PROFILE KEN DIAZ
Where were you born?
I was born in East Los Angeles and raised 8 miles east in Pico Rivera, CA.
Where do you live now?
I have always felt a deep attachment to my community, so I live just five minutes from where I grew up, in Whittier, CA.
When you were young, what did you want to be when you grew up?
When I was a young teenager, I used to decorate my bedroom in wild, imaginary ways and got great feedback from my peers and grown-ups alike, so I explored a career as an interior
designer. I soon found out that in the 1960s, it was a job done by women. Inspired by photos in my mother’s home and garden magazines, I next developed an interest in exterior landscape design. Designing pools, rock formations, waterfalls, and grottos. When I got older, I sometimes worked at my uncle’s Mexican restaurant and pitched him ideas to attract more customers. He told me he was happy with how he was running the business, so I decided to start planning to open my own Mexican restaurant, beginning by sketching the exterior design of my future restaurant.
How did that translate into makeup artistry?
After completing three semesters at my local community college, I transferred to the Culinary Arts Program at LA Trade Tech. I kicked ass in that course, staying after school every day for extra credit, but the head instructor dropped my grade by a whole level because I did not know a dirty joke to tell at the senior graduation luncheon. I guess he came from that 1960s “Mad Men” era and felt that his students should always be prepared with a full arsenal of dirty jokes for those three Martini business lunches.
During that summer break of 1974, I saw a television special on Pyrotechnic Special Effects. “Wow, I have always been a pyromaniac. I could do that. In school, they always tell you that you can be anything you want to be when you grow up. Plus, I only live 20 minutes from Hollywood. If anybody should be able to do that, I should be able to do that.
How did you get your start?
I found an ad in the Yellow Pages for a school offering a Special Effects course, but after visiting, I realized it was actually a makeup school offering a prosthetic makeup course. It looked cool, but it wasn’t Pyro! After months of detective work, I discovered that Pyrotechnic Special Effects in Hollywood was very much a closed job, run by various family groups.
So, I came up with the idea of taking that prosthetic makeup course, working my way onto a film set to meet professional pyro guys, volunteering to help and possibly apprenticing under them. When I called the school to sign up for their Special Effects course, they told
me that there were some prerequisites. I would have to take Salon Makeup, Theater Makeup, Motion Picture Makeup, and then Special Effects. I said, “Salon Makeup? I want to blow things up!” I didn’t return to LA Trade Tech in the fall, and after exhausting every other possible inroad, I signed up for the February 1975 Salon Makeup course.I remember being so intimidated when I showed up on the first night of class; there were 15 girls and me. I just about walked out of one of the classes when I was asked to draw Cupid’s bow-shaped lip liner on myself. After realizing I had no backup plan, I finished the assignment before quickly wiping off my lipstick.
So why did you stick with it?
On the first day of Theater Makeup, my instructor informed me that I had received the highest grade in my Salon Makeup class. Boy, that really gave me a boost of confidence, and then I got to create these theatrical makeup looks, which felt like advanced Halloween makeup — and I took right to it.
I was 10 months into Elegance International Academy of Professional Makeup’s 12-month program when I first thought to myself, “You know, I have been kicking ass on all these makeups. I could probably do this makeup thing for a living.
How did you know that the that this industry was where you wanted to be?
Thinking back, there were two films I saw growing up that also planted seeds for pursuing a career in the entertainment industry. The first seed was planted when I was 10, when I saw the 1964 Beatlemania movie A Hard Day’s Night. This was the first time I got a glimpse of the inner workings of a television studio’s behind-thescenes crew, showing all these amazing jobs. This movie was so exciting, I never wanted to leave the theater.
The second seed was planted when I saw the 1970 film, Woodstock. I was just about to turn 16, and I was so excited to see this documentary about the largest-ever music festival and cultural phenomenon that had taken place the previous summer.
Once again, I found it so intriguing to gain insight into the various behind-the-scenes jobs required to put on this type of event. I consider Woodstock to be my coming-of-age movie. I vividly remember the moment I walked out of the theater and realized that you didn’t need to be the star to be part of the show!
What are some of the most important qualities that a makeup artist can have?
