# Chris Walas

Christopher James Walas (born 1955) is an American special effects artist, make-up effects artist, film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is best known for his work on the film The Fly (1986), for which he won an Academy Award and was nominated for two British Academy Film Awards.

## Biography

His main body of work is with special effects in a wide variety of films, from science fiction to action-adventure. His work on The Fly led to his directorial debut on The Fly II. He also won an Academy Award for Special Effects Make-up on The Fly and is well known for his creation of the Gremlins. Walas was also partially responsible for creating the famous sequence in Raiders of the Lost Ark when the Nazis melt from the intense heat created by the Ark of the Covenant. Walas created false heads for Ronald Lacey, Wolf Kahler, and Paul Freeman.

## Filmographies
### Special effects

| 2002 | Dark Heaven | designer: angels |
| 1991 | Curse III: Blood Sacrifice | monster design |
| 1991 | Naked Lunch | special effects and monster design |
| 1990 | Arachnophobia | creature effects supervisor |
| 1989 | The Fly II | effects designer and creator: Chris Walas Inc. |
| 1987 | House II: The Second Story | makeup and creature effects designer |
| 1986 | The Fly | creature effects |
| 1985 | Enemy Mine | aliens creator and designer: Chris Walas Inc. special creature makeup and effects director: Chris Walas Inc. |
| 1984 | Gremlins | creator: Gremlins |
| 1983 | Return of the Jedi | creature consultant |
| 1982 | E.T. the Extraterrestrial | model maker (uncredited) |
| 1981 | Dragonslayer | close-up dragon: ILM |
| 1980 | Airplane! | special projects |
| 1980 | Humanoids from the Deep | special effects (uncredited) |
| 1979 | Up from the Depths | special effects |
| 1978 | Piranha | special properties |

### Makeup effects

| 1995 | Jade | special makeup effects |
| 1995 | Virtuosity | special makeup effects |
| 1989 | Tales from the Crypt: "The Switch" | special makeup effects |
| 1985 | Enemy Mine | special makeup effects |
| 1984 | Gremlins | special makeup effects |
| 1981 | Raiders of the Lost Ark | special makeup effects: ILM |
| 1981 | Caveman | creator: abominable snowman |
| 1981 | Scanners | special makeup effects |
| 1980 | Galaxina | special makeup effects |
| 1979 | Something Waits in the Dark (later known as Screamers) | special makeup effects, U.S. filmed additions to L'isola degli uomini pesce |

### Visual effects

| 2002 | Dark Heaven | visual effects |

### Director

| 1992 | The Vagrant |
| 1990 | Tales from the Crypt: "'Til Death" |
| 1989 | The Fly II |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
| 1985 | 12th Saturn Awards | Best Special Effects | Gremlins | Won |
| 1986 | 13th Saturn Awards | Best Make-up | Enemy Mine | Nominated |
| 1987 | 59th Academy Awards | Best Makeup | The Fly | Won |
| 1987 | 14th Saturn Awards | Best Make-up | The Fly | Won |
| 1988 | 41st British Academy Film Awards | Best Make-up Artist | The Fly | Nominated |
| 1988 | 41st British Academy Film Awards | Best Special Effects | The Fly | Nominated |
| 1993 | 2nd Fangoria Chainsaw Awards | Best Makeup Effects | Naked Lunch | Nominated |