Stan Winston, dead at 62; Oscar-winning visual effects artist suffered from multiple myeloma

Stan Winston, an Oscar-winning visual effects artist, has died at age 62.

Winston died at his Malibu home Sunday evening after a seven-year struggle with multiple myeloma, according to a rep from Stan Winston Studio.

"Stan died peacefully at home surrounded by family," a spokeswoman said.

Winston won four  visual effects Oscars and earned multiple nominations. His first Oscar was for James Cameron's "Aliens" (1986). Winston later won two Oscars for "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" (1992) (visual effects and makeup) and 1993's "Jurassic Park." (See Stan Winston's Creature Features, by LAT's Patrick Kevin Day.)

Phil Tippett, who shared a visual effects Oscar with Winston on "Jurassic Park," noted that Winston was one of the best in the business.

"Stan contributed to some of the greatest -- fantastic movie characters in motion picture history," Tippett said. "His loss is a great one and he will be missed."

Producer Gale Ann Hurd, whose latest blockbuster "The Incredible Hulk" opened this weekend, wrote in an email to the Los Angeles Times:

I was first introduced to Stan in the early 1980s by his mentor, the great make-up artist, Dick Smith. Jim Cameron and I had initially approached Dick to create the Terminator.  Dick wanted us to meet Stan Winston, his protégé, and convinced us that he was doing us a favor by turning us down. Dick was right. Stan’s unique ability was to bring unique, non-human characters to life, so that the audience accepted them as living, breathing beings. Stan was also, simply put, the nicest man in the business. Not only was he a legend, redefining character make-up and armatures, but Stan’s joie de vivre made collaborating with him an absolute pleasure. I will miss him more than I can say. My heartfelt sympathy to his loving family, Karen, Matt and Debbie.

In lieu of flowers, Winston's family is requesting that donations be made to his charities of choice.

After the jump, see the official statement from Stan Winston Studio, and a list of charities.

-- Sheigh Crabtree

Photo: Courtesy Stan Winston Studio.

STAN WINSTON STUDIO RELEASE:

Academy Award-winning makeup, creature and visual effects artist Stan Winston died Sunday at his home in Malibu, California, after a prolonged illness. He was 62.

In a career that spanned four decades, Winston worked extensively in television and motion pictures, producing innovative work that was often honored for its artistic and technical achievement. In the early years of his career, during which he worked primarily in television, Winston earned five Emmy nominations from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, winning for Gargoyles and The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman.

Winston won his first Academy Award nomination in 1981 for Heartbeeps, and received another nine nominations – in both makeup and visual effects categories – over the next 20 years. He won a total of four Oscars for Aliens, Terminator 2: Judgment Day and the groundbreaking Jurassic Park for which he created full-scale animatronic dinosaurs.

Winston received his star on Hollywood ’s Walk of Fame in 2001.

Current releases from Stan Winston Studio include summer hits IRON MAN and INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL. 

Upcoming projects include  SHUTTER ISLAND, TERMINATOR 4, G.I. JOE, and James Cameron’s AVATAR. Winston was both collaborator and friend to giants in the film community.

[Winston Studio plans to later release quotes from Arnold Schwarzenegger, Steven Spielberg, James Cameron, Tim Burton, et cetera.]

Winston was born April 7, 1946 in Arlington, Virginia. As a child, he enjoyed drawing, puppetry and classic horror films. He continued to pursue his interest in art and performance as a student at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, graduating from the institution’s Fine Arts and Drama programs in 1968. He headed West after graduation with dreams of becoming an actor, but found his true calling as a makeup artist and creator of characters – a career that enabled him to merge his sensibilities as an artist and performer.

After completing a three-year makeup apprenticeship program at Walt Disney Studios in 1972, Winston established Stan Winston Studio in the garage of the small house in Northridge he shared with his wife, Karen, and his young son, Matthew and daughter Debbie. The studio changed locations and grew in size, personnel and stature as his career advanced with work in high-profile films such as The Terminator, Predator, Edward Scissorhands, Interview with the Vampire, Lost World, Batman Returns, and A.I.: Artificial Intelligence.

Stan Winston Studio contributed characters and effects to more than 75 feature films, several music videos, and countless commercial spots. In 1988, Winston directed his first feature film, Pumpkinhead, a cult favorite. Winston also produced a series of horror films for HBO, as well as a number of genre feature films, and created a line of high-end toys based on some of his studio’s iconic characters.

