Wynn Thomas is a graduate of Boston University. He received his BFA in Theatre-Design. He started his career designing sets for the theatre. He was resident designer with the world famous NEGRO ENSEMBLE CO. Wynn also designed sets for Joe Papp's Public Theatre, Arena Stage in Wash. DC, Great Lakes Shakespeare Co. in Cleveland Ohio, and the Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven.
Wynn is the first African American production designer in the history of films. As an assistant art director he worked with the distinguished production designers, Richard Slybert, on THE COTTON CLUB. Patrizia Von Brandenstein on BEAT STREET and THE MONEY PIT and Stuart Wurtzel on BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS. He also art directed THE PACKAGE with Gene Hackman.
Wynn has had a long term collaborative relationship with Spike Lee. Starting with SHE’S GOTTA HAVE IT, SCHOOL DAZE, DO THE RIGHT THING, MO’ BETTER BLUES, JUNGLE FEVER, the epic film MALCOLM X, CROOKLYN, HE GOT GAME, KINGS OF COMEDY, INSIDE MAN and DA’ FIVE BLOODS which won the ADG Award for Best Contemporary design.
As a production designer Wynn has worked with some of the most important film directors of the late 20th century. For director Ron Howard and producer Brian Grazer he designed A BEAUTIFUL MIND, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture and the critically acclaimed CINDERELLA MAN. Both starring Russell Crowe. Wynn has a long term relationship with Robert DeNiro's Tribeca Productions. For many years he was their in house designer having designed A BRONX TALE directed by Robert DeNiro, WAG THE DOG directed by Barry Levinson starring DeNiro and Dustin Hoffman, ANALYZE THIS and ANALYZE THAT directed by Harold Ramis and starring DeNiro and Billy Crystal. For director Tim Burton he designed the cult classic MARS ATTACKS!! He also designed the drag queen classic comedy TO WONG FOO, THANKS FOR EVERYTHING, JULIE NEWMAR directed by Beeban Kidron, starring Wesley Snipes and Patrick Swayze. For actor-director Edward Norton he designed KEEPING THE FAITH. Other projects that Wynn designed include ALL GOOD THINGS with Ryan Gosling and Kirsten Dunst, the FBI thriller BREACH directed by Billy Ray and starring Chris Cooper and Ryan Phillipe. For Disney he designed THE ODD LIFE OF TIMOTHY GREEN, which was written and directed by Peter Hedges. For Warner Bros. he designed GET SMART with Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway and GRUDGE MATCH with Robert DeNiro and Sylvester Stallone. Both films were directed by Pete Segal. ALEX STRANGLOVE an early gay love story for Netflix. THE SUN IS ALSO A STAR for MGM. ALMOST CHRISTMAS for Universal Pictures produced by Will Packer and directed by David Talbert. And the most recent reboot of SHAFT starring Sam Jackson and directed by Tim Story.
There have been some excellent projects in the last few years. Those include HIDDEN FIGURES produced by Donna Gigliotti, directed by Ted Melfi . Starring Taraji P Henson and Kevin Costner. HIDDEN FIGURES won the Hollywood Film Award and the Art Directors Guild Award for Best production Design -Period Film. KING RICHARD directed by Reinaldo Green and starring Will Smith. The movie was nominated for Best Picture. DEVOTION a Korean War epic drama with Glen Powell. 80 FOR BRADY a comedy with Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Sally Field and Rita Moreno. Wynn just finished his first limited TV series LAWMEN:BASS REEVES. for Paramount. Starring David Oyelowo and Donald Sutherland.
Wynn is the first African-American production designer to become a member of the Art Director's Guild in Los Angeles and he is the first African American nominated for the Art Director's Guild award for his design work on Tim Burton's Mars Attacks!!!. In 2024 Wynn received the LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD from the ADG. Wynn is also a proud member of United Scenic Artist Local 829.
Wynn served on the Board of Governors at the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences for 6 years .And for 3 of those years , he served as Vice President of the Education and Outreach Committee.
Wynn was recently honored with a five week, 10 film retrospective of his production design work at MOMA….the Museum of Modern Art in New York. After this recognition, Wynn can finally call himself….. an ARTIST.