Bo Welch

Last updated

Bo Welch
Bo Welch-63924.jpg
Welch in 2024
Born
Robert W. Welch III

(1951-12-24) December 24, 1951 (age 74)
Yardley, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Occupations
  • Production designer
  • art director
  • director
  • actor
Years active1979–present
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1992;died 2026)​
Children2

Robert W. "Bo" Welch III (born December 24, 1951) is an American production designer, art director, film and television director, and occasional actor. He is best known for his collaborations with filmmakers such as Tim Burton and Barry Sonnenfeld, and for directing The Cat in the Hat . During his career, Welch received a BAFTA Award as well as nominations for four Academy Awards and two Primetime Emmy Awards. In 2025, he was honored with Art Directors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award.

Contents

Early life

Robert W. Welch III was born in Yardley, Pennsylvania. [1]

Career

Welch worked as a production designer on the Tim Burton films Edward Scissorhands , [2] Beetlejuice , [3] and Batman Returns , [4] as well as the Barry Sonnenfeld films Men in Black [5] and Wild Wild West . [6] He made his directorial debut with The Cat in the Hat , which was poorly received and earned him a nomination for the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director. [7]

Welch has been nominated for four Academy Awards for Best Production Design, three shared with set decorator Cheryl Carasik and one shared with J. Michael Riva and Linda DeScenna; the four films are Men in Black , The Birdcage , and A Little Princess with Carasik, [8] and The Color Purple with Riva and DeScenna.

Personal life

Welch met Canadian actress Catherine O'Hara on the set of Beetlejuice in 1987, [9] [10] and they were married from 1992 until her death in 2026. [11] They lived in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles with their sons Matthew (born 1994) and Luke (born 1997). [12]

Filmography

As production designer
YearFilmOther notes
1985 The Color Purple Nominated — Academy Award for Best Production Design
1986 Violets Are Blue
1987 The Lost Boys
1988 The Accidental Tourist
Beetlejuice
1989 Ghostbusters II
1990 Edward Scissorhands BAFTA Award for Best Production Design
Joe Versus the Volcano
1991 Grand Canyon
1992 Batman Returns Nominated — Awards Circuit Community Awards for Best Production Design
1994 Wolf
1995 A Little Princess Nominated — Academy Award for Best Production Design
Nominated — Awards Circuit Community Award for Best Art Direction
1996 The Birdcage LAFCA Award for Best Production Design
Nominated — Academy Award for Best Production Design
Nominated — ADG Award for Excellence in Production Design
Nominated — Awards Circuit Community Award for Best Art Direction
1997 Men in Black Nominated — Academy Award for Best Production Design
Nominated — ADG Award for Excellence in Production Design
1998 Primary Colors
1999 Wild Wild West
2000 What Planet Are You From?
2002 Men in Black II
2008 Space Chimps
2009 Land of the Lost
2011 Thor Nominated — Saturn Award for Best Production Design
2012 Men in Black 3
2017–2019 A Series of Unfortunate Events Nominated — Emmy Award for Outstanding Production Design
Nominated — ADG Award for Excellence in Production Design
2021–2022 Schmigadoon! Nominated — ADG Award for Excellence in Production Design
Nominated — Emmy Award for Outstanding Production Design
2024 Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Visual consultant
As art director
YearFilmOther notes
1983 The Star Chamber
Heart of Steel
1984 Swing Shift
Best Defense
The Hoboken Chicken Emergency
1985 The Color Purple
1986 Violets Are Blue
As director
YearFilmOther notes
1999–2000 Secret Agent Man Series director: 5 pilot episodes and 1 episode
2001 The Tick 2 episodes
2003 The Cat in the Hat Nominated — Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director
2017–2019 A Series of Unfortunate Events 5 episodes
As actor
YearFilmRoleNotes
2002 Men in Black II AstronautUncredited
2012 Men in Black 3 PedestrianUncredited
2014TiebrakerFather

References

  1. ↑ "Bo Welch". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on January 3, 2012. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  2. ↑ Leydon, Joe. "A Shear Delight." Houston, Texas: The Houston Post, December 14, 1990, pp. E1, E10.
  3. ↑ Thomas, Kevin. "Gleeful Grand Guignol of 'Bettlejuice.'" Los Angeles, California: The Los Angeles Times, March 30, 1988, Part VI ("Movie Guide"), pp. 1 and 10.
  4. ↑ Sharkey, Betsy. "An urban blight hits Gotham City." Alexandria, Louisiana: The Town Talk, July 6, 1992.
  5. ↑ Everhart, Bill. "'Men in Black': Making the World Safe from Aliens." Pittsfield, Massachusetts: The Berkshire Eagle, July 3, 1997.
  6. ↑ Dretzka, Gary. "Production designer takes us behind the 'Wild' scenery." Chicago, Illinois: Chicago Tribune, July 9, 1999.
  7. ↑ Breznican, Anthony. "Wild World of Dr. Seuss Comes to Life in New 'Cat.'" Lebanon, Pennsylvania: Lebanon Daily News, November 20, 2003.
  8. ↑ "The 68th Academy Awards (1996) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Retrieved August 5, 2011.
  9. ↑ Franklin, McKinley; Blackwood, Emily (January 30, 2026). "Who Is Catherine O'Hara's Husband? All About Bo Welch, Whom She Met on the Set of Beetlejuice". People. Retrieved January 30, 2026.
  10. ↑ "How The Creative And Unusual World Of Tim Burton's 'Beetlejuice' Became A Beautiful Reality". UPROXX. May 4, 2015. Retrieved September 8, 2017.
  11. ↑ "Catherine O'Hara". Yahoo! Movies . Retrieved August 12, 2010.
  12. ↑ "Catherine O'Hara Named Honorary Mayor of Brentwood". February 4, 2021. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
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