Ron Snyder is an American makeup artist best known to many readers as Kim Basinger’s first husband. However, his Hollywood career extends well beyond their marriage. He worked on major films, contributed to several television series, and earned two Primetime Emmy Awards for his makeup work on Deadwood.
He also comes from a family with a memorable connection to film history. His father, Allan “Whitey” Snyder, was Marilyn Monroe’s longtime makeup artist. Ron followed the same profession while building his own list of screen credits.
His story brings together family history, a marriage that attracted considerable attention, and decades of work behind the camera.
Quick Info About Ron Snyder
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Ronald Allan Snyder |
| Professional names | Ron Snyder, Ron Snyder-Britton, and Ron Britton |
| Reported date of birth | February 16, 1939 |
| Age | 87, based on his reported birth date |
| Birthplace | Santa Monica, California, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | Makeup artist and author |
| Father | Allan “Whitey” Snyder |
| Mother | Beverly Bray |
| Sister | Sherrill Snyder |
| Stepmother | Marjorie Plecher |
| Former spouse | Kim Basinger |
| Marriage | October 12, 1980–December 1989 |
| Notable work | Jaws 2, Three Kings, Road to Perdition, and Deadwood |
| Major awards | Two Primetime Emmy Awards |
| Book | Kim Basinger: Longer Than Forever |
Ron Snyder’s Early Life
Ronald Allan Snyder was born in Santa Monica, California. His commonly listed birthday is February 16, 1939, which places his age at 87 as of October 2026.
His family already had a professional connection to the entertainment industry. While his father worked in Hollywood makeup, Ron eventually entered the same field and established a career under his own name.
Accounts of his earliest years remain brief. His adult career and family relationships provide a clearer picture of his life than stories about his childhood. IMDb identifies Beverly Bray as his mother and Sherrill Snyder as his sibling.
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His Father, Allan “Whitey” Snyder
Allan “Whitey” Snyder holds a distinctive place in Hollywood history because of his work with Marilyn Monroe. He helped prepare her appearance for the camera and maintained a long professional relationship with her.
Their association extended from her early screen tests to the final years of her life. Monroe also asked Whitey to prepare her makeup if she died before him. He kept that promise following her death in 1962 and served as a pallbearer at her funeral.
For readers learning about Ron, this connection explains why the Snyder name appears in stories about both classic Hollywood and more recent productions.
However, the two men’s achievements belong to separate careers. Whitey’s work helped shape Monroe’s image, while Ron’s credits span later films and television programs.
His Mother, Sister, and Stepmother
Ron’s mother, Beverly Bray, married Whitey Snyder in 1937. They had two children, Ron and his sister, Sherrill, before divorcing in 1970.
Whitey married Marjorie Plecher that same year. Plecher worked in Hollywood costumes and had professional connections to several Marilyn Monroe films. She remained married to Whitey until his death in 1994.
Beverly and Sherrill appear less frequently in entertainment coverage than Whitey or Ron. Their place in his biography is primarily through the family relationship, rather than a widely documented public career.
The family’s makeup and costume connections give useful context to Ron’s background without explaining every choice he later made.
His Early Makeup Career
By the 1970s, Ron Snyder was working on film productions. One clearly documented early credit is Jaws 2, released in 1978. The American Film Institute lists him among the film’s makeup personnel.
He later worked on Hard Country, the production that connected his professional life with Kim Basinger. AFI also credits him with makeup on that film, which began principal photography in December 1979 and reached theaters in 1981.
These credits establish Snyder as a working makeup professional before his marriage became a subject of celebrity coverage.
His early filmography also includes productions across different genres. Over time, that range became a recurring feature of his career, with work stretching from horror and comedy to historical drama.
How Ron Snyder Met Kim Basinger
Snyder met Basinger while working on Hard Country. She appeared in the film alongside Jan-Michael Vincent, while Snyder worked behind the camera.
They married on October 12, 1980, before the movie’s release. Their relationship therefore began during an important early stage of Basinger’s film career.
As her profile grew, their marriage attracted increasing attention. Snyder’s work usually placed him outside the spotlight, but his relationship with Basinger brought his name into entertainment reporting.
The couple’s story also became closely associated with a surname change that continues to cause confusion for readers.
Why He Became Ron Britton
Ron Snyder, Ron Snyder-Britton, and Ron Britton are different names associated with the same man.
According to Snyder’s account, Basinger wanted a married surname that would preserve her initials. He adopted Britton, allowing her married name to begin with the same letter as Basinger.
