Tom Woodruff Jr. | |
|---|---|
 Woodruff Jr. in 2018 | |
| Born | (1959-01-21)January 21, 1959 (age 67) |
| Alma mater | Lycoming College |
| Occupations | |
| Years active | 1984–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
Tom Woodruff Jr. (born January 21, 1959) is an American actor, director, producer andspecial effects supervisor. He won anAcademy Award for Best Special Effects for his work on the 1992dark fantasy filmDeath Becomes Her; that same year he was also nominated for the same award forAlien 3.
Some of his most notable works include:Starship Troopers (1997),Cast Away (2000),It (2017) andJurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018).[1]
Woodruff was born inWilliamsport, Pennsylvania on January 21, 1959. He grew up in nearbyLoyalsock Township, Pennsylvania and attendedLoyalsock Township High School and graduated in 1977. Upon graduating high school, he enrolled atLycoming College inPennsylvania where he earned a dual degree in business administration and theater.[2] Woodruff grew up a fan of films with monsters and creatures and created an interest in doing similar effects, working around the lack of materials in his city – in his own words, the only theatrical makeup supplies to be found wasgreasepaint at the back of a local pharmacy - such as using art class to create masks based onPlanet of the Apes out ofplaster bandages.[3]
After graduating college, Woodruff moved to Los Angeles with his wife in 1982, pursuing his dream of working with special effects.[2] He worked in a camera store while using his free time to visit studios seeking a job, and after six months he managed to become a make-up artist in the 1983 movieMetalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn. After production wrapped one of his co-workers would bring Woodruff as a make-up assistant inStar Trek III: The Search for Spock,[4] with that film's lead make-up artistTom Burman bringing Woodruff along toThe Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension. Once Woodruff worked in 1984'sThe Terminator as an assistantspecial effects supervisor,[5] he would joinStan Winston Studios, working with the effects crew on the 1986 filmsThe Vindicator andAliens, in the latter also making his debut on screen playing a Salvager.[6][7] This would soon be followed by Woodruff playing many creatures in the movie he did effects for, such asGill-man in the 1987 comedy-action filmThe Monster Squad, the eponymous demon fromPumpkinhead, and theAlien.
In 1988, asStan Winston prepared to directA Gnome Named Gnorm and scale back on big effects work, Woodruff and fellow Stan Winston Studios effects supervisor Alec Gillis left his company and founded effects studioAmalgamated Dynamics inChatsworth, Los Angeles. The company soon became highly requested in Hollywood, with movies such asAlien 3,Death Becomes Her (both nominated for theAcademy Award for Best Visual Effects, won by the latter),Demolition Man,Wolf andStarship Troopers.[8] To date the company has worked on over 150 film and television projects, growing in size and scope, starting from just the duo working in three to four movies at once to a team of 95 people in 2004'sAlien vs. Predator.[4] In the 2010s, Woodruff has continued to do practical effects in films such asGrown Ups 2,Ender's Game,Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2,Harbinger Down,Unnatural,It,Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom andGodzilla: King of the Monsters.[9]
In 1993 his alma materLycoming College awarded Woodruff the Dr. James E. Douthat Outstanding Achievement Award for alumni.
