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Kazu Hiro

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For other people named Kazuhiro, seeKazuhiro.

Kazu Hiro
Born
Kazuhiro Tsuji

(1969-05-26)May 26, 1969(age 55)
Kyoto,Japan
NationalityAmerican (naturalized 2019)
Occupation(s)Portrait sculptor,special make-up effectsartist
Years active1988–present

Kazu Hiro(bornKazuhiro Tsuji,Japanese:Thập nhất hoằngTsuji Kazuhiro;born May 26, 1969) is a Japanese-born Americanspecial make-up effectsartist andvisual artist.[1]He won theAcademy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstylingfor the biographical filmsDarkest Hour(2017) andBombshell(2019) after earning nominations for the comediesClick(2006) andNorbit(2007).[2][3][4]

Life and career

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Kazu Hiro grew up inKyoto,where he spent much of his time alone engaging in art projects.[1]Kazu Hiro came across an issue ofFangoriawhich featuredDick Smithand his work turningHal HolbrookintoAbraham Lincolnfor the 1976miniseriesLincoln.[1]This led to Kazu Hiro's own experiments with special make-up effects, photos of which he began sending to Dick Smith after discovering hisP.O. boxin the back of a magazine.[1]The two would eventually meet in person when Smith traveled to Japan to work onKiyoshi Kurosawa'sSweet Home.[5]Smith invited Kazu Hiro to work on the film with him and this began his film career.[5]

While working onSweet Home,Kazu Hiro met fellow artist Eddie Yang, who was visiting from the United States. In 1996, Kazu Hiro moved to Los Angeles to work with Yang and Smith's protege,Rick Baker,on his first U.S. work,Men in Black.[1]Continuing his work with Baker, Kazu Hiro worked on many projects includingHow the Grinch Stole Christmas,for which he won aBAFTA.[1]

Kazu Hiro crafted the silicone model ofBrad Pitt's head used to artificially age him via CGI forThe Curious Case of Benjamin Buttonin 2008.[1]In 2012, Kazu Hiro created the prosthetics which turnedJoseph Gordon-Levittinto a youngBruce WillisforLooper.[6]

After his work onLooper,Kazu Hiro retired from the film industry[1]and focused on sculpture,[7]crafting giant busts of people such asFrida Kahlo,Salvador Dalí,andAbraham Lincoln,as well as Smith.[1]

For the 2017 filmDarkest Hour,Gary Oldmantalked Kazu Hiro out of retirement to create theWinston Churchillprosthetics.[1]Oldman had been considered for the role of General Thade inTim Burton'sPlanet of the Apes(the role went to hisRosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Deadco-star,Tim Roth)[1]and Kazu Hiro's work at that time had impressed Oldman enough that for him, Kazu Hiro was the only man to turn him into Churchill. For this work, Kazu Hiro won the 2018Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling.[8]

He won the award again in 2020 for his work in the 2019 filmBombshell,where he made prosthetics forCharlize Theronas news anchorMegyn Kelly.[9]

Personal life

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In March 2019, Tsuji became anAmerican citizenand officially changed his name to Kazu Hiro.[10][11]At the 2020 Academy Awards, Kazu Hiro said he became an American citizen because he "got tired" ofJapanese culture,which he found "too submissive" and a place where it is "hard to make a dream come true".[12]

Filmography

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Year Title Designation
1989 Sweet Home Special makeup effects artist
1991 Rhapsody in August Special makeup effects artist
1992 Minbo Special makeup effects artist
1997 Critical Care Makeup application:Albert Brooks
1997 Men in Black Sculptor[5]
1997 The Devil's Advocate Principal artist
2000 Nutty Professor II: The Klumps Sculptor[7]
1999 Life Key makeup artist
1999 Wild Wild West Makeup designer
2000 How the Grinch Stole Christmas Makeup artist:Jim CarreyasGrinch[1]
2001 Planet of the Apes Designer/sculptor: Cinovation Studios/

