Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1538122
30 • THE ARTISAN FALL 2025 ZOË: Laura once again whipped out her brushes to create a beautiful simple and innocent make-up for Jane with a skin forward focus. She used Giorgio Armani foundation and neutral palette to create this look and was able to bump it up and use more color for her non-work scenes. MICHAEL: Billy Pace was a Secret Service agent, contract killer, ex-con, and abused child. We had a whole episode exploring his complex past. ZOË: In Paradise, we purposely did not have him follow Secret Service grooming guidelines to show that he is a little loose. For flashback scenes when he leaves jail, we were asked to give him tattoos. I created custom tattoos, and we also added stock pieces all provided by "Out of Kit." For one of the tattoos, I was able to use a photo of an actual skull I pulled from a lake in Montana which the actor especially liked as his character is from there. Other pieces included a half arm of gray work skulls, and a Montana grizzly bear. Laura helped with application of these and handled his looks, including hand laying a slightly longer beard into his stubble and of course, killing him. She also matched the younger actor playing him as a child. As Paradise viewers asked, "Who killed President Bradford?" I can't imagine anyone had their eyes on unassuming librarian Trent (Ian Kerrigan)—one of the most pivotal characters of Season 1. Our showrunner came to us in pre-production with an Ian in mind—distinctive and very tall—so the challenge was to disguise him completely until the final reveal in the last episode. Michael and I were thrilled. During prep week, we dedicated a full day to testing nearly 20 different looks: various hair styles, wigs, facial hair (his own, shaved, and added beards). We ended the day by applying a generic fat-face prosthetic from "Out of Kit" to alter his jawline and make him appear heavier. The team loved the transformation, and we eventually narrowed it down to a few key looks used throughout the show. He was always present—just completely unrecognizable MICHAEL: Trent's disguises were achieved by using lace wigs and hairpieces that were cut, colored and styled to seamlessly blend into the world of Paradise. The goal was to create a believable, layered disguise that not only hid the killer in plain sight, but also intensified the tension leading up to the dramatic final reveal. ZOË: Prosthetics designer Stevie Bettles created an outstanding peel-and-stick silicone prosthetic for the characters' transformation, which I applied, along with Laura throughout the season. At one stage, we added a hand-laid stubble beard over the prosthetic to craft an in-between look. Later, we see him as a long-bearded man leaving jail, looking almost unrecognizable. This disguise was especially exciting: Stevie created a prosthetic bald pate meticulously hand-punched by Brooke Barker which matched a wig designed by Michael Reitz. It all led up to a pivotal scene where the character shaves his head and cuts his beard in a bathroom mirror—making the transformation complete. The result was seamless and incredibly effective on screen. He reintroduces himself in Paradise City with a completely new identity, for this last look. I hand-tied a beard copying the actor's own that he arrived with on our first test day. We had such a large cast working so I also want to thank Tania McComas and Elizabeth Hoel-Chang for being such an important part of our make-up department. MICHAEL: Any reason to work with the incredibly talented wigmaker Stacey Butterworth and seeing the finished product is always thrilling. We have worked together for nearly a decade. Our history has created a partnership that can communicate without words and overcome obstacles on even the most challenging days. We are so lucky to be surrounded by so many talented artists and are blessed to work with one of the most collaborative crews we have ever met in our 30-plus years. We would like to thank all the Local 706 make-up and hair stylists who came to work with us Season 1. As we wrap Season 2 of Paradise, we can tell you that it provided a new and exciting set of hair and make-up challenges that we have faced. We are anxious to watch along with you. •