A great makeup artist possesses a good artistic eye. I believe that some people are born with that gift and explore it, while others have to study and continuously work to develop it.
I have worked with makeup artists who are serious makeup fans and have studied all the application steps, products, and techniques. But I have noticed that when they follow these application steps, a lack of artistic eye leads them to jump ahead to the next step before properly completing the previous one and that just doesn’t make an artist great.
These are the types of makeup artists who tend to brag about how quickly they did the makeup, or say things like “easy peasy”, which really bugs me — especially when the work feels poorly executed and they seem overly proud of it.
How do you continue to grow as an artist?
I believe we should always strive to continue growing as artists. I can learn about a new product from someone just starting their career. When you think that you know everything, it’s time to quit.
Do you have a project that you’ve done that you are especially proud of?
I was very pleased with the work in The Mask of Zorro. The 1940s movie-style makeup I designed for Catherine Zeta-Jones. The period facial hair, including multiple looks for Antonio Banderas, an extremely realistic 20-year transition on Stuart Wilson, and a prosthetic leprosy makeup.
What are the things about your work that makes it the most interesting to you?
From the very beginning, I have always wanted to be deeply involved in the filmmaking process and I have always found it interesting to be willing to jump in and h elp wherever I could — I’ve been everything from an on-set medic, to a lion and ostrichhandler — even a replacement caterer for a day!
I have also always had a passion for figuring out how best to help out a struggling actor or actress, sometimes in very unconventional ways.
What type of work do you find most satisfying?
I come from a long line of storytellers, so I love telling stories through creating well-thought-out character looks. Looking back through my somewhat lengthy career, I can tell that the most memorable characters were created in collaborative moments.
When I worked closely with directors, actors, and directors of photography, collaborating with the costume designers and hairstylists, all of whom provided their creative input while working toward the same vision. Unfortunately, this kind of group unity does not happen every time, but when it does, it’s magical.
What project was the most challenging?
I would have to say being the Makeup Effects Coordinator on The Thing. Rob Bottin first worked closely with storyboard artist Mike Ploog, mapping out these very imaginative effects sequences. Rob would then sit down with the Mechanical Animation Coordinator, Dave Kelsey, and me to brainstorm innovative ways to create these groundbreaking special makeup effects.
Do you prefer one type of work to another
I have always enjoyed mixing it up. If I have been creating and applying prosthetics, facial hair, or temporary tattoos for an extended period, I can’t wait to get back to doing stylized beauty makeup.
What project did you have the most fun working on?
Well, I do have a reputation for trying to bring fun to any project, but let me tell you about my very first location shoot. It was during the summer of 1979, and I was a rookie makeup artist who had just been called up to the big leagues to work on Michael Cimino’s Heaven’s Gate.
It was our first holiday weekend, and most of the cast and crew were gathering at a roadhouse bar in Whitefish, Montana. A group of actresses had talked our lead actress and recluse Isabelle Huppert into going out to The Blue Moon, with the assurance that they would protect her from people who might bother her. I was not aware of that arrangement when Mickey Rourke came over to my table and dared me to go ask our lead actress Isabelle Huppert to dance.
Eventually I did just that and after she gave it a few seconds of thought she ended up saying yes! Well, we tore up that dance floor to that song and that kicked the party into high gear. Definitely one of my must fun memories on a project.
Whose work do you admire?
Although I admire elements of just about ever y type of makeup design and artistry, I tend to prefer realistic-looking characters over sci-fi and fantasy ones.
I loved Perc Westmore’s realistically grotesque Quasimodo makeup on Charles Laughton for Hunchback of Notre Dame. Dick Smith’s aging makeup on Max von Sydow in The Exorcist, and F. Murray Abraham in Amadeus. Christopher Tucker’s full-body prosthetic makeup on John Hurt for The Elephant Man. Rick Baker’s multiple prosthetic character makeups on Eddie Murphy for Coming to America. Some of the more contemporary makeup artists’ work I admire are Kazu Hiro, Mark Coulier, and Mike Marino.
What’s next for Ken Diaz?
I am currently helping develop the stories of underrepresented Latino committee and scouting emerging talent, with the goal of producing award-winning film and television projects.
Words Michael DeVellis
Photos Courtesy of The Milton Agency
