How did you come to work on Wicked?
I had the pleasure of working with Jon Chu on Now You See Me 2. I had a Zoom meeting with Jon and Marc Platt, and the rest is history. I took my children to see Wicked when it first opened in London, which we loved, and my daughters were delighted when they heard I was doing the film.
What was most important when bringing the Wicked characters to life?
It was essential to make their looks timeless and extravagant, as the sets were huge, to balance and complement the costumes. Even more essential is my team of artists to bring the designs to life. I had a dream team of makeup, hair and prosthetic artists whose talents excelled in every way.
How do you approach design when working on a film that has been so well-known as a stage production?
To start the design process, I learn the script to imagine the journey each character takes and how their development can be shown in their makeup, hair and prosthetics. My research for Wicked went way back in history and up to the present day to try and bring something new and extraordinary to each character that the audience would enjoy and not necessarily expect. It’s very important to respect the audience and only enhance their imagination.
What can we expect to see in terms of makeup?
The overall look for Wicked is to be timeless. As with The Wizard of Oz, all the looks from principals to the enormous crowd scenes in Emerald City was to create styles not seen before, putting a twist on everything. Every person on the film wore wigs or hair pieces from the 84 principal cast to the 3500 total crowd numbers. The biggest film in both creativity and numbers I have ever had the pleasure to be part of.
Tell me about Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba makeup design.
The iconic green skin of Elphaba was specially designed to work on black skin, retain its color and beauty in all lighting conditions and appear realistic rather than like face paint. While searching the market and doing trials on the models, I found a Canadian makeup in neon green. I met with David Stoneman of the Maekup company and combined, from our trials, various illustrators for the green base. The exact green was a mix of creamy air colors and a few drops of neon yellow. The combination gave the reflective quality needed to bring the makeup to life. Branka Vorkapic helped me throughout our trial process. In my design, I used tiny black freckles which Cynthia loved. She shaves her eyebrows so transfers were used there. Her younger look for hair was lighter and longer, darker and freer for film two. Her nails began with a simple green to match her skin tone upon arrival at Shiz University and evolved into longer lengths and designs as her character developed.
What inspired Ariana Grande’s Glinda makeup and hair?
My inspiration for Ariana Grande was some beautiful references from the 1940s and 1950s. Grace Kelly had the correct feel for her character, as I wanted to create a timeless look for her makeup. Ariana has very dark hair and eyebrows, so we tinted her hair blonde for under her various wigs and tinted her eyebrows to lift her natural eyebrow color. Her makeup was created with many different products including Ariana’s own range, REM. Her nails were princess like and classic, a simple French manicure with single gems for certain scenes.
Can you share what went into the design for MichelleYeoh as Madame Morrible?
Madam Morrible possesses magical powers, particularly her ability to control the weather. I chose to give Michelle a pure white wig to mimic clouds and their shapes. Jon loved the designs, and though they vary, I always kept her hairstyles to have tails as if the wind had whipped through them. The designs complemented and balanced her costume perfectly. As she loses control, her hair becomes wilder. Her makeup and nails were very clean, stylish, and simple.
What about Jeff Goldblum as The Wizard?
The Wizard is all smoke and mirrors with no powers. When Jeff was cast, I wanted to create a new look for him. Jeff never wore wigs, and his hair was extremely short at the sides. He arrived in the UK very close to his filming dates, so I had already had his wigs and facial hair made. He loved everything. The styles gave Jeff extra height and bulk, which balanced his overall look and gave him a real presence. I had decided that facial hair was something I would use throughout the designs for Oz, and as everyone admired the Wizard, there are many variations of his look.
What did you enjoy most about working on this project?
I enjoyed so many things. Working with the brilliant, creative makeup, hair, and prosthetics artists who brought my designs to life. Working with Jon Chu and Marc Platt as they gave me the creative freedom to bring Wicked to life on film. Collaborating with the fantastic costume designer Paul Tazewell. Collaborating with Mark Coulier for the prosthetics on Scarecrow and Tinman. Mark also made some wonderful 3D masks for the Emerald City dancers. I’m extremely proud of the exquisite, extraordinary, and artistic work every member of my crew produced. To have the opportunity to design a film that is so iconic and extravagant, and do it with Jon Chu directing, was a dream come true.
Words Shannon Levy
Photos Courtesy of NBC Universal
