John's career took off at the age of 16 after meeting his idol and makeup master, Dick Smith. During his high school years, John worked as a dental technician in an Albany, New York dental lab, honing his prosthetic makeup skills under the guidance of Dick Smith. When John graduated from high school in 1976, Dick Smith recommended him to the NBC-TV New York Makeup Department. John spent six years at NBC, working on various projects such as soaps, variety shows, news, and Saturday Night Live, where he created the iconic cone heads and Soul Patches for the Blues Brothers.
In 1980, John transitioned to film and worked as a key makeup designer on Quest for Fire, which won the Academy Award for best makeup. He then designed and applied the prosthetic characters on Woody Allen in Zelig, earning a BAFTA best makeup nomination. John's work on Zelig showcased his expertise in creating realistic and intricate makeup designs.
John's collaboration with Michael Mann began with his work on Manhunter, where he served as the special makeup designer. Mann requested John to lead the makeup department on both Heat and The Insider. This led to John being awarded the prosthetic department head duties on Dick Tracy, a film that would become a cornerstone of his career. Dick Tracy earned John the Academy Award for best makeup, a British Academy Award, and a Science Fiction Film Award, shared with Doug Drexler.
John's work on Dick Tracy marked the beginning of his long-standing collaboration with Al Pacino, who would become a frequent collaborator. John received a BAFTA Best Makeup nomination for his work on Chaplin and went on to create beauty makeups for Kirsten Dunst, Julia Stiles, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Ginifer Goodwin, Vera Farmiga, and Anna Faris in films such as Mona Lisa Smile, The Departed, and My Super Ex-Girlfriend.
John's Emmy Award-winning work on Al Pacino in Angels in America and his Emmy Best Makeup nomination for his silicone prosthetic makeup on Al Pacino as Jack Kevorkian in HBO's You Don't Know Jack showcased his versatility and attention to detail. John received an Academy Award Best Makeup nomination for his work on the iconic "Joker" makeup on Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight. He has also worked on films such as The Smurfs, Tower Heist, and Phil Spector, where he applied his expertise in creating realistic and intricate makeup designs.
Throughout his career, John has demonstrated a passion for every aspect of the trade, from applying lashes and eyeliner to sculpting, molding, and applying prosthetics. His dedication to his craft has earned him numerous awards and nominations, solidifying his position as a master makeup artist in the industry.
