If the brilliance of special effects has been a gift to the horror film genre – Spanish actor Javier Botet has been an even greater gift. Due to a rare genetic disorder, the actor does not require computer processing to bring nightmarish monsters to life, just some special effects make-up.
Botet was diagnosed with a genetic disorder called Marfan syndrome, at the age of six, which caused him to grow 6 feet, 6 inches, but weigh in at a mere 120 pounds. In addition to his lanky stature, the condition affects his limbs and fingers, which are longer than average and can contort in various ways. Botet’s diagnoses proved to be a gift for the aspiring actor and science fiction/supernatural fan. He has now become a household name for Hollywood horror movies such as Slender Man (Slender Man), xenomorph (Alien: Covenant), Crooked Man (The Conjuring 2), Faceless Man (The Crucifixion), Keyface (Insidious: The Last Key), Mama (Mama), and now Mara (Mara), to name a few.
The same instructor helped him land his first role in a small Spanish film, but his big break came in 2009 at a convention in Texas. Botet was promoting his work in ‘Rec 2’, when he met Argentine director Andrés Muschietti, who was there to promote his short film ‘Mama,’ that he wished to be turned into a feature film. Muschietti told Botet that he would be a perfect real-life monster for the film, and one year later, with Guillermo del Toro, signed on as the feature’s producer, Javier was cast.
The same instructor helped him land his first role in a small Spanish film, but his big break came in 2009 at a convention in Texas. Botet was promoting his work in ‘Rec 2’, when he met Argentine director Andrés Muschietti, who was there to promote his short film ‘Mama,’ that he wished to be turned into a feature film. Muschietti told Botet that he would be a perfect real-life monster for the film, and one year later, with Guillermo del Toro, signed on as the feature’s producer, Javier was cast.
While Botet’s movements might not require CGI, there is a hefty amount of make-up that goes into creating his creepy, monster facial features. These transformations can take hours and some of his most famous looks can be attributed to Spanish make-up artist David Martí from DDTSFX. Despite all the artistry that goes into Martí’s work he gives most of the props to the actors, “A lot of times they call them creature performers or monster guy – which is not correct, they are actors. I see people like Doug or Javier and it’s like ‘What the hell?’ You should not wear a mask.”
