Rick Baker

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."

The AGFA Mystery Mixtape Vault
2025
Self
Fear and Love: The Story of The Exorcist
2024
Self
AGFA MYSTERY MIXTAPE #1
2020
Self
Tales Beyond Madness
2019
Making Apes: The Artists Who Changed Film
2019
Self
King Cohen: The Wild World of Filmmaker Larry Cohen
2018
Self
Keep the Gaslight Burning
2018
Mr Maxwell
Cult of Terror
2017
Self - Make-up Designer
MonsterKids: The Impact of Things That Go Bump In The Night
2017
Self
The Beast Inside: Creating 'Wolf'
2017
Rick Baker
Charlie Gemora: Uncredited
2016
Himself
Creature Designers: The Frankenstein Complex
2015
Self
Birth Pains
2015
himself
Maleficent
2014
Makeup Artist
House of Wax: Unlike Anything You've Seen Before!
2013
Self
Men in Black 3
2012
Makeup Artist
The Wolfman
2010
Makeup Effects Designer
TRON: Legacy
2010
Makeup Artist
The Wolf Man: From Ancient Curse to Modern Myth
2010
Self
Pure in Heart: The Life and Legacy of Lon Chaney, Jr.
2010
Self
Beware the Moon: Remembering 'An American Werewolf in London'
2009
Self
Monsterland
2009
Self
RKO Production 601: The Making of “Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World”
2008
Self
He Who Made Monsters: The Life and Art of Jack Pierce
2008
Self
Enchanted
2007
Special Effects Makeup Artist
Norbit
2007
Makeup Artist
Click
2006
Special Effects Makeup Artist
The Sci-Fi Boys
2006
Self
Working with a Master: John Landis
2006
Self
Cursed
2005
Special Effects Makeup Artist
The Art of Imagination: A Tribute to Oz
2005
Self
The Perfect Scary Movie
2005
Self
Skinned Deep
2004
Thanks
Videodrome: Forging the New Flesh
2004
Self
Ed Wood: Making Bela
2004
Self
The Ring
2002
Makeup Effects
Men in Black II
2002
Makeup Artist
The 'Frankenstein' Files: How Hollywood Made a Monster
2002
Self
Rick Baker: Alien Maker
2002
Self
Planet of the Apes
2001
Makeup Effects Designer
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
2000
Makeup Effects Designer
Nutty Professor II: The Klumps
2000
Special Effects Makeup Artist
Mummy Dearest: A Horror Tradition Unearthed
2000
Self
Metamorphosis of 'Men in Black'
2000
Self
Wild Wild West
1999
Makeup Effects Designer
She's Alive! Creating 'The Bride of Frankenstein'
1999
Self
Monster by Moonlight! The Immortal Saga of 'The Wolf Man'
1999
Self
The Road to 'Dracula'
1999
Self
A Tribute to the Wizard of Oz
1999
Himself
Mighty Joe Young
1998
Special Effects
Psycho
1998
Makeup Artist
Ghosts
1997
Makeup Effects
Men in Black
1997
Makeup Artist
The Making of Men in Black
1997
Self
The Nutty Professor
1996
Makeup Effects Designer
Escape from L.A.
1996
Makeup Artist
The Frighteners
1996
Makeup Artist
The Amazing Panda Adventure
1995
Special Effects
Batman Forever
1995
Makeup Artist
Ed Wood
1994
Makeup Designer
Wolf
1994
Makeup Artist
Baby's Day Out
1994
Makeup Artist
It's Alive: The True Story of Frankenstein
1994
Self
Masters of Illusion: The Wizards of Special Effects
1994
Self
Matinee
1993
Makeup Effects
Body Bags
1993
Makeup Artist
The Rocketeer
1991
Makeup Artist
Gremlins 2: The New Batch
1990
Special Effects
Dark Avenger
1990
Makeup Artist
Coming to America
1988
Makeup Effects
Gorillas in the Mist
1988
Makeup Artist
Missing Link
1988
Makeup Artist
Summer School
1987
Makeup Artist
Harry and the Hendersons
1987
Makeup Artist
Max My Love
1986
Makeup Effects Designer
Ratboy
1986
Makeup Artist
The Making of Captain EO
1986
Self
Fangoria's Weekend of Horrors
1986
Self
Silver Bullet
1985
Visual Effects
My Science Project
1985
Makeup Artist
Into the Night
1985
Drug Dealer
Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes
1984
Makeup Artist
Videodrome
1983
Makeup Effects Designer
Michael Jackson's Thriller
1983
Makeup Effects Designer
Making Michael Jackson's Thriller
1983
Self
The Making of David Cronenberg's Videodrome
1982
Interviewee
An American Werewolf in London
1981
Makeup Effects
The Howling
1981
Special Effects Makeup Artist
The Funhouse
1981
Special Effects Makeup Artist
Ghost Story
1981
Special Effects Makeup Artist
The Incredible Shrinking Woman
1981
Makeup Artist
Tanya's Island
1980
Special Effects
Altered States
1980
Special Effects Makeup Artist
The Empire Strikes Back
1980
Makeup Artist
An American Christmas Carol
1979
Makeup Artist
It Lives Again
1978
Makeup Effects
The Fury
1978
Makeup Effects
Cop Killers
1977
Makeup Artist
The Incredible Melting Man
1977
Makeup Artist
Star Wars
1977
Makeup Artist
The Kentucky Fried Movie
1977
Dino (segment "A.M. Today") (as Richard A. Baker)
Squirm
1976
Makeup Designer
Track of the Moon Beast
1976
Makeup Artist
Zebra Force
1976
Makeup Artist
King Kong
1976
Makeup Artist
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman
1974
Makeup Artist
It's Alive
1974
Makeup Artist
Schlock
1973
Makeup Artist
Black Caesar
1973
Makeup Designer
The Exorcist
1973
Special Effects Assistant
The Thing with Two Heads
1972
Special Effects
Bone
1972
Makeup Designer
Octaman
1971
Costume Design
Old Time Radio: Dance With Me

Caretaker