Weekly Theme

Weekly Theme for August 31: Makeup Metamorphosis

Taking inspiration from this recent quiz over at Sporcle (http://www.sporcle.com/games/actorsindisguise.php), this week’s theme is about all those incredible transformations through makeup or CGI that some actors undertake in order to become the absolute visual representation of a character in a film.

The recent explosion of films utilizing CGI over labor intensive makeup and body suits has made the once impossible, possible. Casting slightly similar looking actors to portray younger versions of a character is no longer necessary when Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen can be made to look twenty years younger, such as the case in X-Men: The Last Stand, and Brad Pitt can depict the various stages of life from birth to senility in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Nevertheless, CGI hasn’t completely superseded the art of movie makeup as evidenced by Heath Ledger’s metamorphosis in the maniacal Joker and Ron Perlman’s larger than life Hellboy.

My favorites tend to be those with just the slightest bit of makeup/prosthesis:

Mickey Rourke as Marv in Sin City - Just a little bit of flesh colored latex to alter his brow and some shoulder pads turned Rourke into the spitting image of Marv.

Nicole Kidman as Virginia Woolf in The Hours - Again, a slight alteration to her nose and Kidman WAS Virginia Woolf.

 . . . or those with so much that it takes looking at the closing credits to identify the actor:

Tim Curry as The Lord of Darkness in Legend - I had no idea it was Tim Curry until a few years ago when I bought the special edition DVD.

Michael Keaton as Beetlejuice in Beetlejuice - Growing up, I never put together that Mr. Mom and Batman was also Beetlejuice.

Re:Weekly Theme for August 31: Makeup Metamorphosis

This topic made me immediately think of Gary Oldman. He was in a pretty thick layer of makeup for Bram Stoker's Dracula. And in Hannibal, I had no idea that was him in the wheelchair.

I'd also add Mrs. Doubtfire to this discussion.

Re:Weekly Theme for August 31: Makeup Metamorphosis

Re:Weekly Theme for August 31: Makeup Metamorphosis

Risselada:

 

 

   THAT was a BRILLIANT reply to this discussion, Rizzo!   I commend you!   "The Man of a Thousand Faces" indeed!   Lon Chaney was a true legend!   And his son was no slouch as well, having played not only  The Wolf Man , but  "The Frankenstein Monster" AND  "The Mummy"  AND  "DRACULA"  as well!

   Very nice!

                                                                                < GOR >

Re:Weekly Theme for August 31: Makeup Metamorphosis

Dr_Gor:

   THAT was a BRILLIANT reply to this discussion, Rizzo!   I commend you!   "The Man of a Thousand Faces" indeed!   Lon Chaney was a true legend!   And his son was no slouch as well, having played not only  The Wolf Man , but  "The Frankenstein Monster" AND  "The Mummy"  AND  "DRACULA"  as well!

   Very nice!

                                                                                < GOR >

I figured you'd like that Gor!  Now that was the really obvious choice.

If Chaney was the master and his son was his replacement.  Who would be third in the line for greatest make-up artists.

I also feel like Alec Guinness was referred to as the "man of a thousand faces" for a while as well, but I don't know if it had as much to do with make-up.  Not to say that Chaney's acting didn't abilities extended well beyond his make-up as well.

Re:Weekly Theme for August 31: Makeup Metamorphosis

Risselada:

If Chaney was the master and his son was his replacement.  Who would be third in the line for greatest make-up artists.

   Let us not get the term "make-up artist" confused with the actor wearing the make-up.   Lon Chaney Sr. did his own make-up so he was truly a make-up artist as well as an actor.   Lon Chaney Jr. had his make-up done for him by a guy named   Jack P. Pierce .   Jack Pierce was THE make-up artist for Universal Studios throughout their "monster movie" years from the beginning.  He created the look of  Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Wolf Man  and several other movie monsters through the early 1960's.

   The heir-appearant to Jack Pierce would be  Dick Smith  .   This guy was responsible for MANY amazing make-up transformations from the 1940's (!) through the near present day!   Including the incredible transformation of Linda Blair in  The Exorcist  .

                                                                          < GOR >

Re:Weekly Theme for August 31: Makeup Metamorphosis

Dr_Gor:

Risselada:

If Chaney was the master and his son was his replacement.  Who would be third in the line for greatest make-up artists.

   Let us not get the term "make-up artist" confused with the actor wearing the make-up.   Lon Chaney Sr. did his own make-up so he was truly a make-up artist as well as an actor.   Lon Chaney Jr. had his make-up done for him by a guy named   Jack P. Pierce .   Jack Pierce was THE make-up artist for Universal Studios throughout their "monster movie" years from the beginning.  He created the look of  Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Wolf Man  and several other movie monsters through the early 1960's.

   The heir-appearant to Jack Pierce would be  Dick Smith  .   This guy was responsible for MANY amazing make-up transformations from the 1940's (!) through the near present day!   Including the incredible transformation of Linda Blair in  The Exorcist  .

                                                                          < GOR >

That's a great point Gor.  It illustrates how amazing it was for Lon Chaney to be such an expert actor AND make-up artist on himself!!