Dick Smith

"There's never going to be another Dick Smith. Dick is, without a doubt, the greatest make-up artist who's ever going to live" - Rick Baker

Dick Smith, born Richard Emerson Smith on the 22nd of June 1922 has been know as "the Godfather of Make-up" since 1945. He has worked on many award winning films such as The Exorcist, Little Big Man, The Godfather and Taxi Driver.
Not only is he a wonderful and talented make-up artist but  Dick has transformed the art of special makeup effects. Seen in his work in the horror movie The Exorcist where he created a mechanical dummy of Linda Blair so that they could create the scene where her head spins around 180 degrees. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3YYRfTvsNM
Here is a link to some home videos of Smith working on the make up in the movie The Exorcist. (warning very scary if you're a sissy like me)

He was incredibly talented in the art of making people appear older than they actually are, for example in the movie Little Big Man in 1970, he made Dustin Hoffman who was around 30 at the time, appear to be an 121 year old Indian man.

Throughtout his life as a reknown make-up artist he won a 1985 Academy Away for Best Makeup and Hairstyling for his work in hit movie Amadeus, and again in 2012 he was awarded the Academy Honorary Award for his work throughout his career.
However, Dick Smith sadly passed away on the 30th July 2014 aged 92. Despite his sad death, his legacy will live on and he is a huge inspirated for make-up artists around the work.