---
name: "Gregory Nicotero"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/greg-nicotero"
roles: ["Makeup effects","Director"]
born: "15 March 1963"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 9
average_fi1m_score: 79
average_over: 7
updated: "2026-09-17T18:32:52.174419+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Gregory Nicotero

Makeup effects and director. Born 15 March 1963 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Makeup effects, Director
- **Born:** 15 March 1963, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- **Active:** 1987–present
- **Also known as:** Greg Nicotero, Greg Nicatero, Greg Nickotero, Greg Nicotera
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 9: 1 acting, 1 directing, 7 crew
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 86 (1), 1990s 79 (2), 2000s 79 (2), 2010s 73 (3), 2020s 78 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 79 to 72 across 7 titles
- **Score spread:** 3 at 80+, 4 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 5, Thriller 3, Comedy 2, Crime 2, Mystery 2, Fantasy 1
- **Screen time:** 12 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $1,095m across 6 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Nicotero, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2633389, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0630524/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/59287

## Streaming the US now

- **Netflix:** [*The Walking Dead*](https://film.one/tv/the-walking-dead.md) (68)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Gregory Nicotero

> Gregory Nicotero came to directing from the makeup chair, and it shows in the best way: his dead move slowly, weigh something and rot in stages. On *The Walking Dead* they were the one constant across eleven uneven seasons.

Look at a walker from the first season of *The Walking Dead* (2010) and count what is not the actor. The teeth are dentures. The eyes are contact lenses, painted by hand to look spoiled. The face and neck are built up in layers of appliance, and where the hair should be there is a bald cap shaped to read as skull. Gregory Nicotero made these things in a workshop and then made the people wearing them walk as if the parts were heavy. We said in our review that he gives the dead a weight and slowness later zombie fiction abandoned, and that the monsters have aged better than the people. Nothing since has changed our mind.

He came to directing late and sideways. He began in 1985 on George A. Romero's *Day of the Dead*, working under Tom Savini in Pittsburgh, and in 1988 he co-founded KNB EFX Group with Robert Kurtzman and Howard Berger, a studio that has since worked on more than four hundred productions. The credits that followed are the ones people remember for one image: the injuries in *Misery* (1990), the gore in *Kill Bill: Vol. 1* (2003), one of five films he has made with Quentin Tarantino, and, much later, the makeup design on *Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood* (2019). Frank Darabont brought him to *The Walking Dead* in 2010 to supervise the makeup. He stayed to become an executive producer, directed 37 episodes and made the webisodes.

What he understands is that a wound is only as frightening as the face looking at it. He has described his job as providing a blank canvas for directors and advising them which tool will give them the picture they want, and on set he stages the gore so the camera catches the reaction, not just the rig. The workshop built the walkers in tiers, a handful of detailed ones for close-up and hundreds of quicker applications behind them, which is how a television budget puts a field of the dead in shot. The first season's walkers frightened us more than anything the programme did later, and the reason is simple: they stood about in daylight, in no hurry, and the work could be looked at for as long as we dared.

The limits are plain. He is, as a director, a man of one programme, and every one of his 37 episodes belongs to a series whose writing wandered as widely as its characters. The writing was never his to fix. There is a reasonable complaint that heavy makeup schedules on a show this size can cost an episode its pace and its actors their hours, and that comes with his method. Our advice on *The Walking Dead* stands: start at the beginning and be prepared to stop. Whenever you do stop, it will not be because of the dead. They were never the problem.

## Biography

Gregory Nicotero is an American special make-up effects artist, producer and director. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he began his career in special effects makeup on George A. Romero’s *Day of the Dead* (1985), working under Tom Savini. In 1988 he co-founded the effects studio KNB EFX Group with Robert Kurtzman and Howard Berger.

