Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me - Fat Bastard Behind-the-Scenes

Making Fat Bastard

Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999) added another iconic character to Mike Myers' comedic resume, Fat Bastard. "When I read the 'Austin Powers' script I begged Mike Myers to let us be the team that created the look of Fat Bastard. It read so hilariously disgusting, and he is among the grossest characters we've done, and considering some of the scary things we've done, that's a huge statement." - Stan Winston, Los Angeles Times Interview

Read the story and check out the behind-the-scenes video & images below.

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• Designing and Creating the Fat Bastard Makeup
• References for Fat Bastard

Designing and Creating the Fat Bastard Makeup

(Mike Smithson sculpts the "Fat Bastard" design maquette at Stan Winston Studio.)

The head-to-toe makeup, designed and created at Stan Winston Studio under the supervision of key artist Mike Smithson, would go on to earn Smithson and Michèle Burke an Academy Award nomination for Best Makeup.

(Stan Winston gives input on the full-sized head sculpt.)

(Mike Smithson & Scott Stoddard sculpt Fat Bastard's corpulent body at SWS.)

References for Fat Bastard

Stan Winston Studio artists sculpted three fat suits based on photo references of Sumo wrestlers. To push the "ew" factor, they detailed Fat Bastard's skin with realistic moles and unruly crimson thatches of hand-punched hair.

(SWS Coordinator Stiles White test fits the fabricated undersuit.)

(SWS hair department supervisor Michael Ornelaz oversees the hair work.)​

(Stan Winston and Mike Smithson apply the Fat Bastard makeup in the on-set trailer.)

It took the makeup and hair crew nearly 7 hours to transform Myers into the super-sized cannibalistic Scotsman. To survive the ordeal, Myers wore an auto-racing "Cool Suit" to counteract the heat generated inside the fat suit. The Stan Winston Studio team also provided him an emergency "waste evacuator" (rarely needed by suit performers, who typically sweat out all excess moisture). 

(Stan Winston & Mike Myers in Fat Bastard makeup goof off in the trailer.)

(Myers as "Fat Bastard"(minus the bodysuit) takes a stroll with Winston & Smithson.)

Courses with the Creators of Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me

• How To Lifecast: Head, Hands & Teeth with Mark Viniello
• Hairy Creatures Series - Introduction To Hair Knotting with Michael Ornelaz
• Remote Makeup Application with Andy Schoneberg
• Mastering Effects Disasters - Explode A Head with Andy Schoneberg
• Hybrid Characters: Blending Practical & Digital FX with John Rosengrant
• Creature Screenwriting: How To Write Memorable Monsters with Juliet Snowden & Stiles White

Recommended courses for designers: Design techniques