---
name: "Richard Taylor"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/richard-taylor"
fi1m_id: "richard-taylor"
imdb_id: "nm0853050"
tmdb_id: 1323
wikidata_id: "Q630767"
roles: ["Costume designer"]
born: "8 February 1965"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 5
average_fi1m_score: 76
average_over: 5
updated: "2026-09-19T15:36:31.423732+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."
---

# Richard Taylor

## Identity

Richard Taylor

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/richard-taylor
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** richard-taylor
- **IMDb ID:** nm0853050
- **TMDB ID:** 1323
- **Wikidata ID:** Q630767
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Taylor_(filmmaker), https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q630767, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0853050/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1323

Costume designer. Born 8 February 1965 in Cheadle, Cheshire, England, UK.

## Details

- **Work:** Costume designer
- **Born:** 8 February 1965, Cheadle, Cheshire, England, UK
- **Active:** 2001–2014
- **Also known as:** Sir Richard Leslie Taylor, Sir Richard Leslie Taylor KNZM
- **Frequently works with:** [Fran Walsh](https://film.one/person/fran-walsh.md), [Ian McKellen](https://film.one/person/ian-mckellen.md), [Peter Jackson](https://film.one/person/peter-jackson.md), [Philippa Boyens](https://film.one/person/philippa-boyens.md), [Barrie M. Osborne](https://film.one/person/barrie-m-osborne.md), [Elijah Wood](https://film.one/person/elijah-wood.md), [Sean Astin](https://film.one/person/sean-astin.md), [Viggo Mortensen](https://film.one/person/viggo-mortensen.md)
- **Academy Awards:** 5 Oscars (5 won · 1 nominated)
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 2000s 88 (3), 2010s 60 (2)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 76 to 76 across 5 titles
- **Score spread:** 3 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 1 under 60
- **Genres:** Action 5, Adventure 5, Fantasy 5
- **Screen time:** 14 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $4,831m across 5 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Taylor_(filmmaker), https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q630767, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0853050/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1323

## Streaming the US now

- **HBO Max:** [*The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring*](https://film.one/film/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-fellowship-of-the-ring.md) (90), [*The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug*](https://film.one/film/the-hobbit-the-desolation-of-smaug.md) (65), [*The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies*](https://film.one/film/the-hobbit-the-battle-of-the-five-armies.md) (54)
- **Disney+:** [*The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King*](https://film.one/film/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-return-of-the-king.md) (88), [*The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers*](https://film.one/film/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-two-towers.md) (85)

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

## Biography

Sir Richard Leslie Taylor KNZM is a New Zealand filmmaker and costume designer. He is the founder, creative director and head of the prop and special effects company Weta Workshop, which he established with Tania Rodger in 1987.

Taylor was born on 8 February 1965 in Cheadle, Cheshire, England, and emigrated to New Zealand as a child. He studied at Wesley College, Paerata, and the former Wellington Polytechnic. He is best known for his work with director Peter Jackson on the Middle-earth film trilogies *The Lord of the Rings* (2001–2003) and *The Hobbit* (2012–2014), for which Weta Workshop created costumes, armour, weapons, prosthetics and miniatures. He shared Academy Awards for his contributions to the films, including for costume design on *The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King* (2003).

Taylor has also worked on films including *King Kong* (2005). He was knighted in 2010 for services to film.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, britannica.com, nzonscreen.com.*

## On Fi1m (5)

- *The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies* (2014), Fi1m 54, Costume Design, Costume design — [page](https://film.one/film/the-hobbit-the-battle-of-the-five-armies.md)
- *The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug* (2013), Fi1m 65, Costume Design, Costume design — [page](https://film.one/film/the-hobbit-the-desolation-of-smaug.md)
- *The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King* (2003), Fi1m 88, Costume Design, Costume design — [page](https://film.one/film/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-return-of-the-king.md)
- *The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers* (2002), Fi1m 85, Makeup Supervisor, Costume Design, Costume design — [page](https://film.one/film/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-two-towers.md)
- *The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring* (2001), Fi1m 90, Makeup Supervisor, Costume design, Costume Design — [page](https://film.one/film/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-fellowship-of-the-ring.md)