Nicotero has supervised makeup effects on numerous films, including several directed by Quentin Tarantino. He joined the AMC series *The Walking Dead* (2010) as special make-up effects supervisor and executive producer, later directing 37 episodes. He has also directed episodes of *Fear the Walking Dead* and created the web series *The Walking Dead: Webisodes*.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, amc.com.*

## On Fi1m (9)

### Performed in (1)

- *From Dusk Till Dawn* (1996), Fi1m 75, as Sex Machine's Buddy — [page](https://film.one/film/from-dusk-till-dawn.md)

### Directed (1)

- *The Walking Dead* (2010), Fi1m 68, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-walking-dead.md)

### Crew (7) — the average rests on these

- *Mare of Easttown* (2021), Fi1m 78, Special Effects Supervisor — [page](https://film.one/tv/mare-of-easttown.md)
- *Django Unchained* (2012), Fi1m 78, Effects Supervisor — [page](https://film.one/film/django-unchained.md)
- *Seven Psychopaths* (2012), Fi1m 72, Makeup Effects, Special Effects Makeup Artist — [page](https://film.one/film/seven-psychopaths.md)
- *Inglourious Basterds* (2009), Fi1m 77, Makeup Effects — [page](https://film.one/film/inglourious-basterds.md)
- *Unbreakable* (2000), Fi1m 81, Makeup Effects — [page](https://film.one/film/unbreakable.md)
- *Misery* (1990), Fi1m 83, Special Effects Makeup Artist — [page](https://film.one/film/misery.md)
- *Evil Dead II* (1987), Fi1m 86, as The Hand / Evil Ed's Hand / Henrietta's Long Neck Pee-Wee Head (uncredited) — [page](https://film.one/film/evil-dead-ii.md)

