
Biography
Robert W. 'Bo' Welch III is an American production designer, art director, film and television director, and occasional actor. He is best known for his collaborations with directors such as Tim Burton and Barry Sonnenfeld. Born in Yardley, Pennsylvania, Welch worked as a production designer on three consecutive Tim Burton films (Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, and Batman Returns), as well as on the Barry Sonnenfeld films Men in Black and Wild Wild West, among other films. He made his directorial debut with The Cat in the Hat, based on the beloved Dr. Seuss book of the same name, which was a critical and commercial disappointment. He has been nominated for four Academy Awards for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, three of them shared with set decorator Cheryl Carasik and another one with J. Michael Riva and Linda DeScenna. The four films are Men in Black, The Birdcage, and A Little Princess with Carasik and The Colour Purple with Riva and DeScenna. Welch met actress Catherine O'Hara on the set of Beetlejuice in 1988. Wed in 1992 and with two sons Matthew (b. 1994) and Luke (b. 1997), they were together until her January 2026 death. Description above from the Wikipedia article Bo Welch, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Art department 34
2020s
- 2021
2010s
- 2017
- 2012
- 2011
2000s
- 2009
- 2008
- 2002
- 2000
1990s
- 1999
- 1998
- 1997
- 1996
- 1995
- 1994
- 1992
- 1991
Grand Canyon
Production Design
- 1990
1980s
- 1989
- 1988
- 1987
- 1986
Slow Burn
Production Design
Stark: Mirror Image
Production Design
Violets Are Blue
Art Direction, Production Design
- 1985
- 1984
The Hoboken Chicken Emergency
Art Direction
Swing Shift
Art Direction
- 1983
Heart of Steel
Art Direction, Production Design
- 1981
- 1980
Directed 5
2010s
- 2017
2000s
- 2003
- 2001
- 2000
Secret Agent Man
Director
1990s
- 1995
Acted in 1
2000s
- 2002
Appearances8
2020s
- 2025
2010s
- 2011
Thor: From Asgard to Earth
Self
2000s
- 2002
Design in Motion: The Look of 'Men in Black II'
Self
Design in Motion: The Look of 'Men in Black II'
Self
- 2000
Metamorphosis of 'Men in Black'
Self
1990s
- 1999
Wild Wild West: Good Guys Gadgets
Self
Wild Wild West: Evil Devices
Himself
- 1992
Batman Returns: The Bat, the Cat, and the Penguin
Self