Marie Claire’s account of their relationship also describes how he stepped away from his own work to accompany her during a period when she experienced panic attacks.
The change explains why his book appeared under Ron Britton while many professional credits use Ron Snyder. Readers searching for either name will therefore encounter different parts of the same biography.
Their Marriage and Divorce
The marriage lasted through much of the 1980s, a period when Basinger became increasingly successful.
By December 1988, their separation had become public. UPI reported that Basinger had filed for divorce in Los Angeles, citing irreconcilable differences. The report identified her husband as Ronald Britton, a painter and makeup artist.
They completed their divorce in December 1989.
Later accounts included accusations from both sides. Those claims formed part of the public dispute, but they do not provide a balanced explanation of everything that happened within the marriage.
Snyder and Basinger had no children together. Basinger later became the mother of Ireland Baldwin during her marriage to Alec Baldwin.
The Alimony That Attracted Headlines
Their financial settlement became another widely discussed part of the divorce.
Biographical accounts report that Basinger paid Snyder $9,000 a month in alimony. The payment became public knowledge through financial records associated with her bankruptcy proceedings several years later.
The amount attracted attention because of Basinger’s fame and the financial difficulties she faced at the time.
However, that historical arrangement does not establish Snyder’s current finances. It also offers little insight into his earnings from individual films or television productions. His personal net worth has not been publicly disclosed.
His Book About Kim Basinger
In 1998, Snyder published Kim Basinger: Longer Than Forever under the name Ron Britton. Blake Publishing released the book, which focused on his relationship with the actress.
The memoir gave him an opportunity to present his own recollections of their marriage.
It also became a lasting part of his public identity. Articles about Basinger’s first marriage frequently mention the book alongside the surname change and divorce.
As a personal memoir, it reflects Snyder’s perspective. Its accounts of private disagreements should remain separate from facts established through marriage records, professional credits, and contemporary reporting.
Major Films in His Later Career
Snyder’s later filmography includes Three Kings in 1999, Road to Perdition in 2002, and The Last Samurai in 2003.
He also contributed makeup work to The Ladykillers and The Terminal, both released in 2004. These films placed him on productions with different directors, casts, time periods, and visual requirements.
The variety provides a useful picture of his working life. Rather than remaining associated with one performer or one type of story, he contributed to multiple production teams.
His role was in makeup. The credits do not support describing him as the actor, director, or producer behind these films.
His Two Emmy Awards for Deadwood
Ron Snyder’s most clearly documented professional honors came through Deadwood.
The Television Academy records two Primetime Emmy wins for him in Outstanding Makeup for a Series (Non-Prosthetic). He won in 2005 as a key makeup artist and again in 2007 as an assistant department head makeup artist.
The 2007 award entry names the episode “I Am Not the Fine Man You Take Me For.”
Created by David Milch, Deadwood originally aired on HBO from 2004 to 2006. Its historical setting gave makeup, costumes, and production design an important role in establishing the world around its characters.
Snyder shared his makeup honors with fellow department members. Those wins recognize his contribution within a collaborative production.
Later Television Work and Life Today
After Deadwood, Snyder continued working in television. His credits include makeup department roles on John from Cincinnati in 2007 and Swingtown in 2008.
He also worked on Hung during 2009 and 2010, with credits identifying assistant makeup department leadership responsibilities.
These projects extend his career well beyond the years of his marriage.
Recent coverage offers few dependable details about his everyday life. His filmography and awards remain the clearest account of his professional journey, while his present relationships and personal routine remain outside that documented story.
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Final Thoughts
Ron Snyder’s life connects a famous Hollywood family, a widely discussed marriage, and a substantial career in screen makeup.
His relationship with Kim Basinger explains much of the public interest in his name. His own credits and two Emmy Awards explain his place within the entertainment industry. Together, those chapters offer a fuller biography of a man whose work largely happened behind the camera.
FAQs About Ron Snyder
Who is Ron Snyder?
Ron Snyder is an American makeup artist and author, known for his work on Deadwood and his former marriage to Kim Basinger.
When did Ron Snyder marry Kim Basinger?
They married on October 12, 1980, and divorced in December 1989.
Why is Ron Snyder also known as Ron Britton?
He adopted the surname Britton during his marriage. According to his account, Basinger wanted to keep her initials when using her married name.
How many Emmy Awards has Ron Snyder won?
Ron Snyder won two Primetime Emmy Awards for his non-prosthetic makeup work on Deadwood, in 2005 and 2007.
Who was Ron Snyder’s father?
His father was Allan “Whitey” Snyder, Marilyn Monroe’s longtime makeup artist.
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