Mak Wilson (born 3 September 1957) is an English puppeteer, writer, CG animation director, and mocap artist. He is also known as Mac Wilson and Malcolm Wilson.

Early life and career

Wilson was born in

Consett Consett is a town in County Durham, England, about south-west of Newcastle upon Tyne. It had a population of 27,394 in 2001 and an estimate of 25,812 in 2019. History Consett sits high on the edge of the Pennines. Its' name originates in the ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

, but grew up in nearby

Stanley, County Durham Stanley is a former colliery town and civil parish in County Durham, North East England. Centred on a hilltop between Chester-le-Street and Consett, the town lies south west of Gateshead. Stanley was formerly divided into three distinct set ...

. He began his professional career in 1973 at the age of 15, but his screen physical performer and puppeteering work started in 1981 with ''

The Dark Crystal ''The Dark Crystal'' is a 1982 dark fantasy film directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz. It stars the voices of Stephen Garlick, Lisa Maxwell, Billie Whitelaw, Percy Edwards, and Barry Dennen. The film was produced by ITC Entertainment and The J ...

''. Wilson had previously toured on stage where he often did mime, mask and puppeteering. From 1990 he became head puppeteer and creative advisor for the London

Jim Henson's Creature Shop Jim Henson's Creature Shop is a special/visual effects company founded in 1979 by puppeteer Jim Henson, creator of The Muppets. The company is based out of Burbank, California, United States. History Jim Henson's Creature Shop was originally ...

, but when it closed down in 2005 Mak Wilson began freelancing and worked extensively with the BBC. He was forced to retire in 2014 after his longstanding M.E./C.F.S. became too severe for him to continue.

Filmography

Film

* ''

Muppets Most Wanted ''Muppets Most Wanted'' is a 2014 American musical crime comedy film and the eighth theatrical film featuring the Muppets. Directed by James Bobin and written by Bobin and Nicholas Stoller, the film is a sequel to ''The Muppets'' (2011) and stars ...

'' - UK principle puppeteer * ''

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' (sometimes referred to as ''HG2G'', ''HHGTTG'', ''H2G2'', or ''tHGttG'') is a comic science fiction, comedy science fiction franchise created by Douglas Adams. Originally The Hitchhiker's Guide to th ...

'' -

Vogon The Vogons are a fictional alien race from the planet Vogsphere in ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy''—initially a BBC Radio series by Douglas Adams—who are responsible for the destruction of the Earth, in order to facilitate an interga ...

Interpreter (voice) * '' Mee-Shee: The Water Giant'' - CGI animation director and CGI realtime puppeteer * ''

Buddy Buddy may refer to: People *Buddy (nickname) *Buddy (rapper), real name Simmie Sims III (1993–Present) *Buddy Rogers (wrestler), ring name of American professional wrestler Herman Gustav Rohde, Jr. (1921–1992) *Buddy Boeheim (born 1999), Amer ...

'' - animatronic face puppeteer of Buddy * ''

Doctor Dolittle Doctor John Dolittle is the central character of a series of children's books by Hugh Lofting starting with the 1920 ''The Story of Doctor Dolittle''. He is a physician who shuns human patients in favour of animals, with whom he can speak in the ...

'' - animatronic puppetry advisor * ''

Lost In Space ''Lost in Space'' is an American science fiction television series, created and produced by Irwin Allen, which originally aired between 1965 and 1968 on CBS. The series was inspired by the 1812 novel ''The Swiss Family Robinson.'' The series fo ...

'' - CGI animation director and CGI realtime puppeteer * ''

Muppet Treasure Island ''Muppet Treasure Island'' is a 1996 American musical swashbuckler comedy film directed by Brian Henson. It is the fifth theatrical film in ''The Muppets'' franchise. Adapted from the 1883 novel ''Treasure Island'' by Robert Louis Stevenson, s ...

'' - CGI realtime puppeteer and singer * ''

The Adventures of Pinocchio ''The Adventures of Pinocchio'' ( ; it, Le avventure di Pinocchio ; commonly shortened to ''Pinocchio'') is a children's fantasy novel by Italian author Carlo Collodi. It is about the mischievous adventures of an animated marionette named Pinocc ...

'' - Lead animatronic puppeteer * ''

Loch Ness Loch Ness (; gd, Loch Nis ) is a large freshwater loch in the Scottish Highlands extending for approximately southwest of Inverness. It takes its name from the River Ness, which flows from the northern end. Loch Ness is best known for clai ...

