Greg Nicotero
Gregory Nicotero (born March 15, 1963) is an American special make-up effects creator, television producer, and director. His first major job in special effects makeup was on the George A. Romero film Day of the Dead (1985), under the tutelage of Romero and make-up effects veteran Tom Savini.

In 1988, along with Robert Kurtzman and Howard Berger, he formed KNB EFX Group, a special make-up effects studio which has gone on to work on over 400 film and television projects. KNB has won numerous awards, including an Emmy Award in 2001 for their work on the 2000 Sci Fi Channel miniseries Frank Herbert's Dune and an Academy Award in 2006 for achievement in makeup for The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

He served as an executive producer, special make-up effects supervisor, and primary director on the AMC TV series The Walking Dead and Fear the Walking Dead. Nicotero has directed 37 episodes of The Walking Dead and is the creator of the webseries The Walking Dead: Webisodes.

Life and career

Nicotero claims he began taking an interest in special effects after viewing the film Jaws. He explains: "I kept thinking 'How the hell did they do that?! How'd they build a big giant shark that could eat people?!' So, between that movie, The Exorcist, Planet of the Apes, and of course all of the Universal horror movies [...] I think Jaws and then later Dawn of the Dead were pretty much the two movies that did it for me." Nicotero began his career working in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, learning the trade of special make-up effects, also known as prosthetic makeup, from Tom Savini, an award-winning special effects and makeup artist, and helping on films by director George A. Romero.

While working on the 1985 Romero film Day of the Dead, he met Howard Berger, who would become one of his partners at KNB EFX Group. Nicotero relocated to Hollywood and moved in with Berger and Robert Kurtzman.

He later worked as FX artist on the 2010 film Predators and created a classic predator figure for the film.

Nicotero worked as special make-up effects supervisor, co-executive producer and occasional director for the TV series The Walking Dead, as well as acting in a few uncredited cameos. He was at the San Diego Comic-Con International for the show. He was a guest on Talking Dead on March 24, 2013, October 12, 2014, February 8, 2015, and February 14, 2016. He also supervises the make-up effects for Fear the Walking Dead.

In 2011, Nicotero was interviewed for the 2012 zombie special effects book "Blood Splatter: A Guide to Cinematic Zombie Violence, Gore and Special Effects" by author Craig W. Chenery.

He was a guest on the MythBusters Zombie Special on October 17, 2013.

Filmography

Actor 
 The Walking Dead
 1.3 "Tell It to the Frogs" (uncredited) as Walker Eating Deer
 1.4 "Vatos" (uncredited) as Walker biting Amy
 3.9 "The Suicide King" (uncredited) as Walker in Woodbury
 6.3 "Thank You" (uncredited) as Walker in herd
 11.24 "Rest in Peace" (uncredited) as Walker in final scene before epilogue
 The Grey   (2011) as Duke Chavis
 Piranha 3D (2010) as Boat Captain
 Inglourious Basterds (2009) (uncredited) as Gestapo Major
 Gingerdead Man 2: Passion of the Crust (2008) as Makeup Effects Guy #3
 Diary of the Dead (2008) as Zombie Surgeon
 Cemetery Gates (2006) as Stoner Dude Michael
 The Hills Have Eyes (2006) as Cyst
 Land of the Dead (2005) as Bridgekeeper Zombie
 Cursed (2005) (uncredited) as Man pushing Dracula's coffin
 House on Haunted Hill (1999) (uncredited) as Rollercoaster technician
 From Dusk till Dawn (1996) as Sex Machine's Buddy
 The Demolitionist (1995) as Elevator Punk
 Body Bags (1993) (TV) as Man with Dog
 Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988) (uncredited) as Guy in Gas Station
 Intruder (1989) as Townie in Car
 Night of the Creeps (1986) (uncredited) as Extra
 Day of the Dead (1985) as Johnson

Director
 The Walking Dead (2011–2022) (37 episodes)
 2.11 "Judge, Jury, Executioner"
 3.05 "Say the Word"
 3.11 "I Ain't a Judas"
 3.15 "This Sorrowful Life"
 4.01 "30 Days Without an Accident"
 4.09 "After"
 4.15 "Us"
 5.01 "No Sanctuary"
 5.09 "What Happened and What's Going On"
 5.12 "Remember"
 5.16 "Conquer"
 6.01 "First Time Again"
 6.09 "No Way Out"
 6.12 "Not Tomorrow Yet"
 6.16 "Last Day on Earth"
 7.01 "The Day Will Come When You Won't Be"
 7.02 "The Well"
 7.09 "Rock in the Road"
 7.12 "Say Yes"
 7.16 "The First Day of the Rest of Your Life"
 8.01 "Mercy"
 8.03 "Monsters"
 8.09 "Honor"
 8.12 "The Key"
 8.16 "Wrath"
 9.01 "A New Beginning"
 9.05 "What Comes After"
 9.09 "Adaptation"
 9.16 "The Storm"
 10.01 "Lines We Cross"
 10.02 "We Are the End of the World"
 10.12 "Walk with Us"
 10.16 "A Certain Doom"
11.05 "Out of the Ashes"
11.06 "On the Inside"
11.17 "Lockdown"
11.24 "Rest in Peace"
 The Walking Dead: The Oath (2013) (3 webisodes)
 The Walking Dead: Cold Storage (2012) (4 webisodes)
 The Walking Dead: Torn Apart (2011) (6 webisodes)
 The United Monster Talent Agency (2010) (short film)

References

External links
 
 Interview with Nicotero
 FanGirl Magazine Interview Pt 1
 FanGirl Magazine Interview Pt 2
 HorrorHound Convention Report
 Greg Nicotero at FEARnet

1963 births
Living people
American male film actors
American television directors
American make-up artists
Animatronic engineers
Best Makeup BAFTA Award winners
Primetime Emmy Award winners
Male actors from Pittsburgh
Sewickley Academy alumni
Special effects people
Writers Guild of America Award winners