His brother was actor Carroll Nye, best remembered today as Frank Kennedy, Scarlett O'Hara's second husband in Gone with the Wind (1939).
Retirement
Nye officially retired in 1967 and created the Ben Nye Makeup Company, which has a distinguished reputation internationally. Nye, Sr. left his son Dana in charge of the company as CEO. Nye's son, Ben, Jr., also works in the film makeup industry.