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IMDbPro

Tom Savini

  • Actor
  • Make-Up Department
  • Special Effects
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Tom Savini
Trailer for Cool as Hell
Play trailer1:52
Cool as Hell (2013)
15 Videos
14 Photos
Actor/SFX wizard/stuntman/director Tom Savini was born in Pittsburgh. Inspired by the film Man of a Thousand Faces (1957), a young Savini became fascinated with the magic and illusion of film. He spent his youth in his room creating characters by tirelessly practicing make-up. Later, as a combat photographer in Vietnam, Savini saw first-hand the gruesome carnage for which he later gained fame, simulating it on screen.

He has acquired a remarkable cult following among film fans, primarily due to his ground-breaking SFX in the "splatter movie" explosion of the early 1980s. Along with fellow special make-up legends Dick Smith and Rob Bottin, Savini was one of the key SFX people behind the startling make-up & EFX seen in the fantasy/horror genre films of the 1980s-'90s. Savini was heavily influenced by the remarkable silent-era actor Lon Chaney, and he sought to emulate the amazing theatrical make-up effects that were a hallmark of Chaney's career. In Savini's insightful book "Grande Illusions", he speaks of his early attempts at applying prosthetics to his face using "spearmint gum", having misinterpreted that he was meant to actually use "spirit gum"! His first work was in low-budget fare, providing SFX and make-up for independently made horror films such as Deranged: Confessions of a Necrophile (1974) and Martin (1976).

He really caught the attention of horror buffs with his grisly effects in the cult George A. Romero-directed zombie film Dawn of the Dead (1978), and then in the controversial slasher film Friday the 13th (1980), the movie generally identified as the kickstart for the aforementioned "splatter movie" genre. Savini also contributed the incredible EFX & make-up to other splatter thrillers such as Maniac (1980), The Burning (1981), Creepshow (1982) and Romero's third "Dead" film, Day of the Dead (1985) (for which he won a Saturn Award). In 1990, Savini directed his feature film debut Night of the Living Dead (1990), the remake of the original zombie-classic.

Not content with only being behind the lens, however, Savini has appeared in dozens of films, and can be seen demonstrating his capable acting skills as "Morgan, the Black Knight" in Knightriders (1981), as "Blades", one of the biker gang members in Dawn of the Dead (1978) and as "Sex Machine", another leather-clad biker--but this time with a groin-mounted gun--in the wild vampire film From Dusk Till Dawn (1996).
BornNovember 3, 1946
  • More at IMDbPro
    • Contact info
    • Agent info
    • Resume
BornNovember 3, 1946
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
  • Unlock contact info on IMDbPro
  • Awards
    • 5 wins & 2 nominations

Photos14

Ari Lehman and Tom Savini in Behind the Monsters (2021)
Tom Savini
Tom Savini in Planet Terror (2007)
Tom Savini in Creepshow (1982)
Tom Savini
Tom Savini
Tom Savini in Dawn of the Dead (1978)
Rosine 'Ace' Hatem, Tom Savini, and Spice Williams-Crosby in From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)
Tom Savini and Drew H. Fash
Ari Lehman and Tom Savini in Friday the 13th (1980)
Tom Savini in Creepshow (1982)
Jon Teboe accepts the Super-8 Third Place award from Tom Savini at the 1983 Cinemagic/SVA Short Film Search at Lincoln Center. Also present are the other teenage producers of "The Yellow Ranger" : Rene Teboe and Dan and Steve Frazier.

Known for

George Clooney and Quentin Tarantino in From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)
From Dusk Till Dawn
7.2
  • Sex Machine
  • 1996
John Paul in Dawn of the Dead (1978)
Dawn of the Dead
7.8
  • Motorcycle Raider
  • 1978
Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, and Ezra Miller in The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
7.9
  • Mr. Callahan
  • 2012
Robert De Niro, Steven Seagal, Danny Trejo, Jessica Alba, and Michelle Rodriguez in Machete (2010)
Machete
6.6
  • Osiris Amanpour
  • 2010

