Rick Baker (makeup artist)

Infobox actor


imagesize = 150px
birthdate = December 8, 1950
birthplace = Binghamton, New York

Richard A. "Rick" Baker (born December 8, 1950) is a Hollywood special makeup effects artist known for his realistic creature effects. He is the winner of 6 Academy Awards for Best Makeup.

Baker was born in Binghamton, New York, the son of Doris (née Hamlin) and Ralph B. Baker, a professional artist. [ [http://www.filmreference.com/film/85/Rick-Baker.html Rick Baker Biography (1950-) ] ] As a teen, Baker began creating artificial body parts in his own kitchen. Baker's first professional job was as an assistant to Dick Smith on the film "The Exorcist". [ [http://www.nerf-herders-anonymous.net/RickBaker.html S W A D - Baker, Rick ] ] The first Academy Award for Best Make-Up was awarded to Baker for his work on "An American Werewolf in London" and he has also been nominated 10 more times since (winning a total of 6 as stated above). [ [http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=930109 Rick [e-mail] ] ] Baker claims that his work on "Harry and the Hendersons" is one of his proudest achievements. [ [http://movies.about.com/od/interviews/a/rickbaker062806.htm Rick Baker Interview - Rick Baker on CGI, Changes in the Industry ] ]

Baker had a cameo as the pilot and gunner (with Peter Jackson) who shot down Kong in the 2005 remake of "King Kong", and a cameo as a drug dealer with a business card in the John Landis film "Into the Night".

2008, Rick Baker was awarded a Doctorate of Humane Letters from the Academy of Art University San Francisco

Filmography

*"The Thing with Two Heads" (1972)
*"It's Alive" (1974)
*"The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman" (1974)
*"King Kong" (1976)
*"The Incredible Melting Man" (1977)
*"" (1977)
*"An American Werewolf in London" (1981)
*"Videodrome" (1983)
*"Thriller" (1983)
*"Harry and the Hendersons" (1987)
*"Beauty and the Beast" (1987-89)
*"Coming to America" (1988)
*"Gorillas in the Mist" (1988)
*"" (1990)
*"The Rocketeer" (1991)
*"Men in Black" (1997)
*"How the Grinch Stole Christmas!" (2000)
*"Planet of the Apes" (2001)
*"Men in Black II" (2002)
*"The Ring" (2002)
*"The Haunted Mansion" (2003)
*"King Kong" (2005)
*"Click" (2006)
*"Enchanted" (2007)
*"Norbit" (2007)
*"The Wolf Man (2009)

Awards

*Inducted to the Monster Kid Hall of Fame at The Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards
*Academy Award, Best Makeup Effects
**"An American Werewolf in London", 1981 (First year of the award)
**"Harry and the Hendersons", 1988
**"Ed Wood", 1995
**"The Nutty Professor", 1997
**"Men in Black", 1998
**"How the Grinch Stole Christmas!", 2001

ee also

* Prosthetic makeup
* Special effect

References

External links

*imdb name|id=0000711|name=Rick Baker