Milicent Patrick (born Mildred Elizabeth Fulvia di Rossi; November 11, 1915 – February 24, 1998) was an American actress, makeup designer, special effects artist, and animator.

Born in El Paso, Texas, Patrick spent much of her early life in California, most notably in San Simeon, as her father, Camille Charles Rossi, was superintendent of construction at Hearst Castle.

Patrick continued her career at Universal Studios and is cited as being the first woman to work in a special effects and makeup department.

[1] Her father was superintendent of construction at Hearst Castle, working under Julia Morgan, the first licensed female architect in the state of California.

[12][13] Her work was featured in four sequences in the film Fantasia (1940), including animating the villain Chernabog in the final segment "Night on Bald Mountain".

[22] In 1952, Patrick began working at Universal Studios' makeup department after showing Bud Westmore some of her sketches while filming The World in His Arms (1952).

[23][24] She became the first woman to work in a special effects makeup department and was credited with designing the pirate faces in Against All Flags (1952), the makeup of Jack Palance in Sign of the Pagan (1954), the alien in It Came From Outer Space (1953), Mr. Hyde in Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1953), the Metaluna mutant in This Island Earth (1955), and was a mask maker for The Mole People (1956).

[25] In 1953, Westmore received a phone call from producer William Alland who had learned of a mythical half-fish, half-human creature that resided near the Amazon River from cinematographer Gabriel Figueroa.

Patrick was hired to create the design but given certain limits to have the creature appear fearsome and unearthly, able to swim well, and have pulsating gills.

[34] The creation of the Gill-man was credited to Westmore, until the documentary film Back to the Black Lagoon included on the Classic Monster Collection DVD revealed Patrick to be the designer.

[35] Earlier, in 1978, Robert Skotak renewed interest in Patrick's career after publishing an article documenting her creature design work in the Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine.

[44] After a tumultuous relationship marked by canceled engagements, Patrick married Trent in a Las Vegas chapel wedding on December 29, 1963.