## Complete filmography (158)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Cape Fear* (2026), series, Special Effects Makeup Artist — Fi1m 63, [page](https://film.one/tv/cape-fear.md)
- *Queens of the Dead* (2025), Prosthetic Makeup Artist
- *Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story* (2025), Consulting Producer
- *The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live* (2024), series, Executive Producer, Special Effects Makeup Artist
- *The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon* (2023), series, Executive Producer, Special Effects Makeup Artist, Director
- *The Walking Dead: Dead City* (2023), series, Consulting Producer
- *Werewolf by Night* (2022), Makeup Effects Designer
- *Tales of the Walking Dead* (2022), series, Casting Producer
- *Mare of Easttown* (2021), series, Special Effects Supervisor — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/mare-of-easttown.md)
- *A Creepshow Holiday Special* (2020), Director, Writer
- *A Creepshow Animated Special* (2020), Director, Teleplay
- *The Walking Dead: World Beyond* (2020), series, Consulting Producer
- *El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie* (2019), Prosthetic Makeup Artist
- *Creepshow* (2019), series, Executive Producer, Director, Story, Writer, Teleplay, Creator
- *Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood* (2019), Makeup Effects Designer — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/film/once-upon-a-time-in-hollywood.md)
- *Captive State* (2019), as Hunter Puppeteer, Special Effects Makeup Artist
- *Alita: Battle Angel* (2019), Makeup Effects Designer
- *Alpha* (2018), Makeup Artist
- *Thank You for Your Service* (2017), Makeup Effects Designer
- *Amityville: The Awakening* (2017), Makeup Effects
- *Patriots Day* (2016), Makeup Effects
- *Within* (2016), Makeup Effects
- *The Hateful Eight* (2015), Makeup Effects — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/film/the-hateful-eight.md)
- *Medieval Times: The Making of "Army of Darkness"* (2015), Still Photographer
- *Gravy* (2015), Makeup Effects
- *The Program* (2015), Makeup Designer
- *Fear the Walking Dead* (2015), series, Executive Producer
- *Insurgent* (2015), Makeup Effects
- *The Interview* (2014), Makeup Effects
- *The Green Inferno* (2014), Makeup Effects
- *Sin City: A Dame to Kill For* (2014), Makeup Effects
- *Galyntine* (2014), Director
- *The Amazing Spider-Man 2* (2014), Makeup Effects
- *Lone Survivor* (2013), Makeup Effects
- *This Is the End* (2013), Makeup Effects
- *Pain & Gain* (2013), Project Manager
- *Oz the Great and Powerful* (2013), Makeup Effects
- *Movie 43* (2013), Makeup Effects — Fi1m 24, [page](https://film.one/film/movie-43.md)
- *Texas Chainsaw 3D* (2013), Makeup Effects
- *Maniac* (2012), Special Effects Makeup Artist
- *Django Unchained* (2012), Makeup Effects, Effects Supervisor — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/django-unchained.md)
- *Hitchcock* (2012), Makeup Effects
- *The Man with the Iron Fists* (2012), Special Effects Makeup Artist, Makeup Effects
- *Seven Psychopaths* (2012), Special Effects Makeup Artist, Makeup Effects — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/film/seven-psychopaths.md)
- *The Odd Life of Timothy Green* (2012), Effects Supervisor
- *Savages* (2012), Makeup Effects
- *The Grey* (2012), Animatronic and Prosthetic Effects, Special Effects Key Makeup Artist, Makeup Effects
- *A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas* (2011), Makeup Effects
- *Spy Kids: All the Time in the World* (2011), Special Effects Makeup Artist, Makeup Effects
- *Fright Night* (2011), Makeup Effects Designer
- *Priest* (2011), Makeup Effects, Makeup Designer
- *Water for Elephants* (2011), Key Makeup Artist
- *I Am Number Four* (2011), Makeup Designer
- *Paul* (2011), Special Effects Makeup Artist
- *Bob Burns' Hollywood Haloween* (2011), Executive Producer
- *The Walking Dead* (2010), series, Walker (uncredited), Agatha’s Walker (uncredited), Dream Whisperer (uncredited), Director, Makeup Effects, Consulting Producer, Co-Executive Producer, Executive Producer, Special Effects Makeup Artist — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-walking-dead.md)
- *The Boy Who Cried Werewolf* (2010), Makeup Effects Designer
- *Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster* (2010), Special Effects Makeup Artist
- *The United Monster Talent Agency* (2010), Director, Writer, Producer
- *Piranha 3D* (2010), as Boat Captain
- *Edge of Darkness* (2010), Makeup Effects
- *The Book of Eli* (2010), Makeup Effects
- *The Final Destination* (2009), Makeup Effects
- *Inglourious Basterds* (2009), as Gestapo Major (uncredited), Makeup Effects — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/film/inglourious-basterds.md)
- *Drag Me to Hell* (2009), Special Effects Makeup Artist
- *The Last House on the Left* (2009), Makeup Effects Designer
- *Fantastic Flesh: The Art of Make-Up EFX* (2008), Executive Producer
- *Mirrors* (2008), as Guy Playing Pool (uncredited), Special Effects Makeup Artist
- *Gingerdead Man 2: The Passion of the Crust* (2008), as Makeup Effects Guy #3
- *The Great Debaters* (2007), Special Effects Makeup Artist
- *The Mist* (2007), Special Effects Makeup Artist, Second Unit Director
- *Wretched* (2007), Special Effects
- *Diary of the Dead* (2007), as Zombie Surgeon
- *Death Proof* (2007), Special Effects, Makeup Effects Designer — Fi1m 64, [page](https://film.one/film/death-proof.md)
- *Planet Terror* (2007), Special Effects, Special Effects Makeup Artist
- *The Reaping* (2007), Special Effects Supervisor
