See Owen Wilson Transform Into a Bob Ross-Like Artist for 'Paint' (Video Exclusive)

The actor grew a beard and was custom-fitted with six permed and dyed wigs to resemble the late artist famous for the PBS series The Joy of Painting

To quote Bob Ross himself, it's no "happy accident" that Owen Wilson resembles the late artist in his new movie Paint.

The comedy — about a soft-spoken, curly-haired painter with a public TV show and a fervent female following — is (very) loosely inspired by the man who whipped up landscapes in 30 minutes on PBS's 1983-94 series The Joy of Painting.

As viewers can see in this video from the movie's hair and makeup department, transforming Wilson, 54, into the Ross-like character named Carl Nargle was a team effort.

Wilson grew his own beard, and hair department head Kekepania Vasquez-Tamali'i and her staff fitted the actor with six versions of the same wig, which were permed and also dyed to match Wilson's facial hair.

Related:Owen Wilson Looks Unrecognizable as Bob Ross-Like Artist in First Look at Paint

"It took a lot of work," says Vasquez-Tamali'i, whose staff had to re-dye the wigs during production. Meanwhile, makeup department head Josie Rodriguez says she used foundation on Wilson to create "a bronzy look."

For the hour or so Wilson spent with the hair and makeup team getting ready each day, Rodriguez played a variety of 1970s music. "We tried to keep it close to something that Carl Nargle would listen to. So we had Fleetwood Mac and Gordon Lightfoot," says Rodriguez. (The curly-haired Lightfoot was another point of reference in styling Wilson.)

Related:Owen Wilson Is a Bob Ross-Like Artist Who Faces New Competition in First Trailer for Paint

The actor says he was blown away the first time he looked in the mirror. "It was a little bit jarring," confesses Wilson, who adds that the makeover helped him get into character.

"I've looked somewhat the same in a lot of movies," he says. "It always seems nice when you see actors that really change and get to do stuff and to tap into that little kid feeling of make-believe, and so there was more of an element in this movie. For me, having such a different look helps you to feel not like yourself, and that can't hurt as an actor."

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Wilson got a kick out of showing off his look to friends and family. "The first few weeks, my favorite thing to do during lunch break was to FaceTime people," he says. "And of course there were the people, like my family to do, but then even somebody like my lawyer, somebody who wasn't really expecting it. A financial advisor on a Zoom meeting to discuss things."

The look also enabled him to walk around Saratoga Springs, New York, where much of the movie filmed, without being recognized. "I did feel a little bit anonymous. It's hard to believe you could feel anonymous dressed like that, but walking around the town and going in [to a store], getting a newspaper or something, people would not know [it was me]," he says.

An art lesson also helped him feel more like a painter. "I took one of those Bob Ross painting classes with my two boys," he says of sons Robert, 12, and Finn, 9. "All three of us did a similar mountainscape and I think they turned out pretty good."

Related:Netflix's Bob Ross Documentary Explores the Dark Battle for Control of His Estate After His Death

In the movie, Wilson's Nargle is known as Vermont's No. 1 public television painter. But his status—and ego — are threatened when a younger artist named Ambrosia (played by Ciara Renee) lands her own show, upstaging Nargle.

The movie costars Wendi McLendon-Covey, Michaela Watkins and Lusia Strus. It's written and directed by Brit McAdams, who previously told PEOPLE he was blown away by Wilson's appearance and performance. "Obviously, I looked at him a lot during that process. But when he actually stepped in front of the camera as Carl Nargle the cinematographer (my old friend/genius Patrick Cady) and we turned to each other and whispered, 'Holy cow,'" he said.

"The (12!) years of prep and rewriting the script and having the movie come together and fall apart were immediately beyond worth it. With Owen as Carl Nargle everything just came alive. That's what Owen brings to the part and the world of Paint," continued McAdams.

Paint is in theaters April 7.

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