'' - Animatronic and CGI realtime puppeteer * ''

Babe Babe or babes may refer to: * Babe, a term of endearment * A newborn baby * An attractive (especially female) person People Nickname * Babe Adams (1882–1968), American Major League Baseball pitcher * Babe Barna (1917–1972), American Major L ...

'' - Lead animatronic puppeteer and coordinator * ''

Who Framed Roger Rabbit ''Who Framed Roger Rabbit'' is a 1988 American live-action/animated comedy mystery film directed by Robert Zemeckis, produced by Frank Marshall and Robert Watts, and loosely adapted by Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman from Gary K. Wolf's 1 ...

'' - FX puppeteer * '' Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze'' - Lead animatronic puppeteer of Michelangelo, coordinator and the Promoter's Aide * ''

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990 film) ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' is a 1990 American superhero film directed by Steve Barron from a screenplay by Todd W. Langen and Bobby Herbeck. It is the first film adaptation of the comic book characters created by Kevin Eastman and Peter ...

'' - Lead animatronic puppeteer of Michelangelo * '' The Bear'' - Lead animatronic puppeteer and coordinator * '' Little Shop of Horrors'' - Audrey II lipsync puppeteer and Little Audrey II's vocal effects * '' Santa Claus: The Movie'' - Lead animatronic puppeteer of Donna * ''

Labyrinth In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth (, ) was an elaborate, confusing structure designed and built by the legendary artificer Daedalus for King Minos of Crete at Knossos. Its function was to hold the Minotaur, the monster eventually killed by the ...

'' - Animatronic face puppeteer of Hoggle, Brickkeeper, Riding Goblin, Shaft of Hands, Goblins * ''

Return to Oz ''Return to Oz'' is a 1985 dark fantasy film released by Walt Disney Pictures, co-written and directed by Walter Murch. It stars Nicol Williamson, Jean Marsh, Piper Laurie, and Fairuza Balk as Dorothy Gale in her first screen role. The film is an ...

'' - Performer of Billina the chicken * '' Greystoke'' - Performer of the ape Figs and vocals of the mother ape Karla * ''

'' - Stand-in performer of Scribe the Mystic

Television

* ''

The Furchester Hotel ''The Furchester Hotel'' is a puppet series that aired on CBeebies (the BBC's preschool network). It is the second British-American spin-off of ''Sesame Street'' that the BBC have made after '' Sesame Tree'' 6 years before. The show ran on CBeeb ...

'' - Harvey P. Dull, Guest characters and Puppeteer Captain - CBeebies/Sesame Street production * ''Mr. Bloom's Nursery'' - Colin the runner bean and Tom the potato * ''CBBC presentation guests'' - puppeteer of a mad rabbit, a wacky octopus and reindeer * ''ABC Bear'' - The Bear and puppet choreographer - Austria * ''

Mongrels A mongrel, mutt or mixed-breed dog is a dog that does not belong to one officially recognized breed and including those that are the result of intentional breeding. Although the term ''mixed-breed dog'' is sometimes preferred, many mongrel ...

'' - Guest characters * ''

Dr. Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...

'' - Movement choreographer for Helen McCrory * ''X-Factor with The Muppets'' - puppet choreographer and puppeteer * ''

2007 Brit Awards Brit Awards 2007 was the 27th edition of the Brit Awards, an annual pop music awards ceremony in the United Kingdom. It was organised by the British Phonographic Industry and took place on 14 February 2007 at Earls Court in London. The show, wh ...

'' - Opening of the event with the Scissor Sisters - puppet choreographer * ''

2005 Brit Awards Brit Awards 2005 was the 25th edition of the Brit Awards, an annual pop music awards ceremony in the United Kingdom, which for this 25th edition was marketed as "Brits 25 - The 25th Show". A Special BRITs 25 Award for the best single from the pa ...

'' - Opening of the event with the Scissor Sisters - puppet choreographer * ''

Fur TV Fur is a thick growth of hair Hair is a protein filament that grows from follicles found in the dermis. Hair is one of the defining characteristics of mammals. The human body, apart from areas of glabrous skin, is covered in follicles ...

'' - puppeteer of Lapeno * ''Jack and the Beanstalk-the True Story'' - animatronic puppeteer and CGI animation director * ''

Farscape ''Farscape'' is an Australian-American science fiction television series, produced originally for the Nine Network. It premiered in the US on Sci-Fi Channel's SciFi Friday, 19 March 1999, at 8:00 pm EST as their anchor series. The series was c ...

'' - animatronic puppetry teacher * '' Saturday Night Takeaway'' - puppeteer assistant to Kermit the Frog * ''

Fungus the Bogeyman ''Fungus the Bogeyman'' is a 1977 children's picture book by British artist Raymond Briggs. It follows one day in the life of the title character, a working class Bogeyman with the mundane job of scaring human beings. The character and all relate ...

