If special effects have been a gift to the horror film genre, Javier Botet, a Spanish actor, has been an even bigger one. Because of a unique genetic disease, the actor doesn’t need any computer processing to bring nightmare creatures to life; all he needs is some special effects make-up.

From Slender Man and It to The Walking Dead and Insidious, long-limbed Javier Botet has played the bad guy in a number of horror films.

Botet, 39, who previously portrayed an Egyptian god in The Mummy and a space xenomorph in Alien: Covenant, will soon play a leper in the next Stephen King adaption It, as well as the title monster in Screen Gems’ folklore-inspired Slender Man, says, “My body is different, very peculiar. When I was a child, I would stand in front of the mirror and fold my arms and legs to make unusual shapes. I’d move my elbows or fingers and think it was amazing. I was always playing with that.”

Botet was diagnosed with Marfan syndrome at the age of six, a genetic disease that caused him to grow to 6 feet, 6 inches tall yet only weigh 120 pounds. His arms and fingers, which are longer than typical and can twist in a variety of ways, are were affected by the illness, in addition to his lanky physique. Botet’s diagnosis were a boon to budding actors and fans of science fiction and horror literature.

SEBAS ROMERO

The actor has built a successful career in Hollywood, with make-up artists flocking to him to transform him into horrifying monsters.

Botet originally brought monsters to life via his art, which he created by sketching monsters, and later relocated to Madrid to further his skill. He gained an interest in filmmaking during his time in the city and began producing short films. While attending a special effects workshop, Botet’s ambitions shifted from behind the camera to in front of it. His physique, according to the teacher, would be ideal for certain monster SFX makeup looks.

Javier told the BBC, “I didn’t realize, but I was born to perform.”

“I have a disease called Marfan syndrome. It makes people skinnier, taller, and very flexible. So I was all my life very flexible, all my life doing weird tricks and things to enjoy with my friends [using] very creepy movement.”

He was pushed up for roles by his teacher, and within a few months, he had a modest part in his first Spanish film. This got the ball rolling in terms of publicity.

At a 2009 convention in Texas, he advertised his work in the Spanish horror film series Rec 2 and got his “lucky break” into Hollywood.

He met Argentine filmmaker Andrés Muschietti, who was promoting his short film Mama, which he planned to convert into a feature film.

Javier relaxing on-set as the Crooked Man in the Conjuring 2
JAVIER BOTET

In Alien: Covenant, he portrayed the notorious Xenomorph alien, Crooked Man in The Conjuring 2, Keyface in Insidious: The Last Key, and Slender Man and Mama.

Botet went to Madrid (where he currently resides) after studying fine arts in Granada, obtained a work as a book artist, and began producing short videos of himself with his own camera in his spare time. Later, he enrolled in a movie makeup class with the hopes of meeting directors through the instructor. He won his first monster role at the age of 27 in Brian Yuzna’s 2005 horror picture Beneath Still Waters.

Botet had to spend at least six hours in makeup and shoot his sequences in freezing water in December to play the beast hiding under a town’s lake. “But it was amazing,” he says. “I was so happy to be working at my dream. I told my mother about it, and I was crying, realizing that it happened.”

JAVIER BOTET

He most recently appeared in an epic episode of Game of Thrones’ final season as a member of the undead chasing Arya Stark.

He considers working on these shows with famous Hollywood performers “a gift” as a lifelong lover of the genre.

Botet, who has a Spanish agent, is currently working on films full-time – and has been for the previous few years. He shot many additional creature flicks in Spain, and after starring as the eponymous character in Guillermo del Toro’s horror smash Mama in 2013, news of his powers spread, and that screen test of him crawling on the floor began to receive attention. In Crimson Peak, he played three distinct ghosts. In Leonardo DiCaprio’s film The Revenant, he played a phantom entity (the scene was cut from the final release).