Filmmaker worked on 'Aliens,' 'Terminator' and 'Jurassic Park' franchises

Film legend Stan Winston, who created visual effects and contributed to some of the silver screen's most iconic creatures and characters, has died. He was 62.

The four-time Oscar winner passed away late Sunday night (June 15) at his home in Los Angeles after a seven-year struggle with multiple myeloma, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Winston won visual effects Oscars for his work on "Aliens," "Jurassic Park" and "Terminator 2: Judgment Day," for which he won an additional Academy Award for makeup. He also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his work in visual effects.

Stan Wisnton was born on April 7, 1946 in Richmond, Virginia. After graduated from the University of Virginia in 1968 after studying painting and sculpture. Although he pursued acting in Hollywood afterwards, he started as a makeup apprentice at Walt Disney Studios.

By 1972, he established Stan Winston Studios where he received numerous Emmy nominations, including an Emmy win for his telefilm "Gargoyles."

The 1980s brought his transition to film and the first of him many Oscar nominations for 1982's "Heartbeeps." Throughout his career, his other notable film projects included "Predator," "Edward Scissorshands," "Alien Nation," "Batman Returns," "Interview With a Vampire," "The Monster Squad," "Galaxy Quest" and most recently, the physical suit for Robert Downey, Jr. in "Iron Man."

He made his directorial debut on 1988's "Pumpkinhead."

Although Winston was best known for his puppetry, makeup and other practical effects, he also transitioned to using digital in his visual effects and in 1993, he co-founded Digital Domain with James Cameron and former ILM General Manager Scott Ross.

Winston was working on the latest installment of the Terminator franchise, "Terminator 4: Salvation."