Oscar-winning prosthetic makeup artist Kazu Hiro has been in the industry for over 30 years, and he’s about ready to retire.

Except he keeps meeting great creators and filmmakers like Bradley Cooper, Gary Oldman and Charlize Theron, who keep him from hanging up the prosthetics. This time, it’s Benny Safdie’s creativity that’s giving Hiro energy and motivation to continue doing what he loves.

A24’s “ The Smashing Machine ” stars Dwayne Johnson as real-life MMA fighter Mark Kerr. The film also stars Emily Blunt as Kerr’s wife, Dawn Staples, Bas Rutten, Lyndsey Gavin and Oleksandr Usyk. It marks Safdie’s solo directorial debut — he previously has worked alongside his brother Josh Safdie.

In “The Smashing Machine,” Johnson is completely unrecognizable.

Hiro, who is set to receive the

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