makeup designer:Tim Rothas General Thade/makeup designer: ape makeup

2002 Men in Black II Special makeup effects artist
2003 The Haunted Mansion Special makeup effects artist
2004 Hellboy Special makeup effects artist
2004 Blade: Trinity Art supervisor
2005 The Ring Two Makeup effects supervisor
2006 Click Prosthetic makeup supervisor
2007 Norbit Prosthetic makeup supervisor
2008 The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Special makeup effects artist[1]
2009 Angels & Demons Prosthetic makeup artist
2009 Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Special makeup effects artist
2009 G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra Prosthetic makeup designer:"The Doctor"
2010 Salt Prosthetic makeup designer:Angelina Jolie
2010 Tron: Legacy Special makeup effects artist
2012 Hemingway & Gellhorn Special effects makeup artist:Nicole Kidman
2012 Total Recall Special makeup effects artist[7]
2012 Looper Prosthetic makeup designer:Joseph Gordon-Levitt[6]
2012 The Place Beyond the Pines Prosthetic makeup crew
2017 Darkest Hour Prosthetic makeup and hair designer:Gary OldmanasWinston Churchill[1]
2019 Bombshell Prosthetic makeup and hair designer:John LithgowasRoger Ailes
2023 Maestro Prosthetic makeup and hair designer:Bradley CooperasLeonard Bernstein

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Nominated work Result Ref.
2007 Academy Award Best Makeup & Hairstyling Click Nominated [13]
2008 Norbit Nominated [14]
2018 Darkest Hour Won [15]
2020 Bombshell Won [16]
2024 Maestro Nominated [17]
2022 Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup Gaslit:Final Days Nominated
2024 Santa Barbara International Film Festival Variety Artisans Award – Hairstyling/Makeup Maestro Honored [18]

References

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  1. ^abcdefghijklmnJones, Nate (December 1, 2017)."How Gary Oldman Lured a Makeup Magician Back for One More Job".Vulture.com.RetrievedDecember 6,2017.
  2. ^"Click - Academy Awards".Box Office Mojo.RetrievedDecember 6,2017.
  3. ^Ryder, Caroline (February 12, 2008)."'Norbit' Achievement in Makeup Oscar nominee ".Variety.RetrievedDecember 6,2017.
  4. ^"Darkest Hour".Oscar.go.com.Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.RetrievedApril 24,2018.
  5. ^abc"The amazing story of Hollywood Make-up artist Kazuhiro Tsuji".Spoon & Tamago.June 14, 2013.RetrievedDecember 6,2017.
  6. ^abWhipp, Glenn (August 31, 2012)."'Looper': Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Rian Johnson are a tight team ".Los Angeles Times.RetrievedDecember 6,2017.
  7. ^abcFulton, Wil (January 20, 2015)."These Massive Sculptures Of Lincoln, Warhol And Dali Are Hyper-Realistic".Thrillist.RetrievedDecember 6,2017.
  8. ^Keegan, Rebecca (September 5, 2017)."How Gary Oldman Was Finally Convinced to Play Winston Churchill".Vanity Fair.RetrievedDecember 6,2017.
  9. ^Minutaglio, Rose (January 16, 2020)."Charlize Theron's UnrecognizableBombshellTransformation Is All Thanks to Prosthetist Kazu Hiro ".Elle.RetrievedFebruary 6,2020.
  10. ^"A research collaboration with artist Kazu Hiro: Using art and science to find the unique, expressive beauty that matures inside every person with passing years"(Press release). Kao Corporation. May 14, 2019.RetrievedFebruary 6,2020.
  11. ^Saruwatari, Yuki (January 14, 2020).カズ・ヒロ thị, またもやオスカー hầu bổ nhập り. Quốc tịch と danh tiền を変えた tâm cảnh を văn く.Yahoo! News(in Japanese).RetrievedFebruary 6,2020.
  12. ^"Oscar Winners for 'Bombshell' Full Press Room Speech".The Hollywood Reporter.February 9, 2020.RetrievedMay 25,2020.
  13. ^"The 79th Academy Awards (2007) Nominees and Winners".Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.AMPAS.Archivedfrom the original on October 14, 2014.RetrievedNovember 18,2011.
  14. ^"The 80th Academy Awards (2008) Nominees and Winners".Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).Archivedfrom the original on April 2, 2015.RetrievedDecember 22,2015.
  15. ^"The 90th Academy Awards (2018) Nominees and Winners".Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences(AMPAS).RetrievedMay 5,2020.
  16. ^"The 92nd Academy Awards (2020) Nominees and Winners".Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences(AMPAS).Archivedfrom the original on February 25, 2019.RetrievedJuly 13,2020.
  17. ^"96TH OSCARS® NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED".press.oscars.org.RetrievedJanuary 31,2024.
  18. ^Jazz Tangcay (January 17, 2024)."Billie Eilish, Finneas, Ludwig Goransson, Rodrigo Prieto and More to Be Feted With Variety Artisans Awards at Santa Barbara Film Festival".Variety.RetrievedJanuary 19,2024.
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