At the age of 73, Greg Cannom, a makeup and prosthetics artist who won four Academy Awards and was responsible for the creation of great films such as Dracula, Mrs. Doubtfire, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and Vice, passed away.

In 2005 that he was awarded a joint Academy Award for Technical Achievement with the sculpture artist Wesley Wofford for "the development of their special modified silicone material for makeup applications used in motion pictures," the New York Times reported.

More awards

In the year 2019, he was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild.

After attending Cypress College and working seasonally at Knott's Halloween Haunt amusement park, Cannom began his career in the industry.

This marked the beginning of his passion for the horror genre, which eventually led to his relationship with Baker, who had won seven Academy Awards, and finally led to him working as an assistant for Baker.

From a friend

"I just heard the sad news of the passing of one of the great make up artists," wrote Rick Baker, who has been a longtime colleague and collaborator, on Instagram yesterday to announce the news.

"Greg Cannom. Greg started with me in the 70’s; his first job with me was the sequel to It’s Alive where he not only assisted me in making the baby but also played one of the baby monsters.

The industry insider spoke to his long-running relationship with the artist: "When I moved out of my first garage workshop Greg moved in."

"When I out grew my first industrial unit Greg took that over. His work will be remembered long after his passing. Sad news indeed. RIP Greg, you and your work will be missed.”

Cause of death

In March 2023, a GoFundMe was started in honor of the renowned craftsman Cannom. His health started to deteriorate after he had a case of shingles, which caused irreversible nerve damage to his legs. He also had a staph infection, which led to an amputation below the knee.

Due to difficulties stemming from diabetes, viral infections, and heart failure, he spent several months in the hospital in December 2022.

Cannom, an industry pioneer, worked for 45 years creating the signature styles of some of the most adored films.

More notable work

Along with his four Oscars, he was nominated for roles in several other films, including Titanic, A Beautiful Mind, Hook, Hoffa, Roommates, and Bicentennial Man.

In addition to a long list of other films, his work may be seen in The Lost Boys, Batman Returns, Blade, The Mask, Hannibal, Van Helsing, White Chicks, The Passion of the Christ, and The Eyes of Tammy Faye.

For his television work, he was nominated for one of his five Emmys for his makeup work on Fox's late '80s series Werewolf, CBS's 90s-era The Flash, and NBC's original finale of Will & Grace.

He also dabbled in the music industry, creating looks for videos including "Thriller" by Michael Jackson and Baker, as well as "Bark at the Moon" by Ozzy Osbourne.