Rick Baker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rick Baker
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Baker in 2015
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| Born |
Richard Alan Baker
December 8, 1950 Binghamton, New York, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Academy of Art University (BA) |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1967–2018 |
| Spouse(s) |
Elaine Baker
(m. 1974; div. 1984)Silvia Abascal
(m. 1987) |
| Children | 2 |
Richard Alan "Rick" Baker (born December 8, 1950) is a famous American artist who created amazing special make-up effects for movies. He is known for making incredible creatures and characters come to life on screen. Rick Baker has won the Academy Award for Best Makeup a record seven times. He was nominated eleven times, which is also a record! His first win was for the movie An American Werewolf in London in 1981.
Contents
Early Life and First Steps
Rick Baker was born in Binghamton, New York, in 1950. His mom, Doris, worked at a bank, and his dad, Ralph, was an artist. When Rick was very young, his family moved to Covina, California.
Becoming a Makeup Artist
Even as a teenager, Rick loved making things. He started creating fake body parts right in his own kitchen! One of his first professional jobs was helping a makeup effects expert named Dick Smith. They worked together on the 1973 film The Exorcist.
While working on The Exorcist, Rick was also hired to create a special baby creature for the 1974 movie It's Alive.
Amazing Career Highlights
Rick Baker became famous for his incredible talent. He won the very first Academy Award for Best Makeup for his work on An American Werewolf in London in 1982. This movie showed amazing transformations of a person turning into a werewolf.
Creating Iconic Creatures
Rick Baker also designed and created the scary werecat creature that Michael Jackson turns into in the famous 1983 music video Thriller. This video is still very popular today!
One of Rick's proudest achievements was his work on the 1987 movie Harry and the Hendersons. He created the friendly Bigfoot creature named Harry. For this work, he won his second Oscar.
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Awards and Recognition
Rick Baker has received many honors for his work. In 2008, he was given a special degree from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. In 2009, he received the Jack Pierce Lifetime Achievement Award.
On November 30, 2012, Rick Baker received his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His star is located in front of the Guinness World Records Museum.
Retirement and Legacy
In 2015, Rick Baker announced he was retiring. He explained that computer-generated imagery (CGI) was changing the film business. He preferred to do things carefully and perfectly, but studios wanted things done cheaply and quickly. He decided it was time to step away from having a big studio.
Even after retiring, Rick still creates. In 2018, he designed a collectible display bust of The Joker for DC Comics. He worked with his long-time mold maker, Rob Freitas, on this project.
Acting Roles
Besides creating makeup effects, Rick Baker also appeared in some movies and music videos.
Playing King Kong
He played the giant ape King Kong in the 1976 movie remake. He was originally hired to make an ape suit, but he ended up playing Kong for most of the film. In the 2005 remake of King Kong, he had a small role as a pilot who shot down Kong.
Other Cameos
Rick Baker also made short appearances in other films and videos:
- In Michael Jackson's Thriller (1983), he was the "Zombie Opening the Crypt."
- In Men in Black II (2002), he played an agent who helped aliens with disguises.
- He was also in Men in Black 3 (2012) as a "Brain Alien."
- In The Wolfman (2010), he played a "Gypsy Man."
Personal Life
Rick Baker is married to Silvia Abascal. They met while working on the movie Into the Night in 1985. They have two daughters, born in 1989 and 1993. Before Silvia, Rick was married to Elaine Melba Parkyn for ten years.
Selected Filmography
- Schlock (1973) (makeup artist / actor)
- The Exorcist (1973) (special effects assistant)
- It's Alive (1974) (makeup artist)
- King Kong (1976) (makeup effects / actor)
- Star Wars (1977) (makeup)
- An American Werewolf in London (1981) (special makeup effects designer and creator)
- The Howling (1981) (special makeup effects consultant)
- Videodrome (1983) (special makeup effects designer)
- Thriller (1983) (special makeup effects designer and creator / actor)
- Harry and the Hendersons (1987) (creature designer: Harry / makeup artist)
- Coming to America (1988) (special makeup effects)
- Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990) (special effects supervisor)
- Ed Wood (1994) (makeup creator: Bela Lugosi)
- The Nutty Professor (1996) (special makeup effects)
- Men in Black (1997) (alien makeup effects / special makeup effects artist)
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) (special makeup effects / actor)
- Planet of the Apes (2001) (makeup artist / special makeup effects designer and creator / actor)
- Men in Black II (2002) (alien makeup effects / actor)
- The Ring (2002) (special makeup effects artist)
- King Kong (2005) (actor)
- The Wolfman (2010) (special makeup effects / actor)
- Men in Black 3 (2012) (alien makeup effects / actor)
- Maleficent (2014) (makeup designer: Maleficent)
Awards and Nominations
Academy Awards
| Year | Nominated work | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | An American Werewolf in London | Best Makeup | Won |
| 1985 | Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes | Nominated | |
| 1988 | Harry and the Hendersons | Won | |
| 1989 | Coming to America | Nominated | |
| 1995 | Ed Wood | Won | |
| 1997 | The Nutty Professor | Won | |
| 1998 | Men in Black | Won | |
| 2000 | Life | Nominated | |
| 2001 | How the Grinch Stole Christmas | Won | |
| 2008 | Norbit | Nominated | |
| 2011 | The Wolfman | Won |
BAFTA Awards
| Year | Nominated work | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes | Best Make Up/Hair | Won |
| 1996 | Ed Wood | Nominated | |
| 1997 | The Nutty Professor | Won | |
| 1998 | Men in Black | Best Special Effects | Nominated |
| 2001 | How the Grinch Stole Christmas | Best Make Up/Hair | Won |
| 2002 | Planet of the Apes | Nominated |
Saturn Awards
| Year | Nominated work | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Star Wars | Best Make-up | Won |
| 1979 | The Fury | Won | |
| 1981 | The Howling | Nominated | |
| 1982 | An American Werewolf in London | Won | |
| 1988 | Harry and the Hendersons | Nominated | |
| 1991 | Gremlins 2: The New Batch | Best Special Effects | Nominated |
| 1995 | Ed Wood | Best Make-up | Won |
| Wolf | Nominated | ||
| 1996 | Batman Forever | Nominated | |
| 1997 | The Nutty Professor | Won | |
| The Frighteners | Nominated | ||
| 1998 | Men in Black | Best Special Effects | Nominated |
| Best Make-up | Nominated | ||
| 1999 | Mighty Joe Young | Best Special Effects | Nominated |
| 2001 | How the Grinch Stole Christmas | Best Make-up | Won |
| Nutty Professor II: The Klumps | Nominated | ||
| 2002 | Planet of the Apes | Nominated | |
| 2003 | The Ring | Nominated | |
| 2004 | The Haunted Mansion | Nominated | |
| 2011 | The Wolfman | Won |
Other Awards
- 2485th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
- Time Machine Award at the 2015 Sitges Film Festival
- Doctorate of Humane Letters from the Academy of Art University
- Jack Pierce Lifetime Achievement Award at the Chiller-Eyegore Awards
- Inducted in the Monster Kid Hall of Fame at the Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards
- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Makeup for The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1974)
See also
In Spanish: Rick Baker para niños
- Prosthetic makeup
- Special effect
