Legend has it that, upon first stepping onto a Hollywood soundstage, the twentysomething neophyte filmmaker Orson Welles announced "This is the biggest toy train set a boy ever had!" Sadly, Welles was soon forced to find another playground. More than half a century later, however, a contemporary "boy wonder" like special makeup effects creator/designer Rob Bottin could make an excellent living in Hollywood by playing with toys full-time. Indeed, Bottin really was a boy, aged 14, when he first became an active participant in movie magic. His mentor, future Oscar-winner Rick Baker, may have been
Became a protege of FX makeup pioneer Rick Baker at age 14 (date approximate)
1976
Worked with Baker as a special makeup effects apprentice on the the lavish remake of "King Kong"; deemed too young to be on the lot by MGM, ended up working in Baker's garage
1977
Served as a special makeup apprentice on "Star Wars"; worked under Baker on the "cantina sequence"
1977
Started his own FX company, Rob Bottin Productions, at age 18
1978
Last film assignment as Baker's apprentice, Brian De Palma's "The Fury"