Credits

Edit
IMDbPro

Actor

  • Restricted
    • In Production
  • Pigboy: He Ain't No Babe!
    • Pigboy's Daddy (rumored)
    • In Development
  • Bad Dennis
    • Randy Buckshot
    • In Development
  • Nightmare City
    • In Development
  • Beaten Path
    • Pre-production
  • Pandemonic (2020)
    Pandemonic
    • Poem
    • 2020
  • NOS4A2 (2019)
    NOS4A2
    • Snake
    • TV Series
    • 2020
  • Connor Jessup, Emilia Jones, and Jackson Robert Scott in Locke & Key (2020)
    Locke & Key
    • Locksmith
    • TV Series
    • 2020
  • Fantasmagoria (2020)
    Fantasmagoria
    • (credit only)
    • TV Mini Series
    • 2020
  • Doug Bradley, Tom Savini, Jason Baker, and Mandy Simpson in Thieves and Phantoms (2018)
    Thieves and Phantoms
    • Father Wilton
    • Short
    • 2018
  • Devil Ant 3: Son of Devil Ant
    • Video
    • 2016
  • Zane Holtz and Eiza González in From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series (2014)
    From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series
    • Burt
    • TV Series
    • 2016
  • The Sadist (2015)
    The Sadist
    • The Sadist
    • 2015
  • The Misfits: Tour Video Collection (2015)
    The Misfits: Tour Video Collection
    • Riot Squad Officer
    • Short
    • 2015
  • LocoCycle (2013)
    LocoCycle
    • Holt Ryebach (voice)
    • Video Game
    • 2013
  • Mel Gibson, Charlie Sheen, Danny Trejo, Sofía Vergara, Demián Bichir, Michelle Rodriguez, Alexa PenaVega, Marko Zaror, Amber Heard, Lady Gaga, and Elle LaMont in Machete Kills (2013)
    Machete Kills
    • Osiris Amanapur
    • 2013
  • Cool as Hell (2013)
    Cool as Hell
    • The Demon Slayer
    • 2013
  • Leonardo DiCaprio, Jamie Foxx, and Christoph Waltz in Django Unchained (2012)
    Django Unchained
    • Tracker
    • 2012
  • Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, and Ezra Miller in The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
    The Perks of Being a Wallflower
    • Mr. Callahan
    • 2012
  • Inhuman Resources (2012)
    Inhuman Resources
    • Peter Bava
    • 2012

Makeup Department

  • Nightmare City
    • special makeup effects supervisor
    • In Development
  • Inhuman Resources (2012)
    Inhuman Resources
    • special make-up effects supervisor
    • 2012
  • Sean Patrick Flanery in Veritas, Prince of Truth (2006)
    Veritas, Prince of Truth
    • makeup artist: KNB Effects Group
    • 2006
  • Michael Reilly Burke in Ted Bundy (2002)
    Ted Bundy
    • special make-up effects
    • 2002
  • Amy Jo Johnson in Cold Hearts (1999)
    Cold Hearts
    • special makeup effects supervisor
    • 1999
  • Cutting Moments (1996)
    Cutting Moments
    • makeup effects supervisor
    • Short
    • 1996
  • Sherilyn Fenn in The Assassination File (1996)
    The Assassination File
    • makeup effects
    • TV Movie
    • 1996
  • Mr. Stitch (1995)
    Mr. Stitch
    • makeup design and effects
    • TV Movie
    • 1995
  • Todd Alexander, Blaze Berdahl, Mayteana Morales, Tram-Anh Tran, and Sheldon Turnipseed in Ghostwriter (1992)
    Ghostwriter
    • key makeup artist
    • TV Series
    • 1995
  • Necronomicon: Book of Dead (1993)
    Necronomicon: Book of Dead
    • makeup effects consultant
    • 1993
  • Julie Delpy, Eric Stoltz, and Jean-Hugues Anglade in Killing Zoe (1993)
    Killing Zoe
    • special makeup effects
    • 1993
  • Asia Argento in Trauma (1993)
    Trauma
    • makeup artist
    • special makeup effects
    • 1993
  • Bloodsucking Pharaohs in Pittsburgh (1991)
    Bloodsucking Pharaohs in Pittsburgh
    • special makeup effects
    • 1991
  • Two Evil Eyes (1990)
    Two Evil Eyes
    • special makeup effects supervisor
    • 1990
  • Monkey Shines (1988)
    Monkey Shines
    • special makeup effects
    • 1988
  • Twisted Sister: Come Out and Play (1986)
    Twisted Sister: Come Out and Play
    • special makeup effects artist
    • Music Video
    • 1986