- *The Hitcher* (2007), Makeup Designer
- *We All Scream for Ice Cream* (2007), Special Effects Makeup Artist
- *Valerie on the Stairs* (2006), Special Effects Makeup Artist
- *Déjà Vu* (2006), Special Effects Makeup Artist
- *Chocolate* (2006), Special Effects Makeup Artist
- *The V Word* (2006), Special Effects Makeup Artist
- *Family* (2006), Special Effects Makeup Artist
- *The Damned Thing* (2006), Special Effects Makeup Artist
- *Deer Woman* (2006), Special Effects Makeup Artist
- *The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning* (2006), Makeup Effects, Makeup Supervisor
- *Cemetery Gates* (2006), as Stoner Dude Michael
- *Desperation* (2006), Special Effects Makeup Artist, Animatronic and Prosthetic Effects
- *The Hills Have Eyes* (2006), as Cyst, Special Effects Makeup Artist
- *Pick Me Up* (2006), Special Effects Makeup Artist
- *Jenifer* (2005), Special Effects Makeup Artist
- *Dance of the Dead* (2005), Special Effects Makeup Artist
- *Dreams in the Witch House* (2005), Special Effects Makeup Artist
- *Becoming a Werewolf* (2005), as Greg Nicotero
- *Land of the Dead* (2005), as Bridgekeeper Zombie
- *The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl* (2005), Makeup Effects
- *Dominion: Prequel to The Exorcist* (2005), Special Effects Makeup Artist
- *Cursed* (2005), as Man Pushing Dracula's Coffin (uncredited), Makeup Effects Designer
- *Riding the Bullet* (2004), Special Effects Makeup Artist
- *Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning* (2004), Special Effects, Special Effects Makeup Artist
- *Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed* (2004), Special Effects
- *Comic Book: The Movie* (2004), as Greg Nicotero
- *Kill Bill: Vol. 1* (2003), Special Effects Makeup Artist, Makeup Effects — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/film/kill-bill-vol-1.md)
- *The Rules of Attraction* (2002), Makeup Artist
- *Bubba Ho-tep* (2002), Special Effects Makeup Artist
- *Vanilla Sky* (2001), Makeup Supervisor
- *Thir13en Ghosts* (2001), Special Effects Makeup Artist
- *Ghosts of Mars* (2001), Makeup Effects, Special Effects Makeup Artist
- *Spy Kids* (2001), Makeup Effects
- *Behind the Scenes with Day of the Dead* (2001), Acting
- *Unbreakable* (2000), Makeup Effects — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/film/unbreakable.md)
- *The Making of 'Evil Dead II' or The Gore the Merrier* (2000), Camera Operator
- *Crocodile* (2000), Creature Technical Director
- *From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter* (2000), Special Effects Makeup Artist
- *House on Haunted Hill* (1999), as Rollercoaster Technician (uncredited)
- *From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money* (1999), Special Effects Makeup Artist
- *Black Cat Run* (1998), Special Effects Makeup Artist
- *Boogie Nights* (1997), Special Effects Makeup Artist — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/film/boogie-nights.md)
- *Wishmaster* (1997), Makeup Effects Designer
- *The Night Flier* (1997), Makeup Effects
- *From Dusk Till Dawn* (1996), as Sex Machine's Buddy, Stunts — Fi1m 75, [page](https://film.one/film/from-dusk-till-dawn.md)
- *Never Talk to Strangers* (1995), Prosthetics
- *Lord of Illusions* (1995), Special Effects Makeup Artist
- *Darkman II: The Return of Durant* (1995), Makeup Effects
- *Galaxis* (1995), Makeup Supervisor
- *Tales from the Hood* (1995), Special Effects Makeup Artist
- *The Demolitionist* (1995), as Elevator Punk
- *Citizen X* (1995), Makeup Effects
- *Cyborg 2* (1993), Special Effects Makeup Artist
- *Ticks* (1993), Special Effects Makeup Artist
- *Skinner* (1993), Special Effects Makeup Artist
- *Body Bags* (1993), as Man with Dog, Makeup Effects, Special Effects Makeup Artist
- *Doppelganger* (1993), Special Effects Makeup Artist
- *Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence* (1992), Special Effects Makeup Artist
- *Dr. Giggles* (1992), Makeup Effects
- *The Nutt House* (1992), Second Unit Director
- *The People Under the Stairs* (1991), Makeup Supervisor
- *Children of the Night* (1991), Special Effects Makeup Artist
- *From Dusk Til Dawn* (1991), Makeup Effects Designer, Special Effects
- *Misery* (1990), Special Effects Makeup Artist — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/film/misery.md)
- *Tales from the Darkside: The Movie* (1990), Makeup Effects
- *Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III* (1990), Makeup Supervisor
- *Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers* (1989), as Guy In Gas Station, Makeup Effects Designer, Special Effects Supervisor, Special Effects Makeup Artist
- *A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child* (1989), Visual Effects Supervisor
- *The Horror Show* (1989), Special Effects, Special Effects Makeup Artist
- *Intruder* (1989), as Townie in Car, Special Effects Makeup Artist
- *DeepStar Six* (1989), Creature Effects Technical Director
- *Monkey Shines* (1988), Special Effects Makeup Artist
- *Creepshow 2* (1987), Makeup Effects
- *Evil Dead II* (1987), as The Hand / Evil Ed's Hand / Henrietta's Long Neck Pee-Wee Head (uncredited), Makeup Effects — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/film/evil-dead-ii.md)
- *From Beyond* (1986), Special Effects
- *Night of the Creeps* (1986), as Extra (uncredited)
- *Invasion U.S.A.* (1985), Special Effects Makeup Artist
- *Day of the Dead* (1985), as Johnson
- *Bannerman*, series, Executive Producer
- *Green Bank*, Makeup Effects Designer
- *Lullaby*, Makeup Effects Designer
- *The Slashin' of the Christ*, Producer

