Brendan Fraser’s Digital Prosthetics Makeup Team in ‘The Whale’ Win Oscars 2023 Best Makeup and Hairstyling Award: A Look at Their Résumé
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Talent comes in many forms, one being the artistry of hair and makeup in film. The category was among those recognized at the Academy Awards ceremony on Sunday in Los Angeles, along with, of course, performance plus cinematography, writing and sound. This year, prosthetics proved victorious as Adrien Morot, Judy Chin and Annemarie Bradley made it to the podium taking home the Oscar for Best Makeup and Hairstyling. The honor acknowledged their extensive labor on Brendan Fraser, transforming the actor into Charlie, the lead character of “The Whale.” Fraser plays an obese man living behind a computer screen who looks to form a bond with his distant daughter, following the reality he faces with his condition.
For “The Whale” to win this award, the use of all-digital prosthetic makeup was a major success. The Academy noted that this was the first time it had been done, allowing for Fraser’s emotional range of expression to radiate.
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Dubbed as a “prosthetics wizard” by Motion Pictures, Morot had the task of creating the prosthetic makeup for Fraser’s character Charlie. Every day on set came with hours of meticulous preparation as Fraser underwent a mold for every part of his body, from chin to arms and legs.
Morot’s skills have been recognized for more than a decade, including an Oscar nomination in Best Achievement in Makeup for the film “Barney’s Vision” in 2011.
Other nominees in the category included Mark Coulier, Jason Baird and Aldo Signoretti with their nostalgic transformations of Austin Butler and Tom Hanks for “Elvis”; Camille Friend and Joel Harlow creating otherworldly glamour on the entire cast of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”; Naomi Donne, Mike Marino and Mike Fontaine, who harnessed the characters of Gotham in a modern-day look for “The Batman,” and Heike Merker and Linda Eisenhamerová for “All Quiet on the Western Front,” which also won the Oscar for best international picture.
As Morot, Chin and Bradley relish in their achievement, WWD looks below at their work through the years, including the striking special effects makeup Morot brought to life in “X-Men: Days of Future Past” in 2014 and the avant-garde “Black Swan” as imagined by Chin on the face of Natalie Portman in 2010.
Judy Chin for “Black Swan”
In the 2010 film, “Black Swan,” Chin flushed Natalie Portman’s face with a white base and faint red lip, harnessing the ballerina’s first look with darkness in her gaze. The black and bold eyeliner represented a transcendent visual, harnessing the plot of the film with eyeliner that covered the entire eyelid and temple, drawn sharp into the inner corner of the eye.
Judy Chin for “Little Women”
Chin’s work as makeup department head on Greta Gerwig‘s film “Little Women” showcased the female cast in a natural light, though eclipsed with a thoughtful approach to the era of the plot with subtle tints of blush and lip color.
Chin also received two Emmy Award nominations for her work as the key makeup artist and makeup department head for “Sex and the City” in both 2001 and 2003.
Adrien Morot for “X-Men: Days of Future Past”
Montreal-born special effects makeup artist Morot worked on “X-Men: Days of Future Past.” Jennifer Lawrence was reimagined as Mystique with scales layered atop her blue figure and black ink pupils fully dilated with a yellow eye.
Portrayed by Nicholas Hoult in “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” Beast had an intense stare starting with his brushed-up eyebrows and razor-sharp teeth. Morot brought the character to a grisly state with body hair poking out through the tears in his clothing.
Annemarie Bradley for “In the Heights”
Hairstylist Annemarie Bradley received the Make Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild Award nomination for Best Contemporary Hairstyling in a feature-length motion picture for “In the Heights.” The musical highlighted the charisma of a hair salon and Bradley nailed the venture with voluminous hairstyles and playful hair accessories.
Annemarie Bradley for “A Bad Moms Christmas”
Bradley was behind the hair color and styles in “A Bad Moms Christmas.” Kathryn Hahn’s character plays the daughter of Isis Dunkler, portrayed by Susan Sarandon, in which they both are featured with auburn hues and free-spirited personas. Whether with disco curls or pinned to one-side finishes, Bradley channeled the actress’ characteristics with their look-alike hairstyles.
The annual Oscars celebrates film, cinematography and the artists who bring characters to life. This year, Jimmy Kimmel hosted the show. Performances included Rihanna and Lady Gaga, and presenters included Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Janelle Monáe and more. For the 95th annual ceremony, the red carpet was swapped for a champagne color due to an aesthetic choice to enhance the photography during the arrivals. The champagne carpet was the first to change from red since the 33rd Oscars in 1961.
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