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Great Makeup Artists and Their Creations

Behind every great film is a great makeup artist. In this feature, we take a look at 11 great makeup artists and the creations that made them famous.

Vincent Genovese By Vincent Genovese January 4, 2012
  

Let’s face it, movie makeup artists are the unsung heroes of Hollywood. Film buffs and self-proclaimed cinema aficionados can usually name their top five directors at the drop of a hat (making sure to include luminaries like Stanly Kubrick and Ingmar Bergman to prove their superior knowledge and expertise). But ask these same “experts” who their favorite movie makeup artists are and they are sure to be stumped. 

Just because the spotlight hasn’t shone brightly on the movie makeup occupation doesn’t mean Hollywood isn’t flooded with tremendous talent. Actually, it’s quite the opposite. In this feature we take a look at 11 great makeup artists (and their creations) to give these masters their due.

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Makeup Artists
Credit: Warner Bros

John Caglione, Jr.

John Caglione Jr. began his career doing makeup on Saturday Night Live in the late-'70s/early-'80s. While he became known for providing makeup for the brightest comics in the biz, it wasn't until he provided makeup for comic adaptations that the Academy Awards came knocking on his door. In 1990, John Caglione Jr. won (along with Doug Drexler) for Best Makeup for his work on the visually stunning Dick Tracy. But that was just the tip of the Oscar iceberg. In 2008, John Caglione Jr. was nominated again for providing makeup on one of the most popular and most recognizable villains in recent history—Heath Ledger's Joker.

Mrs Doubtfire
Credit: 20th Century Fox

Greg Cannom

Makeup artist Greg Cannom's range and versatility is unparalleled in show business. Not only did Greg Cannom work as a makeup artist on Michael Jackon's "Thriller" music video, he also won the Academy Award for Best Makeup for Mrs. Doubtfire—as well as for Francis Ford Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula and, most recently, David Fincher's F. Scott Fitzgerald adaptation, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Greg Cannom also has another six nominations under his belt for films ranging from the cerebral masterpiece A Beautiful Mind to the epic blockbuster Titanic. 

Makeup Artists
Credit: New Line Cinema

Michèle Burke

Whether it's a comedy (Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me) or a sci-fi thriller (The Cell), Michèle Burke has the talent to elevate whatever film she is working on to a form of high art. But a skill that refined doesn't come without experience. The Irish-born makeup artist first made a name for herself winning the Best Makeup Oscar for the striking and aesthetically seductive Quest for Fire in 1981—while still in her early '20s. From then on, Michèle Burke has been working nonstop on big-budget blockbusters as well as low-budget dramas—resulting in one of the most well-rounded résumés in all of Hollywood.

Makeup Artists
Credit: Universal Pictures

Jack Pierce

The look of some of the best-known monsters in all of cinema can be accredited to the legendary Jack Pierce. In 1931, Jack Pierce worked as a makeup artist for the pivotal horror film, Dracula (starring the late, great Bela Lugosi).  After that, the ever-prolific Pierce went on to create the makeup designs for classic Universal Pictures films such as Frankenstein and The Wolfman. In 2003, Jack Pierce was posthumously given the Lifetime Achievement Award by Hollywood Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist Guild.

Makeup Artists
Credit: MGM

William Tuttle

In 1939, William Tuttle was a makeup artist for one of the greatest, most beloved films of all time: The Wizard of Oz. If he ended his career right then and there, William Tuttle would still be remembered today. Instead, the makeup master went on to work on classic films such as North by Northwest and Singin' in the Rain. But William Tuttle isn't just a genius—he's a pioneer, too. During the 1965 Academy Awards, William Tuttle was given an Honorary Award for outstanding makeup achievement for 7 Faces of Dr. Lao—almost two decades before Best Makeup became an official Oscar category. 

 
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