Throughout his career, Winston was a tireless advocate for the makeup and creature effects community. He campaigned for the creation of a makeup effects category for the Academy Awards, and he is credited with securing greater recognition overall for makeup and creature effects artists.

At the time of his death, Winston was in the process of morphing his physical makeup and effects studio into the new “Winston Effects Group” with the team of senior effects supervisors heading up the new company. Managing the new company as partners and owners are veteran effects supervisors John Rosengrant, Shane Mahan, Alan Scott and Lindsay Macgowan.

In addition to his professional achievements, Winston was a gifted artist who particularly enjoyed sculpting fine art pieces; however, he rejected the notion that there was a significant difference between ‘fine’ art and the ‘commercial’ art for which his studio was famous.

 “For Stan, the measure of his work was never in the techniques and technology employed and pioneered at his studio,” said Don Shay, publisher of Cinefex Magazine and a key chronicler of Winston’s career.

“He was a ‘character creator,’ as he liked to be called, and artistry was his only benchmark. Stan Winston will always be remembered as the man who transformed Arnold Schwarzenegger into the Terminator and who built a full-size robotic T-rex for Jurassic Park. But he was more than the sum of his greatest achievements.  He was a devoted family man, a beloved patriarch to his stable of artists, and a master artist and sculptor in his own right.”

 Stan died peacefully at home surrounded by family Sunday evening. He was a beloved husband, father, grandfather and brother. He is survived by his wife, Karen, son Matt, daughter Debbie, daughter-in-law Amy, son-in-law Erich, 4 beautiful grandchildren Rowan, Wyatt, Georgia, and Pheona, and brother Ronnie Winston. In lieu of flowers the family is requesting that donations be made to the following charitable organizations:

Institute for Myeloma & Bone Cancer Research

9201 W. Sunset Blvd. Ste 300

West Hollywood, CA 90069

Free Arts for Abused Children

12095 W. Washington Blvd. #104

Los Angeles, CA 90066

 

United States Fund for UNICEF

333 East 38^th Street

NY, NY 10016

 

All photos courtesy Stan Winston Studio.

Comments

[Greg Eric]

A fitting tribute from A long time Winston collaborator:

http://www.ilm.com

That's class.

GE

[Eric Noether]

Stan, I was deeply sadden by the news of your passing and like everyone, shocked. I have such fond memories of your work. Your work, but more importantly, your character, set a higher bar of quality. You will be truly missed, my condolences to your family. I know that your "Spirit" will continue to live on, not only in the characters and creations you've made, but through all the people you've mentored. And to all you've inspired, like myself, to strive for something better.

May GOD bless your family,
Eric

[Dawn Hill]

There will never .....ever..... be another .....you.

My deepest condolences to his beloved wife Karen, his children and grandchildren.

Gods Speed.

[Heather]

In honor of Stan Winston’s major contributions to make-up artistry, the International Make-up Artist Trade Show, in conjunction with the Stan Winston Studios, is hosting a tribute to Winston Saturday afternoon (time TBA) at the show. Movie creature creators including Howard Berger, Kazuhiro Tsuji and Dick Smith will be participating in the show, which takes place this weekend at the Pasadena Convention Center; for more information, visit www.makeupmag.com and www.makeupartistshow.com.

[Nodon de Monbaron Guy-Emmanuel]

adieu au père de mes rêves d'enfants,merci à vous, et toute mes condoléances à la famille.

[kenneth marvel]

Truly a giant of cinematic history. Far ahead of his time, unmatched by few, but loved by all. ...And never forgotten.

[Sir Robert]

Stan Winston,thank your talent and your gifts to the cinema and mankind.You will be missed!

[Sir Robert]

Stan Winston,thank you for your talent and your gifts to the world of cinema and mankind!
You will be missed.

[Ziggy Creations, Ziggy & Christa Geike]

We are both, Ziggy and my wife Christa, sad about Stan not being with us anymore.

We loved this man and his talent and we never forget the many jobs we were able to work with him.

Our condolences to his wife Karen and entire family.

[Rob Kafader]

Stan will be missed, but his movies will live on forever. Thank you Mr Winston for the memories

[adrian straton]

Can't believe what I Just read in today's paper. I only have a few people who work in the film industry that I truly admire and Stan Winston is one of them. Have followed his career since reading about him in Fangoria magazine in the early 80's.
I had hoped to meet him one day at a film festival, but am now saddened I will never have that opportunity.
From every fan in Australia, our thanks to a great man who will live on forever in cinema.

