Michele Mulkey: Special Effects Makeup Artist and Prop Maker for Film and Television
Michele Mulkey is an award-recognized special effects makeup artist and prop maker with more than two decades of experience in the entertainment industry. Based in Perry County, Pennsylvania, she has built her career across Los Angeles, New York City, Canada, and the United Kingdom – transforming actors for some of Hollywood’s biggest productions.
From Hollywood FX Shops to Her Own Studio
Michele launched her career in Los Angeles, where she trained and worked in-house and on set at several leading special effects studios:
- Keith Vanderlaan’s Captive Audience
- Crisis FX
- Film Illusions
- Alterian, Inc.
- Global Effects
- Unit 7
That hands-on foundation across multiple top-tier FX houses gave her a broad and deep technical skill set. She later returned to her home state of Pennsylvania, where she now owns and operates Michele Mulkey FX Studio, continuing her work in film and television.
Over 33 Film and Television Credits – Including Major Hollywood Blockbusters
Michele has worked on more than 33 feature films and television productions. Her credits include:
- The Last Samurai
- The Chronicles of Riddick
- Constantine
- Sin City
- The Passion of the Christ
- Disney’s The Haunted Mansion
- The Alamo
- Seed of Chucky
- Son of the Mask
- Venom
- Deja Vu
- Petunia
- Blood Junkies
- Charmed
- CSI: Miami
- Joss Whedon’s Firefly
- Without a Trace
- Black. White.
- The Bold and the Beautiful
- Law & Order: Criminal Intent
- Multiple shows for the ID Channel
Her commercial work includes spots for Verizon, Old Navy, AARP, and Jack in the Box. Her SFX work was also prominently featured in the music video for “Soul Meets Body” by Death Cab for Cutie.
Celebrity Clients: Transforming A-List Actors on Screen
Michele’s skills have been used to create custom makeup looks and props for a long list of well-known actors, including:
Thora Birch, Christine Lahti, Denzel Washington, Brittany Snow, Vin Diesel, Karl Urban, Alan Cumming, Jennifer Tilly, Pat Morita, Jamie Kennedy, Ben Stein, Jason Patric, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Michael Urie, Colm Feore, David Rasche, Hunter Tylo, Robin Riker, Christopher Atkins, Richard Brooks, Dennis Haskins, and Karalyn West.
Featured in The Makeup Artist Handbook by Mindy Hall and Gretchen Davis
One of the standout moments in Michele’s career came when Academy Award–winning makeup artist Mindy Hall personally invited her to contribute to The Makeup Artist Handbook: Techniques for Film, Television, Photography, and Theater (co-authored by Gretchen Davis and Mindy Hall). Michele wrote the section on professional bald cap application.
Mindy Hall won the Academy Award for Best Makeup for Star Trek (2010 ceremony). Her co-author, Gretchen Davis, received a 2012 Emmy nomination for Hemingway & Gellhorn. Being selected to contribute to their industry-standard reference book is a significant mark of Michele’s expertise and standing in the field.
Teaching the Next Generation of SFX Makeup Artists
In addition to her production work, Michele is an active educator in the SFX makeup industry. She has taught advanced special effects makeup classes at:
- Makeup Designory (Los Angeles and New York City)
- Harrisburg Area Community College (HACC) – where she also studied early in her career
- QC Makeup Academy (Canada) – where she continues to teach online
She has also presented SFX workshops at major conventions including Otakon, Zenkicon, and IMATS Toronto.
Moulage and Simulation Work
Michele’s realistic prosthetics and injury makeup have extended beyond film and television into medical training. She has been brought in to support disaster simulation exercises – most notably at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) College of Nursing – where she created moulage (simulated injury makeup), prosthetics, and casting work to help train nursing students in realistic mass-casualty scenarios.
Learn SFX Makeup with Michele Mulkey at QC Makeup Academy
Michele teaches the Special FX Makeup course at QC Makeup Academy, an online school that trains aspiring makeup artists worldwide. Students receive a free SFX starter kit and learn directly from her years of professional film and television experience.
Links – Michele Mulkey:
- IMDB: Michele Mulkey on IMDB
- Facebook: Michele Mulkey FX Studio