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