## Gallery

- ![Gregory Nicotero](https://film.one/media/person/293176/gallery-31a99cd4d832.jpg) Gregory Nicotero — Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ae/Greg_Nicotero_by_Gage_Skidmore_2.jpg/1280px-Greg_Nicotero_by_Gage_Skidmore_2.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Andrew Lincoln, Greg Nicotero, Norman Reedus, Melissa McBride, Lennie James, Chandler Riggs, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Lauren Cohan, Alanna Masterson and Seth Gillia (2017)](https://film.one/media/person/293176/gallery-dab9b1f08793.jpg) Andrew Lincoln, Greg Nicotero, Norman Reedus, Melissa McBride, Lennie James, Chandler Riggs, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Lauren Cohan, Alanna Masterson and Seth Gillia (2017) — Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/49/Andrew_Lincoln%2C_Greg_Nicotero%2C_Norman_Reedus%2C_Melissa_McBride%2C_Lennie_James%2C_Chandler_Riggs%2C_Jeffrey_Dean_Morgan%2C_Lauren_Cohan%2C_Alanna_Masterson_%26_Seth_Gilliam_%2836146618175%29.jpg/1280px-thumbnail.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Andrew Lincoln, Greg Nicotero, Norman Reedus, Melissa McBride, Lennie James, Chandler Riggs, Danai Gurira, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Lauren Cohan, Alanna Masterson a (2017)](https://film.one/media/person/293176/gallery-8b7ba8bb5212.jpg) Andrew Lincoln, Greg Nicotero, Norman Reedus, Melissa McBride, Lennie James, Chandler Riggs, Danai Gurira, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Lauren Cohan, Alanna Masterson a (2017) — Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/26/Andrew_Lincoln%2C_Greg_Nicotero%2C_Norman_Reedus%2C_Melissa_McBride%2C_Lennie_James%2C_Chandler_Riggs%2C_Jeffrey_Dean_Morgan%2C_Lauren_Cohan%2C_Alanna_Masterson_%26_Seth_Gilliam_%28cropped%29.jpg/1280px-thumbnail.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Greg Nicotero, Scott Gimple, Norman Reedus, Jason Richman, & David Zabel at the 53rd Saturn Awards (2026)](https://film.one/media/person/293176/gallery-d636f8c0bc5c.jpg) Greg Nicotero, Scott Gimple, Norman Reedus, Jason Richman, & David Zabel at the 53rd Saturn Awards (2026) — Kevin Paul, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7d/Daryl_Dixon_at_53rd_Saturn_Awards_2026.jpg/1280px-Daryl_Dixon_at_53rd_Saturn_Awards_2026.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Gale Anne Hurd, Andrew Lincoln and Greg Nicotero speaking at the 2017 San Diego Comic Con International, for "The Walking Dead", at the San Diego Convention Cen](https://film.one/media/person/293176/gallery-424216aa3910.jpg) Gale Anne Hurd, Andrew Lincoln and Greg Nicotero speaking at the 2017 San Diego Comic Con International, for "The Walking Dead", at the San Diego Convention Cen — Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e9/Gale_Anne_Hurd%2C_Andrew_Lincoln_%26_Greg_Nicotero_%2836107373946%29.jpg/1280px-Gale_Anne_Hurd%2C_Andrew_Lincoln_%26_Greg_Nicotero_%2836107373946%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Gale Anne Hurd and Greg Nicotero speaking at the 2019 San Diego Comic Con International, for "Fear the Walking Dead", at the San Diego Convention Center in San ](https://film.one/media/person/293176/gallery-7acc880ea46d.jpg) Gale Anne Hurd and Greg Nicotero speaking at the 2019 San Diego Comic Con International, for "Fear the Walking Dead", at the San Diego Convention Center in San  — Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3c/Gale_Anne_Hurd_%26_Greg_Nicotero_%2848403570021%29.jpg/1280px-Gale_Anne_Hurd_%26_Greg_Nicotero_%2848403570021%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)

## Awards

### Other awards — 2 won

- The George Pal Memorial Award 2014: The George Pal Memorial Award (won)
- Time Machine Award 2005: Time Machine Award (won)

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/greg-nicotero