In early 2017 Woodruff and his company Amalgamated Dynamics announced they would be creating and designing thecosmetics forPennywise in theAndy Muschietti directed horror filmIt. In addition to Pennywise Woodruff and business partner Alec Gillis designed and built the dead bodies for the corridors for the film.[10] Woodruff in particular designed and made the teeth for Pennywise with a great deal of comfort needed for actorBill Skarsgård portraying Pennywise to be able to speak clearly and smile in a way needed for the film. His contributions in this area were recognized by Muschietti after the film's release when he said "... without all the hard work from Tom, Alec and all the guys Pennywise wouldn't have had such a big impact on the audience that it did.[11]
Woodruff and his team received praise for their work onIt. They were nominated for Best Makeup by Hawaii Film Critics Society and again at the44th Saturn Awards.[12][13]
Woodruff and Amalgamated Dynamics were the designers and builders of the life like dinosaurs inJurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.[14]
In 2019 Woodruff served as the lead creature character designer forGodzilla: King of the Monsters. Also in 2019 he served as anexecutive producer for theshort filmPlaytime which was released on March 9, 2019.[15] He played Burke in the horror filmThe Mortuary Collection. In 2019 it was revealed Woodruff and his company would be used during the filming ofGodzilla vs. Kong.[16] The film completed filming in early 2020 and Woodruff was credited as miniature effects supervisor. In late 2019 it was announced Woodruff would serve as the creature designer for the upcomingGuest House film. Director Benjamin L. Brown confirmed Woodruff would have a role in his upcoming horror filmSevered Road. Woodruff is also the executive producer in the upcomingscience fiction filmWellwood.[17][18] In 2022, Woodruff worked in bothSmile andPrey.[3]
In 1983 Woodruff married fellow Loyalsock and Lycoming grad Tami Spitler.[19] The couple have three children named David, Taylor and Connor. In 2013 Woodruff delivered thecommencement speech at his alma materLycoming College.[20] In 2019 Woodruff and his wife moved back home toPennsylvania, settling back in their home-town ofLoyalsock Township.[4] Woodruff's son, David T. Woodruff, works in special effects and costumed acting like his father today.[21]
| Year | Series | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Monsters | Herbert | |
| 1990 | Tales from the Crypt | Utility Monster | |
| 1998 | Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction | Kirby the Gorilla | |
| 1999 | Chicago Hope | Stevie | |
| 1999 | Seven Days | Kiki the Gorilla | |
| 2011 | The Tonight Show with Jay Leno | Bernie the Gorilla | |
| 2012 | Harry's Law | Gorilla | |
| 2013 | Blood and Guts with Scott Ian | Himself | |
| Horror Halku | Demon Rufus | ||
| 2016 | Zoo | Gorilla Suit Performer | |
| 2019 | Room 104 | Elmer |
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Film | Result | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Saturn Awards | Best Special Effects | Tremors | Nominated | Nomination shared with
|
| 1992 | Academy Awards | Best Visual Effects | Death Becomes Her | Won | Win shared with
|
| Alien 3 | Nominated | Nomination shared with
| |||
| British Academy Film Awards | Best Special Effects | Death Becomes Her | Won | Win shared with
| |
| Alien 3 | Nominated | Nomination shared with
| |||
| 1993 | Awards Circuit Community | Best Special Effects | Death Becomes Her | Won | Win shared with
|
| Alien 3 | Nominated | Nomination shared with
| |||
| Saturn Awards | Best Special Effects | Death Becomes Her | Won | Win shared with
| |
| Alien 3 | Nominated | Nomination shared with
| |||
| 1995 | Saturn Awards | Best Make-Up | The Santa Clause | Nominated | Nomination shared with
|
| 1998 | Saturn Awards | Best Special Effects | Starship Troopers | Won | Win shared with
|
| Alien Resurrection | Nominated | Nomination shared with
| |||
| 1999 | Saturn Awards | Best Make-Up | The X-Files | Nominated | Nomination shared with
|
| 2001 | Saturn Awards | The 6th Day | Nominated | Nomination shared with
| |
| 2012 | Rondo Hatton Awards | Best Short Film | Joe Comes to Life | Nominated | — |
| Saturn Awards | Best Make-Up | The Thing | Nominated | Nomination shared with
| |
| 2017 | Fangoria Chainsaw Awards | Best Makeup & SFX | The Monster | Won | Win shared with
|
| 2018 | Hawaii Film Critics Society | Best Makeup | It | Nominated | Nomination shared with
|
| 44th Saturn Awards | Best Makeup | It | Nominated | Nomination shared with
| |
| 2023 | Fangoria Chainsaw Awards[22] | Best Creature FX | Prey | Won | Nomination shared with
|
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
