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Personal Info
Known For
Costume & Make-Up
Birthday
December 8, 1950
Place of Birth
Binghamton, New York, USA
Also Known As
- Richard A. Baker
- Richard Baker
Rick Baker
1.1 Popularity
Biography
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."
Known For
6.3
Rich (segment "Home Haunt")
V/H/S/Halloween
2025
0.0
Self
Fear and Love: The Story of The Exorcist
2024
🎬
0.0
The Caretaker
Old Time Radio: Your Move
2023
8.0
Self
AGFA Mystery Mixtape #1
2020
0.0
(archive footage)
The AGFA Mystery Mixtape Vault
2020
3.0
Tales Beyond Madness
2019
6.8
Self
Making Apes: The Artists Who Changed Film
2019
0.0
Mr Maxwell
Keep the Gaslight Burning
2018
6.0
Self
DC Daily
2018
6.4
Self
King Cohen: The Wild World of Filmmaker Larry Cohen
2018
Credits
V/H/S/Halloween
as Rich (segment "Home Haunt")
2025
6.3
Fear and Love: The Story of The Exorcist
as Self
2024
0.0
🎬
Old Time Radio: Your Move
as The Caretaker
2023
0.0
AGFA Mystery Mixtape #1
as Self
2020
8.0
The AGFA Mystery Mixtape Vault
as (archive footage)
2020
0.0
Tales Beyond Madness
2019
3.0
Making Apes: The Artists Who Changed Film
as Self
2019
6.8
Keep the Gaslight Burning
as Mr Maxwell
2018
0.0
DC Daily
as Self
2018
6.0
King Cohen: The Wild World of Filmmaker Larry Cohen
as Self
2018
6.4
The Beast Inside: Creating 'Wolf'
as Rick Baker
2017
7.0
Cult of Terror
as Self - Make-up Designer
2017
6.8
MonsterKids: The Impact of Things That Go Bump In The Night
as Self
2017
0.0
Face Off: Game Face
as Self - Judge
2017
6.8
Charlie Gemora: Uncredited
as Himself
2016
0.0
Creature Designers: The Frankenstein Complex
as Self
2015
7.2
Birth Pains
as himself
2015
0.0
🎬
The Scanners Way: Creating the Special Effects in 'Scanners'
as Himself
2014
5.3
House of Wax: Unlike Anything You've Seen Before!
as Self
2013
0.0
Men in Black 3
as Brain Alien
2012
6.5
Unchained Reaction
2012
7.0
Face Off
as Guest Judge
2011
7.1
The Wolfman
as Gypsy Man / First Killed
2010
5.9
Pure in Heart: The Life and Legacy of Lon Chaney, Jr.
as Self
2010
7.0
The Wolf Man: From Ancient Curse to Modern Myth
as Self
2010
7.0
🎬
I Walked with a Werewolf
as Himself
2009
0.0
Beware the Moon: Remembering 'An American Werewolf in London'
as Self
2009
6.7
Monsterland
as Self
2009
6.5
RKO Production 601: The Making of “Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World”
as Self
2008
0.0
He Who Made Monsters: The Life and Art of Jack Pierce
as Self
2008
8.4
🎬
Teddy Scares
as Hester Golem (voice)
2006
5.0
Working with a Master: John Landis
as Self
2006
0.0
The Sci-Fi Boys
as Self
2006
7.0
The Perfect Scary Movie
as Self
2005
7.5
The Art of Imagination: A Tribute to Oz
as Self
2005
7.0
Ray Harryhausen: The Early Years Collection
as Self
2005
8.0
Ed Wood: Making Bela
as Self
2004
7.3
Videodrome: Forging the New Flesh
as Self
2004
6.5
Rick Baker: Alien Maker
as Self
2002
0.0
The 'Frankenstein' Files: How Hollywood Made a Monster
as Self
2002
7.7
Men in Black II
as MIB Passport Control Agent
2002
6.4
Planet of the Apes
as Old Ape #2
2001
5.8
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
as Puppeteer
2000
6.8
Metamorphosis of 'Men in Black'
as Self
2000
5.0
Mummy Dearest: A Horror Tradition Unearthed
as Self
2000
7.0
The Road to 'Dracula'
as Self
1999
7.4
Monster by Moonlight! The Immortal Saga of 'The Wolf Man'
as Self
1999
6.9
She's Alive! Creating 'The Bride of Frankenstein'
as Self
1999
7.5
A Tribute to the Wizard of Oz
as Himself
1999
4.0
The Making of Men in Black
as Self
1997
8.3
It's Alive: The True Story of Frankenstein
as Self
1994
8.5
Masters of Illusion: The Wizards of Special Effects
as Self
1994
0.0
The Making of Captain EO
as Self
1986
6.7
🎬
King Kong! The Living Legend
as Self / King Kong
1986
0.0
Fangoria's Weekend of Horrors
as Self
1986
6.2
Into the Night
as Drug Dealer
1985
6.5
Making Michael Jackson's Thriller
as Self
1983
8.9
Michael Jackson's Thriller
as Zombie Opening the Crypt (uncredited)
1983
8.2
The Making of David Cronenberg's Videodrome
as Interviewee
1982
7.3
The Incredible Shrinking Woman
as Sidney
1981
5.4
The Kentucky Fried Movie
as Dino (segment "A.M. Today") (as Richard A. Baker)
1977
6.2
King Kong
as King Kong
1976
6.3
The Thing with Two Heads
as Gorilla
1972
4.8
Old Time Radio: Dance With Me
as Caretaker
N/A
0.0