# Bo Welch

Robert W. "Bo" Welch III is an American production designer, art director, film and television director and occasional actor. He is best known for his collaborations with directors such as Tim Burton and Barry Sonnenfeld.

## Early life

Welch was born in Yardley, Pennsylvania.

## Career

Welch worked as a production designer on the Tim Burton films Edward Scissorhands, Beetlejuice and Batman Returns, as well as on the Barry Sonnenfeld films Men in Black and Wild Wild West, among other films. He made his directorial debut with The Cat in the Hat, based on the beloved Dr. Seuss book of the same name. He has been nominated for four Academy Awards for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, three of them shared with set decorator Cheryl Carasik and another one with J. Michael Riva and Linda DeScenna. The four films are Men in Black, The Birdcage, and A Little Princess with Carasik, and The Color Purple with Riva and DeScenna.

## Personal life

Welch met actress Catherine O'Hara on the set of Beetlejuice in 1988. They married in 1992 and have two sons: Matthew (b. 1994) and Luke (b. 1997).

## Filmography
### As production designer

| Year | Film | Other notes |
| 1985 | The Color Purple | Nominated — Academy Award for Best Production Design |
| 1986 | Violets Are Blue | |
| 1987 | The Lost Boys | |
| 1988 | The Accidental Tourist | |
| 1988 | Beetlejuice | |
| 1989 | Ghostbusters II | |
| 1990 | Edward Scissorhands | BAFTA Award for Best Production Design |
| 1990 | Joe Versus the Volcano | |
| 1991 | Grand Canyon | |
| 1992 | Batman Returns | Nominated — Awards Circuit Community Awards for Best Production Design |
| 1994 | Wolf | |
| 1995 | A Little Princess | Nominated — Academy Award for Best Production Design Nominated — Awards Circuit Community Award for Best Art Direction |
| 1996 | The Birdcage | LAFCA Award for Best Production Design Nominated — Academy Award for Best Production Design Nominated — ADG Award for Excellence in Production Design Nominated — Awards Circuit Community Award for Best Art Direction |
| 1997 | Men in Black | Nominated — Academy Award for Best Production Design Nominated — ADG Award for Excellence in Production Design |
| 1998 | Primary Colors | |
| 1999 | Wild Wild West | |
| 2000 | What Planet Are You From? | |
| 2002 | Men in Black II | |
| 2008 | Space Chimps | |
| 2009 | Land of the Lost | |
| 2011 | Thor | Nominated — Saturn Award for Best Production Design |
| 2012 | Men in Black 3 | |
| 2017–2019 | A Series of Unfortunate Events | Nominated — Emmy Award for Outstanding Production Design Nominated — ADG Award for Excellence in Production Design |
| 2021 | Schmigadoon! | Nominated — ADG Award for Excellence in Production Design |
| 2022 | Schmigadoon! | Nominated — Emmy Award for Outstanding Production Design |
| 2024 | Beetlejuice Beetlejuice | (visual consultant) |

### As art director

| Year | Film |
| 1983 | The Star Chamber |
| 1983 | Heart of Steel |
| 1984 | Swing Shift |
| 1984 | Best Defense |
| 1984 | The Hoboken Chicken Emergency |
| 1985 | The Color Purple |
| 1986 | Violets Are Blue |

### As director

| Year | Film | Other notes |
| 1999–2000 | Secret Agent Man | Series director: 5 pilot episodes and 1 episode |
| 2001 | The Tick | 2 episodes |
| 2003 | The Cat in the Hat | Nominated — Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director |
| 2017–2019 | A Series of Unfortunate Events | 5 episodes |

### As actor

| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 2002 | Men in Black II | Astronaut | Uncredited |
| 2012 | Men in Black 3 | Pedestrian | Uncredited |
| 2014 | Tiebraker | Father | |