No official statement has been released regarding the circumstances behind Stan Winston’s passing, but dozens of sites have claimed “unofficial confirmation” that the makeup and visual effects master died on Sunday.
Stan Winston may not have been as widely known among casual film fans as the actors and directors he worked with, but his creations are known throughout the world. Winston was a visual effects artist, makeup artist and film director who created many of the most memorable and thrilling monsters in film history.
Winston got his start in show business working as a makeup apprentice at Walt Disney Studios. In 1972, Winston created his own visual effects company, Stan Winston Studio, and the accolades began pouring in. He won an Emmy for his work on the telefilm
Gargoyles and his first Oscar nomination in 1982 for
Heartbeeps.
Winston’s career really took off when his work on James Cameron’s
The Terminator helped propel the film to great success. His first Oscar for Best Visual Effects came shortly thereafter, for his work on Cameron’s follow-up film,
Aliens. The following year, he was nominated for an Oscar for his work on
Predator. Winston’s directorial debut, 1989’s
Pumpkinhed, won him the Best First Time Director award at the Paris Film Festival and has become a cult classic.
Winston went on to work on such notable films as
Edward Scissorhands, Batman Returns, Jurassic Park, Interview with a Vampire, A.I., Big Fish and
Constantine. Most recently, Winston’s work was seen in this year’s blockbuster film,
Iron Man, for which he created the physical suit of armor that Robert Downey Jr.’s character, Tony Stark, is seen working on and wearing in several key scenes.
Stan Winston’s creations inspired, thrilled and terrified movie-goers around the world and his contributions to visual effects will be felt for generations to come. For all of us here at CBM…thank you, Mr. Winston! You will be missed!
Rest in peace, monster man.
Academy Awards
1982: Oscar-nominated for Best Makeup:
Heartbeeps
1987: Oscar-winner for Best Visual Effects: Aliens
1988: Oscar-nominated for Best Visual Effects:
Predator
1991: Oscar-nominated for Best Makeup:
Edward Scissorhands
1992: Oscar-winner for Best Visual Effects: Terminator 2: Judgement Day
1992: Oscar-winner for Best Makeup: Terminator 2: Judgement Day
1993: Oscar-nominated for Best Makeup:
Batman Returns
1994: Oscar-winner for Best Visual Effects: Jurassic Park
1998: Oscar-nominated for Best Visual Effects:
The Lost World: Jurassic Park
2002: Oscar-nominated for Best Visual Effects:
A.I.