Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1469328
52 • THE ARTISAN SUMMER 2022 Michele Lewis (Make-up HOD): You get a call for a project that involves people whose body of work you respect and admire. For me, that would be the opportunity to work with one of my favorite actors and favorite authors. Well, that call finally came. The project of a lifetime. The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey is the tale of a 97-year-old man, played by Samuel L. Jackson, suffering from dementia. Through the story, he is haunted by memories from the past, while struggling to hold on to real - ity as he slowly descends into madness. This story moves between past and present day. Based on a book by Walter Mosley, it asks the question: If you had the chance to unlock a lifetime of memories, would you? During our first meeting with Mr. Mosley, he expressed his desire for the characters to look like real people, who did their own hair, their own make-up, etc. It was so important for them to stay true to Mr. Mosley's vision. Mr. Jackson has his own make-up and hair team, so the responsibil - ity of running the rest of the make-up department was on me, also lending support to Mr. Jackson's team as well. Mr. Jackson's make-up artist Jake Garber had the task of aging him into a 91 year old. Jake is an expert at what he does. I feel so incredibly humbled and fortunate for the opportunity to watch and learn from him. Camille Friend, Mr. Jackson's personal hair stylist whose work is well known, was also on board to bring Mr. Jackson's look to completion. Jake Garber (Make-up Designer and Make-up Artist for Samuel L. Jackson): When I was doing Sam's make-up in Django Unchained, he mentioned a project he had in which he was to be older and suffer from Alzheimer's. Both of our mothers had the disease so it struck a chord with me. It had been brought up occasionally, but it wasn't until the end of 2020 that I found out that The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey was going to happen. After New Year's, I got in touch with Camille Friend. A hair mas - ter and my other half when working on set with Sam. We had a few discussions and got together as much reference as we could before our meeting with Sam. Our first meeting with Sam was January 20, 2021. Sam had definite thoughts on Ptolemy which were completely in line with Camille and myself. The big takeaway from this meeting was that Ptolemy would not look like a homeless, filthy vagrant. He is a man who is unkept. Through no fault of his own, his grooming goes by the wayside. We were also unified in that Ptolemy would be aged accurately as an African American man. He would not be a caricature with exaggerated features and wrinkles to "sell" the fact that he was old. Sam had submitted pic - tures of both Harry Belafonte and Sidney Poitier and neither of them had barely a wrinkle on them. PHOTOS COURTESY OF APPLE TV+ L-R: Dominique Fishback and Samuel L. Jackson PTOLEMY GREY - THE LAST DAYS OF