Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1529095
30 • THE ARTISAN WINTER 2025 took over as Department Head until I could get back. For this section of the film, we had to create a youth make-up for Dennis and Penelope. Jen executed these make-ups using lis and strategic folds in their skin that were covered with custom Pros-Aide transfers sculpted to match their skin texture in the specific area where we were doing the lis and folds. For Dennis, we quite literally folded his entire neck waddle over onto itself and used full neck transfers to smooth it all out. For Penelope as Nancy Davis/Reagan on top of the lis and blenders, we had the added tool of her '40s-'50s period make-up to help shape a more youthful face. e early scenes with Dennis rely heavily on a naturalistic make-up style, ensuring that Reagan's Hollywood charm came through. As the story progresses to Reagan's middle years in the 1960s and 1970s—when Reagan became Governor of California, a combination of highlights and shadows and prosthetic appliances on his neck and nose were used to get Dennis about half-way to the Reagan likeness. e rest was Dennis's performance. At this point, Dennis was the same age as was Reagan at that time. is was also true for Penelope. And so, at this point in the timeline, Penelope's make-up was strictly Nancy Reagan likeness. Her likeness for this period was done with highlights and shadows, along with a period-appropriate beauty make up. For the presidential years, the likeness make-ups for both characters of Ron and Nancy Reagan progressed into age make-ups as well. Along MAKE-UP Continued from page 29 with the silicone-based prosthetics already used on Dennis for his likeness make-up, we incorporated old-age stipple for both characters using my own custom formula. ese make-ups were the ones that played the most in the movie. As we moved to the portrayal of Reagan's gradual physical decline due to Alzheimer's disease, Dennis went into full face and neck prosthetics. Penelope's age make-up now included a neck appliance. In addition to Ron and Nancy Reagan, the film features an ensemble of important historical figures, each requiring their own make-up transformations. Jane Wyman, Reagan's first wife, portrayed during the earlier Hollywood years by Mena Suvari, required period-accurate make-up, including bold red lips, well-defined eyebrows, and subtle contouring. Jen Aspinall also had to transform Kevin Dillon into Jack Warner. is involved a partial bald cap, as well as contouring and proper shaping of his mustache to achieve the likeness. Other political figures such as Mikhail Gorbachev and Leonid Brezhnev also make appearances in the film. Gorbachev's recognizable birthmark was recreated using a stencil I made based on photos and airbrush. His head was shaved and hairline thinned to look like actual hair loss and we did a highlight and shadow likeness. Brezhnev was played by Robert Davi. I had to hand-lay his eyebrows to recreate the iconic look of the Soviet dictator. e much-featured character of