Richard Emerson Smith ‘The Godfather of Make-Up,’ born June 26, 1922, was an American special make-up effects artist and author best known for his work on films such as Little Big Man, The Godfather, The Exorcist, Taxi Driver, Scanners, and Death Becomes Her. For his work in Amadeus, he earned an Academy Award for Best Makeup in 1985, and he received an Academy Honorary Award in 2012.
Smith was the son of Coral and Richard Roy Smith and was born in Larchmont, New York. He went to the Wooster School in Danbury, Connecticut, and Yale University, where he majored in biology and studied pre-med to go into dentistry. After reading Paint, Paste, and Makeup, a book on theatrical make-up methods, he began applying make-up for the Yale acting company. Smith went on to serve in the United States Army during World War II after graduation.
After the war, Smith went into the field full-time and was completely self-taught. He sent images of his work to the film business, but it was rejected until his father advised that he try television, an emerging new medium. He was hired as WNBC’s first make-up director and stayed for fourteen years, typically working under producer David Susskind.
Smith also did the make-up for Robert De Niro’s Travis Bickle character in Taxi Driver (1976), as well as the blood-soaked finale’s effects. For their work on Amadeus, Smith and Paul LeBlanc earned an Academy Award for Best Makeup (1984). He had to age a prominent actor in the picture once more. As Antonio Salieri, he converted 44-year-old F. Murray Abraham into an elderly man for the movie.
He went on to work on films including Death Becomes Her (1992), Forever Young (1992), and House on Haunted Hill (1999). Later in life, Smith focused on teaching his techniques to aspiring make-up artists. Smith was the first-ever make-up artist to receive an Academy Honorary Award in November 2011 for his life’s work. Smith died on July 30, 2014, at the age of 92, in Los Angeles. He is survived by two sons.
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