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."
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Kay and Jay reunite to provide our best, last and only line of defense against a sinister...
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The Grinch decides to rob Whoville of Christmas - but a dash of kindness from little Cindy Lou...
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King Kong
as King KongAn oil company expedition disturbs the peace of a giant ape and brings him back to New York to...
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Into the Night
as Drug DealerEd Okin used to have a boring life. He used to have trouble getting to sleep. Then one night, he...
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The Kentucky Fried Movie
as Dino (segment "A.M. Today") (as Richard A. Baker)A series of loosely connected skits that spoof news programs, commercials, porno films, kung-fu...
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Michael Jackson's Thriller
as Zombie Opening the Crypt (uncredited)A night at the movies turns into a nightmare when Michael and his date are attacked by a horde...
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The Thing with Two Heads
as GorillaA rich but racist man is dying and hatches an elaborate scheme for transplanting his head onto...
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The Incredible Shrinking Woman
as SidneyAfter being exposed to a bizarre mixture of household chemicals, Pat Kramer begins to shrink....
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Creature Designers: The Frankenstein Complex
as HimselfThe Frankenstein Complex takes a historical as well as a creative perspective, with a mix of...
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King Cohen: The Wild World of Filmmaker Larry Cohen
as SelfA feature-length documentary focusing on the acclaimed work and eclectic career of maverick...
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Monsterland
as SelfA journey through time and history of diverse monster types, from the latex monster in...
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Monster by Moonlight! The Immortal Saga of 'The Wolf Man'
as SelfStarting with "The Wolf Man" (in 1941), Universal Studios made five movies featuring The Wolf...
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The Sci-Fi Boys
as SelfLegendary all-stars of cinema bring to life the evolution of science-fiction and special effects...
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It's Alive: The True Story of Frankenstein
as SelfMary Shelley created a monster in 1818, and writers, actors and filmmakers haven't been able to...
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Cult of Terror
as Self - Make-up DesignerA journey of years through many countries and film festivals; a nostalgic, adrenaline-fueled and...
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Beware the Moon: Remembering 'An American Werewolf in London'
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as HimselfFifty years after its release, the special effects makeup team behind Planet of the Apes reflect...
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Working with a Master: John Landis
as SelfShort documentary about John Landis and his horror works.
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Fear and Love: The Story of The Exorcist
as HimselfA look back at the making of and cultural phenomenon of one of the most popular and profitable...
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The 'Frankenstein' Files: How Hollywood Made a Monster
as SelfThe history of Frankenstein's journey from novel to stage to screen to icon.
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House of Wax: Unlike Anything You've Seen Before!
as SelfDocumentary on the making and impact of "House of Wax".
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She's Alive! Creating 'The Bride of Frankenstein'
as SelfDocumentary about the making of 1935's "The Bride of Frankenstein."
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as Himself"The Art of Imagination: A Tribute to Oz" - a featurette narrated by Sydney Pollack.
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Mummy Dearest: A Horror Tradition Unearthed
as SelfDocumentary featured on the Classic Monster Collection and Monster Legacy Collection for The...
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The Road to 'Dracula'
as SelfA documentary from Universal about the movie "Dracula" (1931) starring Bela Lugosi.
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RKO Production 601: The Making of 'Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World'
as uncreditedAn in-depth look at the genesis, production, and legacy of King Kong, one of the most...
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Metamorphosis of 'Men in Black'
as SelfAn in-depth look into the creation of the special effects for the film Men in Black (1997)....
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He Who Made Monsters: The Life and Art of Jack Pierce
as SelfTribute to Universal make-up artist Jack Pierce who created some of the studio's most famous...
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A Tribute to the Wizard of Oz
as HimselfA tribute to the characters and makeup artists from the Wizard of Oz, as performed and created...
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AGFA MYSTERY MIXTAPE #1
as SelfUnleashed from the video vaults of the American Genre Film Archive (AGFA), AGFA MYSTERY MIXTAPE...
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The Making of David Cronenberg's Videodrome
as IntervieweeA featurette made in 1982 to promote the new film by David Cronenberg, including interviews with...
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Fangoria's Weekend of Horrors
as SelfActors, directors and special effects technicians are interviewed at a horror-film convention.
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Videodrome: Forging the New Flesh
as SelfThrough the use of interviews (both vintage and new) with various cast and crew members,...
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Making Michael Jackson's Thriller
as SelfFeaturing interviews with director John Landis, make-up artist Rick Baker, and the King of Pop...
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MonsterKids: The Impact of Things That Go Bump In The Night
as SelfA documentary that explores the positive fascination with Classic Monsters.
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Pure in Heart: The Life and Legacy of Lon Chaney, Jr.
as SelfA short documentary about the classic Universal Monster actor, Lon Chaney, Jr.
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The Beast Inside: Creating 'Wolf'
as Rick BakerFeaturing brand new interviews with producer Douglas Wick, screenwriter Wesley Strick, and...
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Ed Wood: Making Bela
as SelfMartin Landau talks about how he portrayed Bela Lugosi in the movie. He mentions the...
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The Making of Men in Black
as SelfBehind the scenes of Men in Black (1997)
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Charlie Gemora: Uncredited
as HimselfA portrait of painter, sculptor, makeup artist, set designer and inventor Charlie Gemora.
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Keep the Gaslight Burning
as Mr MaxwellMrs Maxwell has killed her abusive husband but he won't stay dead and can only be kept at bay if...
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Rick Baker: Alien Maker
as SelfThe documentary looks at Rick Baker as he works on the alien design and creation for MIIB....
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Tales Beyond Madness
as uncreditedAn omnibus of tales of horror and adventure by the master of suspense Damon Packard
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Face Off
as Guest JudgeIn this competition/elimination series, special effects make-up artists participate in elaborate...
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DC Daily
as SelfDiscover everything the DC Universe has to offer. DC Daily brings you the latest news, special...
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Face Off: Game Face
as Self - JudgeFormer Face Off all-stars go head-to-head each week, with multiple make-up reveals and...
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