Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1486000
92 • THE ARTISAN WINTER 2023 Keeping It Real Department Head Make-up Leesa Simone touching up ski racer Lindsey Vonn in the reality show The Pack. "A week later, I received a phone call that I was recommended to interview for a new nonunion traveling show and it would involve dogs," she said. "That was like my ultimate dream job to travel around the world, be compensated for it and work on a show that was based around dogs. I needed 11 more days to complete my 60-60-60 at the time of the phone call. During our prep for the show, due to some logistics, the show needed to flip and in turn it would mean I would also have the chance to flip into the union. My first big show and I got to fulfill my manifestation request to be consistently working as a make-up artist, join the Local 706, put in my two weeks of bartending, traveled to Europe and had enough money to help me get through the first few months of the pandemic. "What people didn't know was that I was struggling in 2019. I had two major surgeries, one where I was overdosed on anesthesia and had to be resuscitated and was financially struggling to make ends meet; which is why I had to go back to bartending. I thought I would have to move out of state by February 2020 if I couldn't find some sort of miracle. This show was not only that life-changing blessing, but the entire cast and crew became family. The show runner, Jay Bienstock, also became somewhat of a personal mentor and cheerleader of mine. You never know when the universe is going to bless you, especially when you feel like you are crawling at rock bottom and covered in despair." LAST LOOKS LAST LOOKS