{"id":428975,"date":"2026-10-15T23:28:10","date_gmt":"2026-10-15T23:28:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/428975\/"},"modified":"2026-10-15T23:28:10","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T23:28:10","slug":"thriller-hooked-him-as-a-kid-now-this-colombian-special-effects-artist-is-orlandos-go-to-monster-maker","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/428975\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Thriller\u2019 hooked him as a kid. Now this Colombian special effects artist is Orlando\u2019s go-to monster maker"},"content":{"rendered":"

ORLANDO, Fla. \u2013 Cesar Castano is a familiar face behind the scenes at some of Orlando\u2019s most popular attractions, and during one of the busiest times of the year, the Colombian-born special effects artist is working around the clock, bringing monsters and more to life. <\/p>\n

Castano is quick to point out that special effects makeup is a world apart from traditional beauty work.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of friends are like, \u2018Oh, I\u2019m getting married. Can you do my makeup?\u2019 And I\u2019m like, \u2018Ooh, I can make you like the bride of Frankenstein and you\u2019re gonna look beautifully ugly,\u2019\u201d he said. \u201cA good special effects makeup artist relies on those mistakes because to me the mistakes enhance the makeup.\u201d<\/p>\n

His path into the craft was anything but conventional. Growing up in Pasto, Colombia \u2014 a region rich in indigenous art, culture, and the famous Black and White Carnival \u2014 Castano was surrounded by creativity from an early age. He started by drawing on his own hands, then moved to walls, then to body painting on his brother.<\/p>\n

\u201cI never thought, \u2018Oh, I wanted to be a makeup artist when I grew up,\u2019\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s more like, I have these skills, what can I do with them?\u201d<\/p>\n

Castano\u2019s Central Florida career began as a performer at Walt Disney World, where he worked for two and a half years before moving into makeup. He then spent five years at SeaWorld\u2019s Howl-O-Scream before landing at Universal\u2019s Halloween Horror Nights. <\/p>\n

\"\"Cesar Castano, a Colombian-born special effects artist who was inspired by Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” as a child, has become one of Orlando’s most sought-after monster makers, crafting scares for Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights and Pirates Dinner Adventure. (@caesardavidc)<\/p>\n

Castano\u2019s prosthetic work can be spotted in two of this year\u2019s most talked-about scare zones: the Sideshow of Decay and the Infernal Carnival of Nightmares. <\/p>\n

He also serves as the makeup lead for Vampirates<\/a>, the seasonal show at Pirates Dinner Adventure, where a cast of nine performers is transformed each night by just two makeup artists.<\/p>\n

A viral moment during the COVID-19 pandemic helped launch Castano to an even wider audience. After being laid off from Disney \u2014 one of 30,000 employees let go at the time \u2014 he turned to TikTok to build a digital portfolio during lockdown.<\/p>\n

\u201cI never had an intent of growing or having any sort of attention,\u201d he said. \u201cI just wanted to build a portfolio of makeup.\u201d<\/p>\n

That portfolio now reaches 1.8 million TikTok followers<\/a> and led to an opportunity as a makeup designer for \u201cYoung Frankenstein,\u201d the musical with Broadway Sacramento.<\/p>\n

Every artist has influences, and for Castano, two legends of the special effects world stand above the rest: Rick Baker and Stan Winston.<\/p>\n

It was Baker \u2014 the seven-time Academy Award-winning makeup artist \u2014 who first sparked Castano\u2019s imagination as a child with his groundbreaking work on an iconic 1983 music video starring Michael Jackson. <\/p>\n

\u201cHe was the one who made me start with all of this because it was one year, little me watching the TV \u2014 \u2018Thriller\u2019 \u2014 and when I watched \u2018Thriller\u2019 I was like, how is that possible?\u201d<\/p>\n

His curiosity led him down a rabbit hole of YouTube videos and deeper research, which eventually introduced him to Stan Winston \u2014 the creative force behind the creatures in \u201cJurassic Park\u201d, \u201cTerminator\u201d and countless other iconic films. Winston, who died in 2008, left behind a legacy that continues to inspire artists like Castano to this day.<\/p>\n

Part of that legacy lives on through the Stan Winston School<\/a>, an online platform where aspiring special effects artists can purchase courses on sculpting, mold-making and other hands-on techniques \u2014 making world-class instruction accessible to anyone willing to learn from home.<\/p>\n

With Halloween winding down, Castano\u2019s schedule shows no signs of slowing. He\u2019s already looking ahead to a new Christmas show at Pirates Dinner Adventure and Grinchmas at Universal Orlando.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s the beauty of being part of the entertainment industry \u2014 we\u2019re always active and doing something fun,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

As for whether he\u2019s living his dream, the answer comes easily.<\/p>\n

\u201cI came from Colombia, and just the fact that I\u2019m here already doing those things really fulfills me,\u201d Castano said. \u201cAs long as I\u2019m happy doing my job and I don\u2019t feel that I\u2019m working, I think I\u2019m doing my job right \u2014 and I think that\u2019s the dream.\u201d<\/p>\n

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