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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The Wolfman
as Gypsy Man / First KilledLawrence Talbot, an American man on a visit to Victorian London to make amends with his...
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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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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 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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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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Creature Designers: The Frankenstein Complex
as SelfThe Frankenstein Complex takes a historical as well as a creative perspective, with a mix of...
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The Art of Imagination: A Tribute to Oz
as Self"The Art of Imagination: A Tribute to Oz" - a featurette narrated by Sydney Pollack.
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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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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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Beware the Moon: Remembering 'An American Werewolf in London'
as SelfHost Paul Davis takes a trip through some of the iconic backdrops of John Landis' 1981 werewolf...
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as SelfFifty years after its release, the special effects makeup team behind Planet of the Apes reflect...
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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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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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The Making of Captain EO
as SelfDocumentary of the making of Michael Jackson's Captain EO film for the Disney theme parks.
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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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Fangoria's Weekend of Horrors
as SelfActors, directors and special effects technicians are interviewed at a horror-film convention.
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Working with a Master: John Landis
as SelfShort documentary about John Landis and his horror works.
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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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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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The Road to 'Dracula'
as SelfA documentary from Universal about the movie "Dracula" (1931) starring Bela Lugosi.
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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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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 Making of Men in Black
as SelfBehind the scenes of Men in Black (1997)
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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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Fear and Love: The Story of The Exorcist
as HimselfA intimate reflection at the making of and cultural phenomenon of one of the most popular and...
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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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Birth Pains
as himselfFun thirty-three minute documentary about the making of David Cronenberg's THE BROOD features...
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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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Ed Wood: Making Bela
as SelfMartin Landau talks about how he portrayed Bela Lugosi in the movie. He mentions the...
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Metamorphosis of 'Men in Black'
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The Wolf Man: From Ancient Curse to Modern Myth
as SelfA documentary produced for Universal about their early Wolf Man film(s)
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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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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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The Beast Inside: Creating 'Wolf'
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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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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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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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Dance With Me
as CaretakerDuring an evening of dancing and dining, two elderly Casanovas, well past their prime (and their...
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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 Sci-Fi Boys
as SelfLegendary all-stars of cinema bring to life the evolution of science-fiction and special effects...
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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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Monsterland
as SelfA journey through time and history of diverse monster types, from the latex monster in...
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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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Charlie Gemora: Uncredited
as HimselfA portrait of painter, sculptor, makeup artist, set designer and inventor Charlie Gemora.
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Rick Baker: Alien Maker
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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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Unchained Reaction
as uncreditedUnchained Reaction is a science and engineering reality game show that airs on the Discovery...
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