Leonard Engelman, an Emmy-nominated makeup artist, who successfully lobbied for makeup artists to be included in the Academy Awardsdied on Thursday in Los Angeles at the age of 83.
Engelman’s the death was confirmed by the Cinema Makeup School in Los Angeles, although the cause remains unclear, The Hollywood Reporter reported.
In a career that spanned five decades, he was best known for his work on films such as “The Princess Diaries,” “Rocky IV,” “Batman & Robin” and “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” as well as doing Cher’s makeup in over 30 years.
Born in Burbank in 1941, Engelman was the son of a Hollywood makeup artist and would earn his first film credit on Alfred Hitchcock’s “Topaz” in 1969.
He served as Cher’s personal makeup artist during her time as an actress in many films, including “Moonstruck” (1987), “Suspect” (1987), “The Witches of Eastwick” (1987), “Burlesque” (2010) and others.
A passionate advocate for make-up artists, Engelman lobbied for the establishment of a make-up branch within the academy, achieving success in 2006 when he was elected as its first governor. He also played a key role in including hairdressers in the industry.
During her illustrious career, Engelman received Emmy nominations for an episode of “Night Gallery” in 1972 and for the miniseries “Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis” in 2001.
He also worked as a devoted mentor, training several generations of artists at the Cinema Makeup School in Los Angeles.
In 2017, he was honored with a lifetime achievement award from the Hollywood Makeup Artists & Hair Stylists Guild.
Engelman is survived by his wife Esther Engelman, their children Steven, Kimberly, Anna and Jennifer, who is also a makeup artist, and six grandchildren.