 'Men in Black'
Self
AGFA MYSTERY MIXTAPE #1 Image
AGFA MYSTERY MIXTAPE #1
Self
The Road to 'Dracula' Image
The Road to 'Dracula'
Self
No Image
King Kong! The Living Legend
Self / King Kong
Videodrome: Forging the New Flesh Image
Videodrome: Forging the New Flesh
Self
Old Time Radio: Dance With Me Image
Old Time Radio: Dance With Me
Caretaker
Mummy Dearest: A Horror Tradition Unearthed Image
Mummy Dearest: A Horror Tradition Unearthed
Self
Birth Pains Image
Birth Pains
himself
No Image
Old Time Radio: Your Move
The Caretaker
Tales Beyond Madness Image
Tales Beyond Madness
No Image
Teddy Scares
Hester Golem (voice)
MonsterKids: The Impact of Things That Go Bump In The Night Image
MonsterKids: The Impact of Things That Go Bump In The Night
Self
The Beast Inside: Creating 'Wolf' Image
The Beast Inside: Creating 'Wolf'
Rick Baker
Rick Baker: Alien Maker Image
Rick Baker: Alien Maker
Self
Charlie Gemora: Uncredited Image
Charlie Gemora: Uncredited
Himself