[Eren Eryürekli]

I'm a fan uf his work and he's kind of a model person to me,it's so sad that his thoughts and talent leaves this world to never came back...But I believe his fans and his co-workers,his team will carry his vision to future and stay loyal to his legacy,farewell Mr. Winston and thanks for the joy that you brought to our hearts with your work all these years...

[Jo Ellen Thompson]

Dear Karen, Debbie, Matt and all of your extended loved ones.... Please feel my love and sympathy. affectionately, Jo Ellen

[Jason Matthews]

I have had the pleasure of working for Stan for over 14 years. He has nurtured me into the artist i am today. As my boss he has tought me how to be a profesional. As a father figure, he has helped mend my wounds in my personal life. As a friend, his practical jokes made the day to day work not seem like work at all. We will continue his legacy, Its what he wanted.

Stan, thank you for a wonderful career! You will be missed

Jason matthews

[Dick Dyas]

Stan and I were college buddies ( UVA 1968). I am deeply saddened by his death. To think that the guy I sat with at college bars for several years would turn into a legend is unbelievable. Yet, looking back, he was creative then . He had an annual Halloween party with his friends from the Drama dept ( all makeup artists) that created montsters as scary as the Alien Queen. His dog, Wonder, looked a little bit like the Alien Queen ( underbite and all). We joked about the resemblance several years ago. The UVA community is in mourning.

[GARY FOX]

R.I.P Stan you will be surely missed.

[Peter C]

I am just a movie freak from CT, but Stans special effect stood out, when ever I went to see a movie, I knew when Stan was involved in the special effects,they always stood out from all the rest. He inspired me in my own ways, either Halloween or my paintings & drawings. He will never be forgotten by me, I think I own all his movies, including Pumkinhead, what a great movie. My thoughts & prayers go out to his family & friends.

[Richard Gibbs]

Stan gave me a very early break, hiring me to write the musical score his film A Gnome Named Gnorm. He would insist I take weekends off from the gnormally grueling scoring schedule - any composer can tell you what a rarity that is. He was relentlessly positive, creative, humane, and full of self-deprecating humor. I learned much about how to work in this business from him and how to enjoy life to the fullest. I'd say there is now a black hole in his wake, except he would laugh at such a grandiose thought.

He is probably drawing doodles on St. Peter's robe right now. And I imagine God is glad to have him close by to advise him on some special effects. Watch for them - you'll know them when you see them. Farewell Stan.

Richard Gibbs

[Stephan Brown]

This man was behind all of the great movie art. Unbelievable, he truly was a genious I never followed his work much, but now that I see what his work was, WOW. I'm astonished. A huge loss for the world of Hollywood and normal life together.

[Patricia Minnick Klayer]

I will miss seeing Stan at High School reunions. I went to elementary, junior high and high school, i n Virginia with Stanley. I enjoyed following his career and was so amazed at the genious talent he presented. He will be missed. My sincere sympathy goes out to his wife, children and grandchildren.
You will be remembered and loved.
Pat Minnick

[MetalLearner]

This man was an absolute genius & I've been a real fan of the films that had his special effects in; a real loss to the industry!

[Chris McNulty]

It was a great shock to hear that Stan Winston had passed away.

I have a lot of DVDs that contain interviews with Stan, having never met him, there was a genuine charm about him that came through on-screen.

Its sad, my childhood was full of Schwarzenegger movies and other movies too like Jurassic Park and it was fun too see the next blockbuster on which Stan had worked his magic. Stan was part of my life and now you have gone part of me has also gone too.

Rest In Pece

[Tami Vialpando]

When I was younger Stan and his wife babysat me while living in the valley and at the time he was a young make up artist, I guess from what I have been told is that he made himself up like Frakenstien for halloween and it frightend me so badly I would never go back to thier house again......God bless his family and friends he created memories in film and in life,

[Jubs Tardin]

A great lost to everyone that had at least once enjoyed one of the great blockbuster films after the 1980's. But he'll be remember as a fighter, family man and an inspirations to us all in the field.
Godspeed, Stan!

Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

[tommy]

Stan will be greatly missed, what a talented man he was, so sorry to see him leave us.: (