## Complete filmography (21)

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

- *TAISU PROJECT* (2024), Director
- *Dune* (2021), Special Effects — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/film/dune.md)
- *Reggie & Thunderbirds: No Strings Attached* (2015), Actor
- *The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies* (2014), Costume Design — Fi1m 54, [page](https://film.one/film/the-hobbit-the-battle-of-the-five-armies.md)
- *The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug* (2013), Costume Design — Fi1m 65, [page](https://film.one/film/the-hobbit-the-desolation-of-smaug.md)
- *The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey* (2012), Creature Design, Costume Designer, Special Effects Key Makeup Artist, Armorer, Weapons Master, Creature Technical Director — Fi1m 60, [page](https://film.one/film/the-hobbit-an-unexpected-journey.md)
- *Daybreakers* (2010), Makeup Effects
- *Avatar* (2009), Conceptual Design — Fi1m 70, [page](https://film.one/film/avatar.md)
- *District 9* (2009), Effects Supervisor — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/film/district-9.md)
- *Bitch Slap* (2009), as Other
- *The WotWots* (2009), series, Creator
- *RKO Production 601: The Making of “Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World”* (2008), as Art Direction
- *King Kong* (2005), Creature Technical Director, Makeup Supervisor — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/film/king-kong-2005.md)
- *The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King* (2003), as Corsair of Umbar (uncredited) · Costume Design, Special Effects Makeup Artist — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-return-of-the-king.md)
- *Perfect Strangers* (2003), Makeup Effects Designer
- *The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers* (2002), Costume Design, Makeup Supervisor — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/film/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-two-towers.md)
- *The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring* (2001), Costume Design, Makeup Supervisor — Fi1m 90, [page](https://film.one/film/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-fellowship-of-the-ring.md)
- *Saving Grace* (1998), Special Effects
- *Forgotten Silver* (1997), as First Aviator (uncredited)
- *The Ugly* (1997), Special Effects Makeup Artist
- *Hercules: The Legendary Journeys* (1995), series, Special Effects Key Makeup Artist

## Gallery

- ![Richard Taylor, after his investiture as KNZM, for services to film, at Premier House, Wellington, on 29 September 2010.](https://film.one/media/person/102110/gallery-e3f5af93af97.jpg) Richard Taylor, after his investiture as KNZM, for services to film, at Premier House, Wellington, on 29 September 2010. — New Zealand Government, Office of the Governor-General, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8e/Richard_Taylor_KNZM_%28cropped%29.jpg/1280px-Richard_Taylor_KNZM_%28cropped%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Richard Taylor, after his investiture as KNZM, for services to film, at Premier House, Wellington, on 29 September 2010.](https://film.one/media/person/102110/gallery-3e830cf3737a.jpg) Richard Taylor, after his investiture as KNZM, for services to film, at Premier House, Wellington, on 29 September 2010. — New Zealand Government, Office of the Governor-General, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9a/Richard_Taylor_KNZM_investiture.jpg/1280px-Richard_Taylor_KNZM_investiture.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Richard Taylor](https://film.one/media/person/102110/gallery-6617178af81f.jpg) Richard Taylor — Tobias M. Eckrich, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bf/Sir_Richard_Taylor.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Richard Taylor](https://film.one/media/person/102110/gallery-4649e1ae37f8.jpg) Richard Taylor — Image via TMDB

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 5 won, 1 nominated

- 2006: Best Visual Effects (won), for *King Kong*
- 2004: Best Makeup and Hairstyling (won), for *The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King*
- 2004: Best Costume Design (won), for *The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King*
- 2002: Best Visual Effects (won), for *The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring*
- 2002: Best Makeup and Hairstyling (won), for *The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring*
- 2002: Best Costume Design (nominated), for *The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring*

### Other awards — 7 won

- Wellingtonian of the Year (supreme award) 2015: Wellingtonian of the Year (supreme award) (won)
- New Zealander of the Year 2012: New Zealander of the Year (won)
- honorary doctor of Massey University 2011: honorary doctor of Massey University (won)
- Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit 2010: Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (won)
- honorary doctor of Victoria University of Wellington 2004: honorary doctor of Victoria University of Wellington (won)
- Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit 2003: Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (won)
- Sitges Film Festival best special effects award 1992: Sitges Film Festival best special effects award (won), for *Braindead*

*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/richard-taylor