A true Hollywood legend has passed away…

Stan Winston, the special effects genius behind The Terminator, Aliens, Edward Scissorhands and Jurassic Park, among many, many others, has passed away aged 62.

Stan Winston – one of the true greats of special effects – has died of cancer at the age of 62.

The legendary Winston passed away at his home on Sunday night, as first reported by AICN, following a seven-year battle with multiple myeloma.

“Stan died peacefully at home surrounded by family,” said a spokeswoman for his company, Stan Winston Studio, in a statement released to the Los Angeles Times.

Winston was, quite simply, responsible for some of the most iconic practical FX creations of the past 30 years.

To reel off a list of Winston creations is to produce a shopping list of some of the biggest and best creatures in movie history, from the Terminator exo-skeleton (who can forget that first shot of the terrifying machine rising from the flames?) to the dinosaurs of Jurassic Park and its sequels, the Predator, the Alien Queen, Edward Scissorhands, the astonishing Teddy (from A.I. Artificial Intelligence), and of course, Pumpkinhead, the titular star of Winston’s directorial debut. He was, and we can say this without fear of contradiction, a genius.

Most recently, he and his company, Stan Winston Studios, was heavily involved in the creation of the Iron Man suit, while he was also working on Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins. Perhaps his greatest achievement, along with the likes of Rick Baker, WETA’s Richard Taylor and Greg Nicotero and Howard Berger over at KNB, was in fighting for and ensuring that practical effects had their place in an industry where the emphasis is placed increasingly on flashy CG bells and whistles.

Winston was born on the 7th April, 1946, in Richmond, Virginia. He moved to Hollywood in 1968, initially with designs on becoming an actor. However, when no work was forthcoming, he became an apprentice in the Make-Up Department at Walt Disney Studios.

Quickly adjusting to his new career, he founded Stan Winston Studio in 1972, winning an Emmy for his work on the TV movie, Gargoyles. He was nominated for his first Oscar in 1982, for the movie Heartbeeps. He went on to win his first Oscar in 1987, for his amazing work on James Cameron’s Aliens (his connection with Cameron had, of course, been established several years before). In total, he won four Oscars – two for Terminator 2: Judgement Day, and one for his groundbreaking work on Jurassic Park.

He was also only the second special effects artist to have a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame and was, by all accounts, a great guy to know. This reporter interviewed him only once – in 2001, for A.I. – but found him to be gracious, charming and, importantly, humble, often making it seem that the work he was pulling off was somehow easy.

His loss will be keenly felt throughout the industry. Rest in peace, Stan.

🙁