'' - Fungus (through MoCap) * ''

The Hoobs ''The Hoobs'' is a live-action/animated children's television series created and produced by The Jim Henson Company and Decode Entertainment for Channel Four. Five series of 52 episodes were produced. Concept Channel 4 announced in November 20 ...

'' - consultant, OB director, puppet choreographer, puppeteer * ''

Mopatop's Shop ''Mopatop's Shop'' is a children's television series that which premiered on CITV in the UK on 4 January 1999. 260 ten-minute episodes were made and aired daily. It was a co-production between Jim Henson Television and Carlton Television. After ...

'' - Mopatop (1999-2001) * "

Bits and Bobs ''Bits and Bobs'' is a children's television programme which is produced and broadcast by the BBC. It still airs on CBeebies. The show is filmed at several notable Scottish attractions and locations. Bits and Bobs also is English slang for a ...

" - Developer, Puppet Director * ''

Construction Site Construction is a general term meaning the art and science to form objects, systems, or organizations,"Construction" def. 1.a. 1.b. and 1.c. ''Oxford English Dictionary'' Second Edition on CD-ROM (v. 4.0) Oxford University Press 2009 and com ...

'' - Lug the Dump Truck, Scooch the Dump Truck - Director and co producer * ''

Dinosaurs Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the evolution of dinosaurs is t ...

'' - Face/Head Operation of Earl Sinclair (Seasons 2-4) * ''

Jim Henson's Animal Show ''Jim Henson's Animal Show'' is an American children's television series from the Jim Henson Company The Jim Henson Company (formerly known as Muppets, Inc., Henson Associates, Inc., and Jim Henson Productions, Inc.; commonly referred to as ...

'' - Yves St. La Roache (1994), Achilles the Shark, Billy Bob the Lemur, Bosko the Baboon, Chauncey the Sea Turtle, Chaz the Chameleon, Chuck the Lion, Clive the Kiwi, Cool the Kangaroo Rat, Dooley the Armadillo, Flora the Koala, Fluke the Dolphin, Harry the Rhinoceros, Leapovitch the Frog, Morton the Beaver, Nippy the Tiger Beetle, Plunk the Sea Otter, Ringo the Elephant, Robert the Red Deer, Sean the Rabbit, Swifty the Cheetah, Victor the Rattlesnake * ''

Jim Henson's Mother Goose Stories ''Jim Henson's Mother Goose Stories'' is a children's television show hosted by Mother Goose, who tells her three goslings the stories behind well-known nursery rhymes. Production The show featured child actors and elaborate puppets created by J ...

'' - Various * ''

The Ghost of Faffner Hall ''The Ghost of Faffner Hall'' is a children's television series from Jim Henson Productions and the British ITV company Tyne Tees Television which aired from August 16, 1989 to November 11, 1989 in the UK, and slightly later in the US. The puppet ...

'' - Farkus Faffner * '' The Storyteller'' - Various Creature Performances

Listed as ‘Crew’ but actually puppeteer

* ''

'' - Animatronic puppeteer and Puppetry Coordinator * ''

'' - Lead Puppeteer * ''

Dr. Dolittle Doctor John Dolittle is the central character of a series of children's books by Hugh Lofting starting with the 1920 ''The Story of Doctor Dolittle''. He is a physician who shuns human patients in favour of animals, with whom he can speak in the ...

'' - Animatronic puppetry teacher * ''

'' - Puppeteer * '' Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story'' - Lead Puppeteer * ''

'' - Puppet Coordinator * ''

'' - Goblin Performer, Puppeteer * '' Little Shop of Horrors'' - Principal Puppeteer * ''

'' - Lead Puppeteer * ''

Lost in Space ''Lost in Space'' is an American science fiction television series, created and produced by Irwin Allen, which originally aired between 1965 and 1968 on CBS. The series was inspired by the 1812 novel ''The Swiss Family Robinson.'' The series fo ...

'' - "Blawp" animation supervisor * '' Mee-Shee: The Water Giant'' - Animation Director, CGI Puppeteer * ''

'' - Puppeteer * '' Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze'' - Face Operation of

Michelangelo Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (; 6 March 1475 – 18 February 1564), known as Michelangelo (), was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance. Born in the Republic of Florence, his work was insp ...

* ''

'' - Lead Puppeteer * '' The Bear'' - Lead Puppeteer * ''

'' - Part-Time Puppeteer on the Mystics * ''

'' - Puppeteer * ''

'' - Creative Consultant

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Mak British puppeteers 1957 births Living people Muppet performers