How did you come to work on Wednesday?
It was an unusual circumstance, as it didn’t work out with the original hair and makeup designer. My agent called to ask if I’d like to meet for the job, and I jumped at the chance. I met with Colleen Atwood, the costume designer, and the producers that same day via Zoom. I was on a plane to Bucharest within a few days to start work where I remained for almost eight months. I guess you’d call it a lucky break!
Tim Burton’s projects have a specific aesthetic, what was the design process like for creating the makeup and hair for Wednesday?
My prep time was short and rushed. I think I had less than four weeks before we began pre-shoots. It’s a bit of a blur! I gathered images from books, magazines, Pinterest, and drawings, and in this instance took inspiration from Charles Addams’s illustrations. I created mood boards which I presented to Tim Burton. We discussed every single character in great detail. Tim was very involved with the look of each one. The next step was the hair and makeup tests—we would try out some of our favorite ideas, some would work, and others not. The final step was to test the looks on camera to make sure they worked on film.
This is the first time viewers see Wednesday Addams as a teenager. How did you modernize her look for this series while staying true to the iconic character?
It was a great privilege to be part of the collaboration to create the look for teenage Wednesday. The idea was to create a more contemporary look. Wednesday is not the type of girl to worry too much about makeup so I wanted to design something simple, yet effective. The lip was the most important feature for me; I wanted a bitten-lip aesthetic. I wanted smudgy smokey eyes, and of course, for her freckles to remain visible. An edgy “Soft Goth” look was the goal. Jenna arrived with bangs and Tim was keen to keep this style as a modern approach to the overall look. We cut in a French girl fringe to achieve the aesthetic.
What key products did you use to create Jenna Ortega’s goth-glam look as Wednesday?
MAC Nightmoth lipliner and Dr. Paw Paw lip balm were the key products.
Tell me about the makeup for Jenna as Goody Addams.
Goody was a ghost so we paled her down and darkened under her eyes. We paled her lips too. We tried various colored wigs and settled on a dark blonde. A bald cap piece was used on her part to disguise her dark roots. We would often jump between Goody and Wednesday in one day. Those days were tough!
What was the key to transforming Catherine Zeta-Jones into Morticia?
Again, the aim was to modernize Morticia. I wanted to move on from the previous incarnations. To do this, we changed both the lip and eye color. We decided on a plum and mulberry palette. Catherine played a huge part in creating this character’s look. She’s a wonderful collaborator.
How did you translate the blood rain in the dance scene onto the skin and hair of the characters?
This was a tricky scene. Tim was very particular about the shade of red for the blood. The art department camera tested various shades over a week. Once they decided, it was our job to recreate that exact shade so we could match this for pickups and other continuity scenes that were shot out of sequence. We mixed different products; Maek up and Pigs Might Fly had the closest colors.
What was the process like for transforming Fred Armisen into Uncle Fester?
I received an email from Fred as soon as he was cast saying he wanted to shave his head. This was great news—no bald cap required! We used silicone eyebrow blockers to hide his brows. Tim wanted him to look more realistic than previous Festers, so a light base was applied and a little shading under his eyes.
From Weems ‘50s hair and makeup to Enid’s playful, brighter color palette. Where did you draw inspiration for these characters?
I wanted to make all the characters beautiful and unique with a strong signature look. Once I’d seen Weems’ costume it was clear we were going down the Hitchcock Blonde route. I had a platinum blonde wig made by an amazing wig maker called Rober to in Rome. We took inspiration from both Kim Novak in Vertigo and Tippi Hedren in The Birds. The classic red lip was a must and a light-colored eye with the black winged liner completed the look.
The Outcasts at Nevermore have signature looks to distinguish each group. What was the design process like for that?
This was the trickiest par t to design. As we mainly see them in school uniforms, it was up to hair and makeup to distinguish the looks. The Sirens wore sleek wet hair, glowing wet look skin, and pale lenses. Tim wanted faint scales applied, for the camera to occasionally pick up. The Fangs wore dark plum lips and most sported some sort of gothic-style tattoo. The Wolves wore wild hair and had monobrows drawn on. The Gorgons had snake-style hair pieces attached to their hair daily to achieve the appearance of hidden snakes that would be covered with a beanie.
Words Shannon Levy
Photos Courtesy of Netflix
