Origins & Early Life

Richard Alan Baker (born December 8, 1950) is an American actor and retired special make-up effects creator. He is mostly known for his creature designs and effects. Baker has won the Academy Award for Best Makeup a record seven times from a record eleven nominations, beginning with his win in the first year of the category's existence, for the 1981 horror comedy An American Werewolf in London. Baker was born on December 8, 1950, in Binghamton, New York, to Doris (née Hamlin), a bank teller, and Ralph B.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Baker, a professional artist. He and his family moved to Covina, California when he was less than one year old. As a teenager, 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 (1972), directed by William Malone. Among Baker's first professional jobs was assisting prosthetic makeup effects veteran Dick Smith on the 1973 film The Exorcist.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

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. At the 54th Academy Awards, Baker received...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Alan Silvestri — Contemporary (Born in 1950) (1950): Award-winning composer renowned for epic film scores, especially for blockbuster franchises.
• Arthur D. Levinson — Contemporary (Born in 1950) (1950): Prominent American businessman, former CEO of Genentech, and board member for Apple Inc.
• Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay — Contemporary (Died in 1950) (1950): Pioneering Bengali novelist celebrated for nature and rural life depictions.
• Adolph Menzel — Shared historical date (12-08 · Born) (1815): Pioneering German Realist master, celebrated for his detailed etchings and genre scenes.
• Antônio Carlos Jobim — Shared historical date (12-08 · Died) (1994): Pioneering composer of Bossa Nova, merging samba with cool jazz.
• Bill Murray — Historical peer (Born in 1950) (1950): Iconic American actor and comedian known for deadpan delivery and enduring film roles.
• Billy Ocean — Historical peer (Born in 1950) (1950): Trinidadian-British R&B singer known for international hits from the 1970s to 1980s.
• Abigail Spencer — Historical peer (Born in 1981) (1981): American actress, producer, and writer known for roles in soap operas and dramas.
• Alicia Keys — Historical peer (Born in 1981) (1981): Award-winning pianist and vocalist known for her soulful R&B sound.
• Abraham Joshua Heschel — Historical peer (Died in 1972) (1972): Leading 20th-century American rabbi, theologian, and philosopher.
• 1950 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1950
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