Science

From Machinist's Son to Hollywood Spacesuit King: Meet the Man Behind Iconic Costumes

2025-06-08

Author: Sarah

Forget about flimsy Halloween costumes—**Chris Gilman's Global Effects** is the ultimate destination for authentic spacesuits that have graced some of Hollywood's biggest blockbusters. This shop is the go-to resource for directors and designers needing **Advanced Crew Escape Suit (ACES)** gear or **Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU)** suits.

Gilman, who founded Global Effects in 1986, transformed the company while working on the film **'Bram Stoker's Dracula'** in 1991, opting for a name change to avoid confusion with Disney characters.

For nearly four decades, this Southern California emporium has supplied stunning spacesuits for a plethora of films, including **'Space Cowboys'**, **'First Man'**, **'Deep Impact'**, and **'Armageddon'**. On the small screen, their gear has contributed to acclaimed series like **'From the Earth to the Moon'**, **'For All Mankind'**, and **'Space Force'**—if a character is exploring the cosmos, there’s a strong chance they’re wearing a suit from Global Effects.

Born the son of a Connecticut aerospace machinist, Gilman entered Hollywood as a **stuntman**, **prop designer**, and **armorer**. His spacesuits are so precisely crafted that they could easily fool NASA engineers, reflecting an extraordinary level of detail and research.

In Gilman's extensive collection, you can find replicas of almost every historic spacesuit that has been into space, including suits from **Apollo**, **Gemini**, and **Mercury** missions. Among the nearly 300 designs, he also created sci-fi suits like the armored suit seen in *'Firefly'* and *'Serenity'*. His warehouse overflows with intricately designed outer space gear, resembling actual NASA artifacts.

Global Effects has outfitted big names such as **Ryan Gosling** for **'First Man'**, and numerous actors from various genres have donned their spacesuits. Even **Buzz Aldrin** wore one of their Apollo suits on **'The Late Show'**! Gilman shares the thrill of dressing celebrities, recalling how he once provided James May with an Apollo suit in a parking lot in Texas.

However, these extraordinary suits aren’t available for just anyone. Want to rent one? You need liability insurance, as the suits are highly specialized. Gilman explains that a real EMU suit can cost between **$12-15 million**, with his custom replicas priced around **$130,000**.

One of Gilman’s pet peeves? Authenticity in Hollywood portrayals of spacesuits. He stresses that a full suit is a personal spacecraft, needing pressurization to function properly. The biggest blunders often come from skipping this crucial step, and he cringes when he sees lights mounted inside helmets—an idea popularized by **Ridley Scott** in **'Alien'**.

What’s his favorite design from his inventory? Gilman holds a soft spot for the classic suits from **'2001: A Space Odyssey'**, which he even replicated using a real one for nine months. He fondly reminisces about the simultaneous work on **'Armageddon'** and **'Deep Impact'**, quipping that the physics in** 'Armageddon'** were arguably less believable than **'Yellow Submarine.'**