From sculpting playdough creatures as a child to crafting hyper-realistic prosthetics for film, Mili Beagley has always found magic in transformation.
For years, Mili Beagley has built a reputation as a rising star in special effects (SFX) makeup. Her journey from sculpting playdough creatures as a child to creating prosthetics and gruesome effects for film reflects her relentless creativity.
A lifelong fan of fantasy and horror, her fascination with transformative makeup started early. “I used to hide, peeping over the windowsill, looking at everyone’s cool makeup and costumes,” she recalls. But it wasn’t until she visited the Harry Potter Studios that she saw beyond the magic. “I hadn’t considered that real people made these things as a job.”
Her early years weren’t without uncertainty. “My high school experience wasn’t great, so what I was going to do with my life was the last thing on my mind,” she said. However, after she’d settled into college, everything clicked. A set design project for an opera production changed everything. “I thought, ‘Oh my god, people do this for a living.’” Initially focused on set design, she soon gravitated toward props and SFX.
With over 66,000 Instagram followers, one might assume Beagley built her platform through SFX, but that wasn’t the case. “My social media has honestly been completely separate from my SFX work,” she says. Her audience initially grew from her love of alternative fashion and music. “It’s always been my intention to grow an audience through that and maybe market my artwork to them if it ever grew.” Now, she is making that shift. “I’ve been documenting more of my work over the last six months to grow my social media on the SFX side.”
Social media has been invaluable, not just for exposure but for learning. “There are thousands of incredibly talented people in this little community online,” she says. “Seeing what materials people use, discovering techniques — it’s been a huge resource.”
Her biggest challenge?
Creating peel-able and chop-able fingers for the short film Family. “None of my books or Google searches helped within my budget or time constraints, so I just had to wing it.”
She experimented with jelly wax and vegetable wax, testing different mixes and pigments.
“It was pure experimentation and nerve-wracking not knowing if it would work.” On set, she adapted quickly, improvising stringy guts and bruises on the spot.
As CGI advances, some question the longevity of practical SFX makeup. Beagley remains confident in its staying power. “Practical effects always make the best films, or at least a combination of practical and digital effects.” She believes CGI often lacks realism. “Even if CGI is done perfectly, you can always ‘tell’ in the sense that it’s not tangible.” Many filmmakers blend practical and digital tools to maintain authenticity. For Beagley, the magic of SFX is in its collaboration. “Green screen sound stages are cool, but the heart of film is people with different skills working together.”
Beagley dreams of working on folk or gothic horror films. “I love films with open endings that make you think, ‘what the actual hell is going on’— something like The Shining or Suspiria.” She also dreams of working with BGFX, the legendary SFX studio. “Whenever I see something come out of BGFX, I’m in absolute awe.” And if she could contribute to one major franchise? “It would be so cool if I ever got the opportunity to work on the Harry Potter reboot.”
Whatever the future holds, Beagley remains driven by the same passion that first led her to sculpting creatures as a child. “Honestly, anything — I just want to do this forever.”