Ben Nye
Makeup artist, businessman
About Ben Nye
Lived 1907 – 1986 (aged 79). Ben Nye was an American make-up artist and makeup artist.
Benjamin Emmet Nye, Sr. (January 12, 1907 – February 9, 1986) was an American makeup artist for the Hollywood film industry for over four decades, from the 1930s to the early 1980s. He worked on over five hundred 20th Century Fox films both in and out of Hollywood. Notable films he worked on included Gone with the Wind, Miracle on 34th Street (1947), Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), The King and I (1956), The Fly (1958), Valley of the Dolls (1967), and Planet of the Apes (1968).
Nye officially retired in 1967 and created the Ben Nye Makeup Company. Nye, Sr. left his son Dana in charge of the company as CEO. Nye's son, Ben, Jr., also works in the film makeup industry. Nye died on February 9, 1986, in Santa Monica, California, at the age of 79.
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Important facts
People in Ben Nye's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Ben Nye's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Ben Nye?
makeup artist, businessman
When was Ben Nye born?
Ben Nye was born on 12 January 1907 in Fremont.
When did Ben Nye die?
Ben Nye died on 9 February 1986 in Santa Monica.
What was Ben Nye's occupation?
Ben Nye was a make-up artist and makeup artist.
What nationality was Ben Nye?
Ben Nye was American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Ben Nye. https://biography.guide/ben-nye/
MLA: "Ben Nye." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/ben-nye/.
Chicago: "Ben Nye." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/ben-nye/.
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