Special Effects

  • Lycanthrope
    • special effects supervisor
    • Pre-production
  • Nightmare City
    • special effects supervisor
    • In Development
  • The Black Phone (2021)
    The Black Phone
    • masks created and designed by: Callosum Studios
    • 2021
  • Stay Home (2020)
    Stay Home
    • Jason mask design
    • Short
    • 2020
  • Sky Sharks (2020)
    Sky Sharks
    • special effects supervisor
    • 2020
  • Kurt Angle and Tom Savini in Death from Above (2012)
    Death from Above
    • special effects technician
    • 2012
  • Web of Darkness (2001)
    Web of Darkness
    • special effects makeup
    • special effects supervisor
    • Video
    • 2001
  • Cutting Moments (1996)
    Cutting Moments
    • special effects supervisor
    • Short
    • 1996
  • Todd Alexander, Blaze Berdahl, Mayteana Morales, Tram-Anh Tran, and Sheldon Turnipseed in Ghostwriter (1992)
    Ghostwriter
    • special effects
    • TV Series
    • 1995
  • Backstreet Justice (1994)
    Backstreet Justice
    • special effects
    • 1994
  • Necronomicon: Book of Dead (1993)
    Necronomicon: Book of Dead
    • associate creator: "darkman" and resurrected "clara", Optic Nerve Studios Inc.
    • 1993
  • Two Evil Eyes (1990)
    Two Evil Eyes
    • special effects
    • 1990
  • Heartstopper (1989)
    Heartstopper
    • special effects
    • 1989
  • Dolph Lundgren in Red Scorpion (1988)
    Red Scorpion
    • special effects makeup
    • 1988
  • Tales from the Darkside (1983)
    Tales from the Darkside
    • special effects
    • special effects makeup
    • TV Series
    • 1985–1988
  • Creepshow 2 (1987)
    Creepshow 2
    • makeup effects consultant
    • 1987
  • Maria's Lovers (1984)
    Maria's Lovers
    • special effects makeup
    • 1984
  • In-development projects at IMDbPro

Videos18

Bubbles' Second Bubble
Clip 2:05
Bubbles' Second Bubble
From Dusk Till Dawn
Clip 0:58
From Dusk Till Dawn
From Dusk Till Dawn
Clip 0:56
From Dusk Till Dawn
The Shark is Still Working: The Impact and Legacy of JAWS
Clip 0:47
The Shark is Still Working: The Impact and Legacy of JAWS
The Shark is Still Working: Steven Spielberg on the fate of the Orca
Clip 0:51
The Shark is Still Working: Steven Spielberg on the fate of the Orca
American Scary
Clip 4:13
American Scary
The Theatre Bizarre
Trailer 2:06
The Theatre Bizarre
From Dusk Till Dawn
Trailer 0:32
From Dusk Till Dawn
Knightriders
Trailer 3:06
Knightriders
Cool as Hell
Trailer 1:52
Cool as Hell
Robin Hood: Ghosts of Sherwood
Trailer 1:14
Robin Hood: Ghosts of Sherwood
From Dusk Till Dawn
Trailer 1:13
From Dusk Till Dawn

Personal details

Edit
  • Official sites
    • Instagram
    • The Official Tom Savini Homepage
  • Height
    • 5′ 6½″ (1.69 m)
  • Born
    • November 3, 1946
    • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
  • Children
      Lia Savini
  • Relatives
      Melissa Savini Dunlap(Niece or Nephew)
  • Other works
    Book: "Grande Illusions: A Learn-by-Example Guide to the Art and Technique of Special Make-Up Effects from the Films of Tom Savini" (Imagine, Inc.)
  • Publicity listings
    • 2 Biographical Movies
    • 19 Interviews
    • 1 Article
    • 2 Magazine Cover Photos

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    Is good friends with horror director George A. Romero. The two have worked together on many films.
  • Quotes
    [asked if his Vietnam experiences influence his makeup effects) I get asked that question a lot. I did see a lot of first-hand anatomically correct gore and I think the most important part of that was if we create a dead body or situation there's a certain feeling you get from seeing the real thing. If I'm creating a gory effect and I don't get the same feeling when I saw the real stuff, I'm not satisfied.
  • Trademarks
      Realistic blood and gore effects, done with no preparations
  • Nickname
    • The Godfather of Gore

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