Mike Elizalde

Mike Elizalde
Born	Winston Miguel Elizalde 1960 (age 54–55) Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico
Occupation	Special make-up effects artist
Years active	1987-present
Spouse(s)	Mary Elizalde (May 23, 1992-Present)
Children	2

Mike Elizalde (born 1960) is an American special make-up effects artist. He was nominated at the 81st Academy Awards in the category of Best Makeup for his work on the film Hellboy II: The Golden Army.^[1]

Early life

Born Winston Miguel Elizalde in Mazatlán, Sinaloa. His parents, Miguel Angel Elizalde and Paula Torres Elizalde, raised him together until his second birthday when his father passed due to illness. Elizalde and his mother immigrated to the United States in 1964, after Paula remarried to Ignacio Castaño. A second son, Edward Vincent Castaño was born. Elizalde attended Francis Willard elementary school in Compton, California, and graduated from Alhambra High School, in Alhambra, California in 1979.

Elizalde was fascinated by movie monsters as a child and felt particularly moved by the monster in the 1931 Universal Studios film, Frankenstein, directed by James Whale. The indelible image of the monster, played by Boris Karloff was instrumental in inspiring him to become a Hollywood makeup artist.

Elizalde was also fascinated by magic and became a performing magician by the age of 14. While attending high school, Elizalde spent countless hours at Owen Magic Supreme, an illusion factory in Alhambra, California.

Career

Elizalde taught himself to sculpt and create prosthetic makeup effects by following the work of his mentors Dick Smith, Stan Winston, and Rick Baker. After serving for eight years in the United States Navy, during which time he became a naturalized U.S. citizen, Elizalde returned to Hollywood, California to make his dreams come true. He continued to develop his skills by working in several Hollywood special effects studios, including Rick Baker's Cinovation Studios and Stan Winston Studio. He became an animatronics designer, puppeteer, and prosthetic makeup artist with the knowledge he acquired. In 1994, he and his wife Mary formed Spectral Motion, a design studio specializing in creature effects, prosthetic makeup, robotics, and animatronics. Elizalde has worked on over 100 films in his career, including Men in Black, Nutty Professor II: The Klumps, Hellboy and Birdman. Elizalde won a Saturn Award in 2000 and has earned many other nominations and awards for his work in the film industry.

Affiliations

Elizalde is a member in good standing of the following organizations: The Academy of Magical Arts as a "Magician Member" of the Magic Castle, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Local 706, the Screen Actors Guild, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

References

External links

• Mike Elizalde at the Internet Movie Database