Rick Baker
Known for: Costume & Make-Up
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."
Filmography
Film
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Puppeteer
2000
Film
Men in Black II
MIB Passport Control Agent
2002
Film
Men in Black 3
Brain Alien
2012
Film
Planet of the Apes
Old Ape #2
2001
Film
Michael Jackson's Thriller
Zombie Opening the Crypt (uncredited)
1983
Series
Face Off
Guest Judge
2011
Film
The Wolfman
Gypsy Man / First Killed
2010
Film
King Kong
King Kong
1976
Film
Into the Night
Drug Dealer
1985
Film
V/H/S/Halloween
Rich (segment "Home Haunt")
2025
Series
DC Daily
Self
2018
Film
The Kentucky Fried Movie
Dino (segment "A.M. Today") (as Richard A. Baker)
1977
Film
The Incredible Shrinking Woman
Sidney
1981
Film
The AGFA Mystery Mixtape Vault
(archive footage)
2020
Film
Ray Harryhausen: The Early Years Collection
Self
2005
Film
Masters of Illusion: The Wizards of Special Effects
Self
1994
Film
The Perfect Scary Movie
Self
2005
Film
Birth Pains
himself
2015
Film
Monsterland
Self
2009
Film
The Making of Men in Black
Self
1997
Film
Creature Designers: The Frankenstein Complex
Self
2015
Film
Monster by Moonlight! The Immortal Saga of 'The Wolf Man'
Self
1999
Film
Fangoria's Weekend of Horrors
Self
1986
Film
King Cohen: The Wild World of Filmmaker Larry Cohen
Self
2018
Film
He Who Made Monsters: The Life and Art of Jack Pierce
Self
2008
Series
Face Off: Game Face
Self - Judge
2017
Film
Metamorphosis of 'Men in Black'
Self
2000
Film
The Making of Captain EO
Self
1986
Film
The Thing with Two Heads
Gorilla
1972
Film
Making Apes: The Artists Who Changed Film
Self
2019
Teddy Scares
Hester Golem (voice)
2006
Film
Old Time Radio: Dance With Me
Caretaker
Film
Making Michael Jackson's Thriller
Self
1983
Film
Videodrome: Forging the New Flesh
Self
2004
Series
Unchained Reaction
2012
Film
The Making of David Cronenberg's Videodrome
Interviewee
1982
Film
Beware the Moon: Remembering 'An American Werewolf in London'
Self
2009
Film
Cult of Terror
Self - Make-up Designer
2017
Film
Mummy Dearest: A Horror Tradition Unearthed
Self
2000
Film
It's Alive: The True Story of Frankenstein
Self
1994
Film
Ed Wood: Making Bela
Self
2004
Film
The Sci-Fi Boys
Self
2006
Film
The Art of Imagination: A Tribute to Oz
Self
2005
Film
The Beast Inside: Creating 'Wolf'
Rick Baker
2017
Film
AGFA Mystery Mixtape #1
Self
2020
Film
Keep the Gaslight Burning
Mr Maxwell
2018
Film
A Tribute to the Wizard of Oz
Himself
1999
Film
Working with a Master: John Landis
Self
2006
Film
Charlie Gemora: Uncredited
Himself
2016
Film
Pure in Heart: The Life and Legacy of Lon Chaney, Jr.
Self
2010
Film
RKO Production 601: The Making of “Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World”
Self
2008
I Walked with a Werewolf
Himself
2009
King Kong! The Living Legend
Self / King Kong
1986
Film
The 'Frankenstein' Files: How Hollywood Made a Monster
Self
1999
Film
She's Alive! Creating 'The Bride of Frankenstein'
Self
1999
Film
Gremlins, an american nightmare!
Himself
2026
Film
House of Wax: Unlike Anything You've Seen Before!
Self
2013
Film
The Road to 'Dracula'
Self
1999
The Creeper: Rondo Hatton at Universal
Self
2020
Film
Men in Black II: Creature Featurettes
Self
2002
Film
Old Time Radio: The Specter of Christmas
The Caretaker
2025
The Scanners Way: Creating the Special Effects in 'Scanners'
Himself
2014
Film
Rick Baker: Alien Maker
Self
2002
Film
Fear and Love: The Story of The Exorcist
Self
2024
Film
MonsterKids: The Impact of Things That Go Bump In The Night
Self
2017
Film
Tales Beyond Madness
2019
Film
The Night Turkey
Little Kathy's Date
1973
Film
The Wolf Man: From Ancient Curse to Modern Myth
Self
2010
Film
Old Time Radio: Your Move
The Caretaker
2023
Film
Making an American Werewolf in London
1981