Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1541402
56 • THE ARTISAN WINTER 2026 ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF DISNEY ENTERPRISES As everything was getting underway during soft prep research and development for Tron: Ares, all systems were a go, and excitement was building to be a part of the Tron legacy! The uncertainty about work stoppages hanging over the entire industry became a reality when there was a SAG- AFTRA strike. Within a day, the crew was given notice to cease all work on the production at once. I had an ominous feeling that we would never be called back. What if the studio changed its mind about making such an ambitious film? A kind of helpless feeling took over. When the news broke that the strike was over, I received an email that we would regroup in six weeks' time and get back to work. I was elated, especially after the hardship and uncertainty our entire community had endured. Having worked with inimitable Oscar winner Jared Leto before on Blade Runner 2049 and The Little Things, as well as having a long-standing relationships with the other producers, I was deeply honored and privileged to be a part of this visually exciting project. Jared and his producing partner, Emma Ludbrook, are very hands- on, creative producers. I was a fan of our director Joachim Ronning, having seen a number of his earlier films (Kon- Tiki, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, and my favorite, Young Woman and the Sea). I was entrusted by the producers and director to Above: Jodie Turner-Smith as Athena. Opposite page from top: Jared Leto as Ares; Arturo Castro as Seth Flores and Greta Lee as Eve Kim When audiences step into the digital world of Tron: Ares, they'll notice the glow- ing suits, the vast landscapes of "the grid," and the pulse of neon that has defined the franchise for decades. But beneath the glow, it's the hair design that quietly shapes the humanity of its characters. My team (Evelyn Feliciano, Corey Bakon, and Judy Durbacz) and I were tasked with a unique challenge: to create futuristic looks that would not only live alongside bold VFX but also bring out the personality of each performed—Jared Leto, Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Jodie Turner- Smith, and Arturo Castro—in ways that felt both cutting-edge and timeless. Jared Leto's (Ares) style walks the line between human and otherworldly, glamorous, and alien. Sleek and perfectly controlled, the silhouette carries danger and charisma. Jeannie Chow, his personal hair stylist, sculpted the style using gel and pomade to achieve its precise finish. Greta Lee's (Eve Kim) hair was designed with a softness that maintains a feminine edge, yet in a high-tech ponytail. Greta's hair was a functional ponytail constructed with 20-inch hand-tied extensions. We applied gel to her hair to style it into a ponytail and wrapped the extensions around her bob- length hair. Assistant director Don Sparks coined Greta's ponytail as "the stallion." Jodie Turner-Smith's (Athena) platinum pixie is the ultimate statement of authority. Stripped of excess, it frames her face like a Continued on page 58 Continued on page 61 STEPPING INTO A DIGITAL WORLD B Y D O N A L D M O W A T D E P A R T M E N T H E A D M A K E - U P B Y C A M I L L E F R I E N D D E P A R T M E N T H E A D H A I R MAKE-UP HAIR