Rick Baker

SPECIAL EFFECTS

 Background:

Biographical Information:
The man behind the men and women of numerous faces and often the man in the mask himself. Baker worked his way up from chief lab assistant for makeup artist Dick Smith to be a puppet designer and made his debut as a special effects makeup artist in 1972. He has conjured everything from werewolves (AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON, 1981) to a remarkably convincing reproduction of old age (THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MISS JANE PITTMAN, 1974). Baker often makes film appearances camouflaged by his own makeup, most often as gorillas (THE THING WITH TWO HEADS, 1972, the title role in KING KONG, 1976, THE KENTUCKY FRIED MOVIE, 1977 and THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING WOMAN, 1981). He also designed the special effects makeup for, and appeared in, Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video.

 Resumé:

Special Effects Filmography: Feature Films

2000 THE GRINCH
2000 NUTTY 2: THE KLUMPS
1999 LIFE
1999 WILD, WILD, WEST
1998 MIGHTY JOE YOUNG
1997 THE DEVIL'S ADVOCATE
1997 MEN IN BLACK
1996 THE NUTTY PROFESSOR
1996 THE FRIGHTENERS
1995 BATMAN FOREVER
1995 THE AMAZING PANDA ADVENTURE
1994 ED WOOD
1994 BABY’S DAY OUT
1994 WOLF
1992 LORENZO'S OIL
1991 THE ROCKETEER
1990 GREMLINS 2 THE NEW BATCH
1989 MISSING LINK
1988 MOONWALKER
1988 GORILLAS IN THE MIST
1988 COMING TO AMERICA
1987 IT'S ALIVE III: ISLAND OF THE ALIVE
1987 HARRY AND THE HENDERSONS
1986 RATBOY
1986 MAX, MY LOVE/MAX, MON AMOUR
1985 TEEN WOLF
1985 MY SCIENCE PROJECT
1985 INTO THE NIGHT
1985 COCOON
1984 STARMAN
1984 GREYSTOKE: THE LEGEND OF TARZAN,
LORD OF THE APES
1983 VIDEODROME
1983 MAKING MICHAEL JACKSON'S
THRILLER
1981 THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING WOMAN
1981 THE HOWLING
1981 THE FUNHOUSE
1981 AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON
1980 TANYA'S ISLAND
1980 MADHOUSE
1979 THE DOUBLE MCGUFFIN
1978 IT LIVES AGAIN/IT'S ALIVE II
1978 THE INCREDIBLE MELTING MAN
1977 ZEBRA FORCE
1977 STAR WARS
1977 THE KENTUCKY FRIED MOVIE
1976 KING KONG
1972 THE THING WITH TWO HEADS
1971 SCHLOCK/BANANA MONSTER
makeup effects
makeup effects
makeup effects
makeup effects
gorilla effects
makeup effects
alien makeup effects
makeup
“The Judge” makeup creator
two-face makeup and bat effects
panda effects
makeup
baby and gorilla effects
makeup effects
special effects makeup
prosthetics consultant
“Lothar” makeup creator
producer, special effects supervisor
makeup effects
gorilla suits and animatronic heads
makeup effects
baby design
designer of “Harry”
“Ratboy” design
chimpanzee consultant
performer
Tyrannosaurus Rex sequence consultant
performer
consultant
Starman transformation
gorilla suits and heads

makeup effects
makeup effects

performer, design "Sidney"
makeup consultant
makeup effects
makeup effects
beast design
performer
story
makeup effects
makeup effects
makeup effects
2nd unit makeup
performer
“Kong” suit, performer, technical advisor
performer
makeup effects

Awards:

Academy Awards
Best Achievement in Makeup 1981 : AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON
Nominated for Best Achievement in Makeup 1984 : GREYSTOKE: THE LEGEND OF
TARZAN, LORD OF THE APES
Best Achievement in Makeup 1987 : HARRY AND THE HENDERSONS
Nominated for Best Achievement in Makeup 1988 : COMING TO AMERICA
Best Achievement in Makeup 1994 : ED WOOD
Best Achievement in Makeup 1996 : THE NUTTY PROFESSOR
Best Achievement in Makeup 1997 : MEN IN BLACK
Nominated for Best Achievement in Special Effects 1998 : MIGHTY JOE YOUNG

 

A more complete list of Rick Baker's credits can be found at the Internet Movie Database on the World Wide Web.

home | back to tunnels (index) | contact | company info

©1999 - 2000 Brillig Productions, L.L.C.