Steve LaPorte - Makeup Artist

Steve LaPorte: Academy Award-Winning Makeup Artist Behind Beetlejuice, Lost, and More

Steve LaPorte is one of Hollywood’s most decorated makeup artists, with a career spanning more than four decades, an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy, and credits on some of the most iconic films and television series ever made. From Beetlejuice to Lost to Breaking Bad, his work has left a permanent mark on the industry.

From Circus Clown to Hollywood Makeup Artist

Steve’s path to Hollywood is unlike anyone else’s. Born in Oklahoma City, he developed an obsession with horror films and monster model-making from the age of six – even building haunted houses in his garage as a kid and charging neighborhood admission. In high school, he studied commercial art and earned a scholarship to Oklahoma State Tech.

But in the summer of 1974, everything changed. On a whim, he auditioned for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus Clown College in Florida. He was accepted, and at just 18 years old he hit the road as a touring clown and high stilt walker. Over four seasons with the circus – two of them as Boss Clown, the youngest ever at that time – he quietly honed skills in makeup, costuming, and prop-making that would define his career.

When he eventually landed in Hollywood, that unconventional training proved to be the perfect foundation. He studied and practiced with makeup legends at The Burman Studio, worked on independent films including The Howling under Rob Bottin, and eventually opened Steve LaPorte Creations, Makeup and Effects in North Hollywood.

The Oscar Win: Transforming Michael Keaton into Beetlejuice

In 1984, NBC hired Steve as a studio makeup artist and lab head, which opened the door to union work and high-profile projects. He teamed with makeup designer Ken Chase on The Color Purple and The Golden Child, then joined forces with Ve Neill on The Lost Boys.

That collaboration led to Beetlejuice (1988) – and one of the most memorable character looks in film history. Steve and Ve Neill worked directly with Michael Keaton to develop the character’s look, including custom teeth and prosthetics. The result earned the team – Steve LaPorte, Ve Neill, and Robert Short – the Academy Award for Best Makeup at the 61st Academy Awards (1989). The film also took home a Saturn Award for Best Makeup.

50+ Feature Film Credits Including Hollywood Blockbusters

Steve’s feature film career covers a remarkable range of major productions, including:

The Color Purple
The Lost Boys
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Beetlejuice
Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
Windtalkers
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Galaxy Quest
Van Helsing
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Battleship
X-Men
Oz the Great and Powerful

He served as personal makeup artist to Jack Lemmon on both Out to Sea (1997) and The Odd Couple II (1998).

Six Seasons as Makeup Department Head on ABC’s Lost

In the summer of 2004, Steve got a call that would define the next chapter of his career. ABC’s Lost – a new kind of serialized drama shot on location in Hawaii – needed a Makeup Department Head. He packed up his home lab, molds, stock prosthetics, and supplies, and flew to Oahu.

What started as a pilot shoot grew into a six-season run. Lost ran for 121 episodes (not 112 as sometimes cited) before concluding in 2010. As Makeup Department Head and Makeup Designer, Steve sculpted, molded, and fabricated all of the show’s prosthetics and makeup effects himself. Achieving film-quality results on a television schedule and budget was, as he puts it, a never-ending challenge — and one he embraced fully.

Emmy Award and a Career Full of Industry Recognition

Steve’s television work has earned him multiple major honors:

Primetime Emmy Award – Outstanding Makeup for a Series, The X-Files (1999), for the episodes “Two Fathers” and “One Son”
Saturn Award – Beetlejuice (1989)
Makeup Guild Award – Breaking Bad (2014)
Make-up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild Lifetime Achievement Award (2023), presented by longtime collaborator Rick Baker
Oklahoma Film Icon Award
Multiple Emmy nominations for Queen, Alien Nation, and Angel

He also served as a member of the Motion Picture Academy’s Makeup Awards Committee, helping oversee the Academy Award for Makeup from 1990 to 2004.

Later Career: From Bosch to Code Black

After Lost, Steve continued working in television as a Makeup FX Designer and Department Head on productions including:

Intelligence
Bosch
Longmire
Code Black (three seasons)
Roswell
Black Monday

He describes Code Black – a medical drama set in LA County’s trauma center – as a makeup artist’s dream come true for its demanding prosthetics and injury effects work.

The “Out-of-Kit” Philosophy: Making Magic with What’s on Hand

A defining principle of Steve’s work is his mastery of out-of-kit techniques – creating three-dimensional aging, wounds, burns, scabs, and character effects using whatever materials are immediately available on set. He credits this skill as an absolute requirement for any well-rounded makeup artist, and it has made him one of the most versatile and sought-after artists in the industry.

His background in performance – magic, pyrotechnics, costuming, prop-making – has fed a lifelong drive to invent new products and formulations. He has developed his own makeup and effects lines, FaceMaker Series and Port-a-Case, and operates his creative company Freeform Creations from his in-home lab.

Teaching and Mentoring the Next Generation

Steve has been a faculty member and consultant for legendary makeup artist Dick Smith’s Basic 3-D and Professional Makeup Courses for more than 20 years. He has also taught at Cinema Makeup School and Ve Neill’s Legends Makeup Academy, contributed regularly to Makeup Artist Magazine, and provided demonstrations at trade shows for Premier Products.

In recent years, he has launched the FaceMaker FX Workshop YouTube channel to reach a broader audience with tips, techniques, and career stories for aspiring makeup artists.

“Many talented Makeup Artists have taught me a lot of my skills, and it is my duty to pass those skills on to those who want to carry the torch to the next level.” – Steve LaPorte

Makeup Artist – Steve LaPorte