American actor
Tom Woodruff Jr. |
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 Woodruff Jr. in February of 2018. |
| Born | (1959-01-21) January 21, 1959 (age 65)
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| Nationality | American |
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| Alma mater | Lycoming College |
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| Occupations | |
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| Years active | 1984–present |
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| Spouse | Tami Spitler (m. 1983) |
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| Children | 3 |
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Tom Woodruff Jr. (born January 21, 1959) is an American actor, director, producer and special effects supervisor. He won an Academy Award for Best Special Effects for his work on the 1992 dark fantasy film Death Becomes Her; that same year he was also nominated for the same award for Alien 3.
Some of his most notable works include: The Santa Clause (1994), Starship Troopers (1997), Cast Away (2000), It (2017) and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018).[1]
Early life
Tom Woodruff Jr. was born in Williamsport, Pennsylvania on January 21, 1959. He grew up in nearby Loyalsock Township, Pennsylvania and attended Loyalsock Township High School and graduated in 1977. Upon graduating high school, he enrolled at Lycoming College in Pennsylvania 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 was greasepaint at the back of a local pharmacy - such as using art class to create masks based on Planet of the Apes out of plaster bandages.[3]
Career
Arrival in Hollywood (1980s)
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 movie Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn. After production wrapped one of his co-workers would bring Woodruff as a make-up assistant in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock,[4] with that film's lead make-up artist Tom Burman bringing Woodruff along to The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension. Once Woodruff worked in 1984's The Terminator as an assistant special effects supervisor,[5] he would join Stan Winston Studios, working with the effects crew on the 1986 films The Vindicator and Aliens, 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 as Gill-man in the 1987 comedy-action film The Monster Squad, the eponymous demon from Pumpkinhead, and the Alien.
Amalgamated Dynamics (1990–2010)
In 1988, as Stan Winston prepared to direct A 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 studio Amalgamated Dynamics in Chatsworth, Los Angeles. The company soon became highly requested in Hollywood, with movies such as Alien 3, Death Becomes Her (both nominated for the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, won by the latter), Demolition Man, Wolf and Starship 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's Alien vs. Predator.[4] In the 2010s, Woodruff has continued to do practical effects in films such as Grown Ups 2, Ender's Game, Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2, Harbinger Down, Unnatural, It, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and Godzilla: King of the Monsters.[9]
In 1993 his alma mater Lycoming 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 the cosmetics for Pennywise in the Andy Muschietti directed horror film It. 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 actor Bill 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 on It. They were nominated for Best Makeup by Hawaii Film Critics Society and again at the 44th Saturn Awards.[12][13]
Woodruff and Amalgamated Dynamics were the designers and builders of the life like dinosaurs in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.[14]
Recent and future projects (2019–present)
In 2019 Woodruff served as the lead creature character designer for Godzilla: King of the Monsters. Also in 2019 he served as an executive producer for the short film Playtime which was released on March 9, 2019.[15] He played Burke in the horror film The Mortuary Collection. In 2019 it was revealed Woodruff and his company would be used during the filming of Godzilla 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 upcoming Guest House film. Director Benjamin L. Brown confirmed Woodruff would have a role in his upcoming horror film Severed Road. Woodruff is also the executive producer in the upcoming science fiction film Wellwood.[17][18] In 2022, Woodruff worked in both Smile and Prey.[3]
Personal life
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 the commencement speech at his alma mater Lycoming College.[20] In 2019 Woodruff and his wife moved back home to Pennsylvania, settling back in their home-town of Loyalsock Township.[4] Woodruff's son, David T. Woodruff, works in special effects and costumed acting like his father today.[21]
