The Elephant Man

Selected by the Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Branch.

John Hurt gave a heartrending, Oscar-nominated performance as the title character in The Elephant Man with the aid of elaborate prosthetic makeup by Christopher Tucker that accurately recreated the unusual features of the real-life Joseph Merrick. The film was the first “mainstream” effort from director David Lynch, who brought his distinctive sensibility and striking visual style to this moving biopic, which featured widescreen black-and-white cinematography by Freddie Francis (Glory).