Jessica Chastain Details Years of Hair and Makeup Transformations, From ‘Mama’ to ‘George & Tammy’

Jessica Chastain was a “mess” when she won the best actress Oscar for “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” in 2022. Not from the barrage of congratulatory messages from friends and family, but her hair (Stephanie Ingram) and makeup (Linda Dowds) collaborators had also won the best makeup and hairstyling Oscar. Says Chastain, “It was so meaningful to me that they were recognized for their work.”

Chastain, Dowds and Ingram first crossed paths in 2013 on “Mama,” and most recently on Showtime’s “George and Tammy,” the story of country singers George Jones (played by Michael Shannon) and Tammy Wynette (Chastain). Since then, the trio has become a tight unit with honesty and trust at the core of their collaboration, whether conceiving real-life transformations or subtle applications as part of their process.

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You all started working together on “Mama.” What do you remember about that film?

Linda Dowds: The character was so much fun. We started with that dark wig and the heavy eye makeup that was a little punk rock. One of the things I recognized is that Jessica can wear any color, makeup or wig.

Stephanie Ingram: It was a very interesting first step for me because I was supposed to be the assistant. But I ended up taking care of Jessica for the film and it all worked out.

Jessica Chastain: I’m pretty dogged when it comes to finding possibilities and [asking] “How can we create this?” The arm tattoo was so complicated to apply and keep because I have sensitive skin. Linda was finding stuff that was healthiest for me so I wouldn’t have any reactions. With Stephanie, it was a tough situation with the wig, and I remember her saying, “I’ll figure it out.” She stepped forward in a way that I think a lot of other people would have been afraid to. Both Linda and Stephanie are like, “I don’t know how to do it sometimes, and maybe no one’s ever done it before, but I’m going to figure it out,” and that’s exciting energy to be around.

And then, I had to figure out how to work with these women forever.

Jessica, how do you approach wearing something like a black wig or wearing something that might be outside your comfort zone?

Chastain: The biggest compliment someone can give me is if they didn’t know I was in a movie. But someone was shocked by it. And that’s exciting. It’s not that I’ll never dye my hair, it’s usually a situation of how you show a change of time. Or how do we keep consistency?

“Molly’s Game” had so many different hairstyles; dark hair, brown, red, and then it was black and straight. There were so many transformations and so much evolution with her. Linda is so good at creating mood boards. We have pictures and ideas, but she’ll show the journey of where the character is starting and ending. Continuity is important to me because it’s part of my journey and where am I on my journey and the two of them are great at that. Whether it’s “X-Men,” which is so ethereal, to “Molly’s Game,” the same attention to detail is given to it.

On the subject of detail, what about “Crimson Peak” and working with Guillermo del Toro to create Lady Lucille?

Dowds: We had small scar tattoos that went on Jessica for that. I don’t even know if we put a foundation on Jessica for that because her complexion is so beautiful. I had researched and got some carmine [which would add a vibrant red] and made a lip color from scratch that matched [her] rustic red dress perfectly, and in line with the period, it would be almost like a red stain on the lip. It was one of the most beautiful looks — it was so clean and stark.

Ingram: She was covered from head to toe with something, whether it be the wig, costume or gloves. She was in a body corset. Guillermo wanted the hair, when it came down, to hit the floor. I ended up making a piece and used orthodontic headgear to make the base. I was constantly working on how I was going to make this hair long. I was so concerned because when it was down, it was so heavy. We used to get a grip stand and put the hair over it to try to relieve some of the pressure off the back of Jessica’s neck.

Chastain: It goes to show how these two are like Inspector Gadgets with Linda making the lipstick from scratch, and I didn’t know it was orthopedic headgear.

Jumping to “George and Tammy,” how useful is it to be involved early in the process?

Chastain: Linda collects. She has albums, and albums of pictures from the time [period], and she does so much research. We’d be in the makeup chair, and I’d say, “Can we model this look after the album cover or this article when she’s in a black dress?” Linda will say she has that picture.

When you’re playing a real-life person, you have all this incredible research out there and someone can check your homework, so it has to be good.

In episode 6, when George is trying to get her to get in the car with him, he holds her hand. It flashes back to the first episode, but it’s the quickest and you see her when she’s young and then you see her in that moment.

She’s 55 and worn by life. I remember when I first saw that transition, I gasped out loud. We’re the trifecta because I’m also playing the part. But I look in the mirror and I’m inspired. I’m feeling what I see and they create that within me.

Dowds: When we are working together on something, we have an opportunity to have discussions about what the next one is, and ideas start percolating. With “George and Tammy,” it was meant to go [forward] a couple of times, so I started collecting research. I’m a big lover of eBay for reference, so it started building up. When you get closer, you start working out the boards and binders. We have our discussions and all of the materials; if we can pull all that together and have it there with Jess’ inspiration, she is a great collaborator for us. As much as she is gracious in saying how much we pull out, she pulls out for us and has great ideas.

“George and Tammy” was just rich; it’s period work, real-life characters and a beautiful, tragic story all in one. We become invested in these characters, and we want to do them justice.

Authenticity is key.

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