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Brian Johnson

Brian Johnson

Actor, Special Effects, Director

Born June 29, 1939 in Surrey, England, UK

Died May 25, 2026

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Biography

Brian Johnson is a award winning special and visual effects designer and director who for over 40 years provided his services to a multitude of film and television productions.

Johnson's career began in 1957 when he joined Anglo Scottish Pictures after meeting veteran effects artist and skilled matte painter Les Bowie moving on to become a clapper loader and filming effects plates for Dunkirk (1958). After becoming a Hammer films effects assistant in 1958 Johnson's national service in the RAF followed before moving on to film the 1961 apocalyptic classic The Day the Earth Caught Fire during which he was an effects assistant at Bowie Films.

In 1961 Johnson joined AP Films (later Century 21) under the talented Derek Meddings, firstly as a model builder and flyer on Gerry Anderson classics such as Supercar, Fireball XL5, Stingray and later a second unit director on the groundbreaking television series Thunderbirds. By 1966 Johnson left Century 21, taking with him a wealth of knowledge and found himself working on a Stanley Kubrick picture called 2001: A Space Odyssey on special effects shots which took over two years to complete. 2001 of course went on to become a huge success and to this day remains one of the most influential and highly regarded pictures of the science fiction genre.

After 2001 film, Johnson went on to work on various film and television productions including Moon Zero Two, On the Buses, Z Cars, and the Hammer production When Dinosaurs Ruled the World with renowned stop motion animator Jim Danforth who was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. By 1974 Johnson was once again working for Gerry Anderson on his latest television series Space: 1999 producing high quality effects which are still highly regarded today, he was also responsible for designing the now iconic Eagle Transporter and various other craft of the series. It was during the production of 1999 at Bray Studios Johnson was first approached by two filmmakers to work on a big American space picture turning them down as he had signed for the second series of Space: 1999.

Johnson's next big production was to be Ridley Scott's Alien where he once again worked with friend and Space: 1999 collaborator Nick Allder on the various model miniature effects sequences out of Bray Studios as special effects supervisor. Meanwhile the American Space picture became Star Wars, the highest grossing film of all time, an Academy Award winner and a cult worldwide phenomenon, the two aforementioned filmmakers were George Lucas and Gary Kurtz. Fortunately for Johnson he was invited to work on the sequel The Empire Strikes Back where he supervised special and visual effects at the now world renowned Industrial Light and Magic.

In early 1980 Johnson's work on Alien was recognized when he was bestowed the 1979 Academy Award for Best Visual Effects along with H.R. Giger, Carlo Rambaldi, Nick Allder and Dennis Ayling. Just after this The Empire Strikes Back was released to worldwide acclaim and the 1980 Special Achievement Academy Award was presented to Brian Jonhson, Richard Edlund, Dennis Muren and Bruce Nicholson in recognition of their achievements in the field of visual effects.

Johnson went on to work on Dragonslayer, at the request of Lucas and Spielberg and was nominated for another Academy Award, this time losing out to Raiders of the Lost Ark, this proved to be his final Lucasfilm production after which he worked on The NeverEnding Story and James Cameron's Aliens for which he was awarded a BAFTA for his contribution to visual effects.

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1 wins and 2 nominations

Brian Johnson Photos

Brian Johnson Videos

Century 21 Slough - End of an Era

Filmography

Actor

18

Type

Year

The Eagle Obsession Poster

The Eagle Obsession Feature Film2025Self

2001: Creating Kubrick's Space Odyssey Poster

2001: Creating Kubrick's Space Odyssey Feature Film2024Self

Down in the Sewers: SFX artist Brian Johnson on Hammer's 'The Phantom of the Opera' Video2021Self

Brian Johnson Interview Video2019Self

Century 21 Slough Poster

Century 21 Slough Documentary2018Self

Filmed in Supermarionation Poster

Filmed in Supermarionation Documentary2014Self - Interviewee

A Wonderland of Stardust Documentary2009Self

Alien Makers II Documentary2009Self

The Beast Within: The Making of 'Alien' Poster

The Beast Within: The Making of 'Alien' Documentary2003Self

2001: The Making of a Myth Poster

2001: The Making of a Myth Documentary2001Self - Special Effects Artist: '2001'

