In October, Rick Baker appeared in an Academy-approved video, touring industry outsiders around his makeup studio, a treasure trove of special effects wonderment. The inside look came tinged with sadness; With modern blockbusters opting for more CG effects over practical makeup, Baker”s craft has slowly faded into the history books, prompting him to move out of his sprawling warehouse. For those left weeping over the video comes a hint of good news: The Make-up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild Awards will honor the monster movie make-up master during its 2015 ceremony.
IATSE, Local 706 announced today that Baker and hair stylist Kathryn Blondell were the honorees of the guild”s annual lifetime achievement awards. Baker is a seven-time Academy Award winner, holding the record for the most wins and nominations bestowed upon any make-up artist. His prosthetics and nightmarish visions have appeared in “American Werewolf in London”, “Harry and the Hendersons”, “Ed Wood,” “The Nutty Professor,” “Men in Black,” “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” “The Wolfman,” and most recently, “Maleficent.” Blondell is equally prolific, having worked on neraly 100 films along with her job as personal stylist Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Hudson and Goldie Hawn. Her individual credits include “The Wolf of Wall Street,” “Django Unchained,” “The Great Gatsby,” “The Aviator,” “Catch Me If You Can,” “Cast Away,” “Prizzi's Honor.”
“The bodies of work of Rick Baker as a make-up artist and Kathryn Blondell as a hair stylist are legendary, and we are proud to rank them among the best in the history of our profession. They are extraordinary artists and accomplished leaders in the industry, and it is our pleasure to name them as this year's Lifetime Achievement Award recipients,” said Susan Cabral-Ebert, President of IATSE Local 706, in a statement. As lifetime achievement winners, Baker and Blondell join previous recipients like Montague “Monty” Westmore, Robert Schiffer, John Chambers, Jack Pierce, Daniel Striepeke and Dick Smith.
The 2015 Make-up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild Awards will be held Saturday, Feb. 14, where discipline awards will be given in more than fifteen different categories.