Mr. Thunderbird: The Gerry Anderson Story Documentary2000Self

The Alien Legacy Poster

The Alien Legacy Documentary1999Self - Visual Effects Supervisor

The Making of 'Space Truckers' Documentary1998Self - Visual FX Supervisor

The 53rd Annual Academy Awards Poster

The 53rd Annual Academy Awards TV Special1981Self - Winner

SP FX: Special Effects - the Empire Strikes Back Poster

SP FX: Special Effects - the Empire Strikes Back Documentary1980Self

The 52nd Annual Academy Awards Poster

The 52nd Annual Academy Awards TV Special1980Self - Winner

Parade Newsreel: Thunderbirds Short Film1965Self

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson Poster

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson TV Series1962Self - Guest

Special Effects

32

Type

Year

DragonHeart Poster

DragonHeart Feature Film1996

Space Truckers Poster

Space Truckers Feature Film1996

Slipstream Poster

Slipstream Feature Film1989

Spies Like Us Poster

Spies Like Us Feature Film1985

The NeverEnding Story Poster

The NeverEnding Story Feature Film1984

The Pirates of Penzance Poster

The Pirates of Penzance Feature Film1983

Cosmic Princess Poster

Cosmic Princess TV Movie1982

Journey Through the Black Sun Poster

Journey Through the Black Sun TV Movie1982

Dragonslayer Poster

Dragonslayer Feature Film1981

Alien Attack Poster

Alien Attack TV Movie1980

Alien Feature Film1979

Destination Moonbase-Alpha Poster

Destination Moonbase-Alpha TV Movie1978

Revenge of the Pink Panther Poster

Revenge of the Pink Panther Feature Film1978

The Medusa Touch Poster

The Medusa Touch Feature Film1978

NBC Special Treat Poster

NBC Special Treat TV Series1975

Space: 1999 Poster

Space: 1999 TV Series1975

The Day After Tomorrow Poster

The Day After Tomorrow TV Movie1975

Taste the Blood of Dracula Poster

Taste the Blood of Dracula Feature Film1970

When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth Poster

When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth Feature Film1970

Moon Zero Two Poster

Moon Zero Two Feature Film1969

2001: A Space Odyssey Poster

2001: A Space Odyssey Feature Film1968

Quatermass and the Pit Poster

Quatermass and the Pit Feature Film1967

Thunderbirds Poster

Thunderbirds TV Series1965

First Men in the Moon Poster

First Men in the Moon Feature Film1964

The Kiss of the Vampire Poster

The Kiss of the Vampire Feature Film1963

Night Creatures Poster

Night Creatures Feature Film1962

The Phantom of the Opera Poster

The Phantom of the Opera Feature Film1962

The Pirates of Blood River Poster

The Pirates of Blood River Feature Film1962

The Day the Earth Caught Fire Poster

The Day the Earth Caught Fire Feature Film1961

The Crawling Eye Poster

The Crawling Eye Feature Film1958

Quatermass 2 Poster

Quatermass 2 Feature Film1957

X the Unknown Poster

X the Unknown Feature Film1956

Director

2

Type

Year

Scragg n Bones Poster

Scragg n Bones Short Film2006

Dream Street Poster

Dream Street TV Series1999

Visual Effects

10

Type

Year

Seven Days Poster

Seven Days TV Series1998

Space Truckers Poster

Space Truckers Feature Film1996

Highlander: The Final Dimension Poster

Highlander: The Final Dimension Feature Film1994

Slipstream Poster

Slipstream Feature Film1989

Aliens Feature Film1986

The NeverEnding Story Poster

The NeverEnding Story Feature Film1984

Dragonslayer Poster

Dragonslayer Feature Film1981

Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back Poster

Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back Feature Film1980

The Glitterball Poster

The Glitterball Feature Film1977

Dunkirk Feature Film1958

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