I see things that many people don’t – jumbo sized pores, unholy blemishes, bothersome birthmarks, and sneaky wrinkles. But with a wave and swoop of my magic brush, it all gets covered and no one but me and the face in question knows of the imperfections that were at hand before my cavalcade of cosmetics saved the day. I am the super hero of the beauty world – more importantly the celebrity beauty world – well now I should say, ‘was.’
A few wrong brushstrokes and snips of the tweezers saw Lindsay Lohan on the ‘Worst Dressed List with an Emphasis in Poor Makeup.’ And before you could say ‘jail time,’ my good name was dragged through Hollywood mud. You may think that all Miss Lilo cares about is where she’ll get her next snort of blow from, but her opinion on a good make-up artist carries a lot of swag in such a small community of starlets. As far as they’re concerned, having my hands anywhere near their plastic faces is just as bad as having gravity and old age rubbing against them.
Thankfully the Disney Studios took pity on me and hired me as a make up artist for their live action films. Much to my remaining friend’s chagrin, I was flown down to the Caribbean for three months of applying fake beards on extras for this little film called Pirates of the Caribbean. And then the unthinkable happened – the head make up artist went on sudden maternity leave and I was the only one capable of handing the trio.
Bloom. Depp. Knightley.
If you put those names together before the release of Pirates it probably wouldn’t mean anything. Now, it makes goth high school girls squeal with delight and grown men wish they were pirates. And because I was able to apply black eyeliner on men just right, I was thrown back into the daily grind of being one of Hollywood’s go to make up designers. Of course, I didn’t go back to making people beautiful – quite the contrary. I guess the Disney people saw I had more to give and instead of keeping me to make up the faces of the up and coming teen idols, they sent me out into the world of Studio Make Up Design with a butt load of references and the promise that if it didn’t work out – I could always come back and poke Johnny Depp with an eye pencil for a slated fourth film
At this point in my career I’m in the weird transitional period between films. I finished up a gory vampire drama almost a month ago and the three weeks leading up to tomorrow was all pre-production and design meetings with the crew for a new Fox Searchlight production. My days have been spent talking to the head of the costume department, the assistant director, the producers, and all the boring stuff that normal people just don’t care about. I’m a geek and a slave to my craft, what else can I say?
Today, I was getting the make-up trailer squared away for tomorrow when principal photography begins. Tomorrow is the big day – meeting the cast, starting the filming, and getting the lay of the land for the next three months. It really does feel like it’s the eve of the first day of school. I just have to make sure I get some sleep tonight.
Although when I spot the VW van that is a rare commodity in my life next to my parking space as I pull up to my place in Topanga Canyon, I have a feeling sleep is going to be very limited.
The smell of pot hits me full force as I open the door to the small house I share with my older sister Eleanor. I roll my eyes as I throw my keys onto the entry way table. My sister doesn’t usually touch the stuff, which can only mean one thing...
Pepper is staying over. Again.
“Dude…” his voice sounds from the living room as I set my purse down on the kitchen table, “is that you, Pen? You gotta try this kush, totally top notch.
I make my way into the room, watching as my brother Pepper takes a hit off his pipe before exhaling through an empty paper towel roll stuffed with dryer sheets. At least he’s making an effort to keep the pungent smell mountain spring fresh.
“Maybe later, Pep,” I mumble as I sit down in the chair next to the couch he’s occupying, “Where’s Elle?"
“Office? I think…” his voice is foggy before he starts to giggle, “working on a rewrite.”
“How long you crashing here for?” I ask. He gives a noncommittal shrug, his floppy blonde hair falling into his line of sight. He takes another hit off his pipe and sets it down on the coffee table. I know he’s going to be worthless to talk to, so I opt for better company.
Passing that stairs that would take me up to our bedrooms, I head towards the small den that serves as Elle’s work station. I lean against the doorframe, staring at my sister’s back as the glow from the computer screen illuminates her silhouette.
Eleanor writes scripts and is a pick up writer for a bunch of different major network shows. The woman is so attached to her computer, I think it’s the only honest relationship she’s ever had. Her writing is her marriage and only relationship.
“You really should turn on a light,” I announce as I flip a light switch, “you’ll ruin your eye sight.”
Elle turns around looking slightly miffed that I interrupted her creative flow. She smiles softly, however, and moves her line of sight away from her work.
“When did you get in?”
“Just now. Pepper?” I question.
“Few days. Work?”
“Uneventful,” I grin at my older sister. We’re lucky enough to have that sibling bond where just a look, a word, or a nod conveys an entire conversation. The woman is my best friend, “I meet the cast tomorrow.”
“Well good luck with that, I certainly don’t envy you,” she responds before turning her focus back to her work. She is so goal oriented and fixated on her job that I have a hard time wondering why she doesn’t already have awards and nominations out the ass.
I head back towards the living room, hoping Pepper has loaded another bowl. I have this sinking feeling that this upcoming production is going to be one hell of a stressful time.
I’m a part of a world where almost everyone has a hidden agenda. The people of Hollywood do one thing, but the subtext is a completely different story. If you don’t fall perfectly into their assembly line, then you aren’t worth their time. I’ve managed to stay true to who I am this long, and hopefully after this stint with Fox Searchlight, I’ll be able to finally retire from the film industry and focus on my own make up line.
Because the longer I stay, the more I think the legions of Hollywood are dragging me down with them.
As soon as this film, Southern Sunrise, wraps, I’m retiring from film.
Period.
--
The first day of principal photography always makes me nervous.
I don’t know why. I’ve met the cast, I’ve met most of the upper echelon of the crew, I have a good understanding of my character, and I know I don’t suck because the studio picked me to take on the role.
Maybe because no matter how many films I have under my belt, it still seems almost completely foreign to me. My world is music, stages, and thousands of screaming women every single night. No boom mikes, gaffers, and pick ups. Granted, I’ve gotten a lot better at this sort of thing and it isn’t that much different from shooting a music video. Well the last time I checked, music videos only take three days to shoot, not three and a half months.
Or maybe it’s just this particular type of film. I’ve done my share of dramatic roles, but this is far different from anything I’ve tackled. I’m not a lead by any means – I’ve always shied away from the lead roles because while I think I can handle that kind of pressure, I really don’t want the whole crux of the film on my shoulders.
I know, hard to grasp: Justin Timberlake afraid of tackling a leading role in a big film – maybe a few years from now when I’ve gotten more parts under my belt.
But this movie is different. For one, I’m really stepping outside of my comfort zone. Most of the roles I’ve done have been comedic, or run of the mill kind of guys thrown into a really sticky situation. My character for this film, Nathan Trent, is in a sticky situation…one I would never want to be in for as long as I live.
Then again, his situation would never happen to me because: A – My family is not really a strict, conservative, radical southern family and B – I’m not gay.
My agent came to me almost half a year ago with a script that he said would, ‘secure my place in the upper hierarchal ladder of young Hollywood.’ The film was Southern Sunrise – a tale of a close knit, deep-seated family living in the heart of Mississippi. The oldest daughter brings her liberal, free thinking fiancé home from California to meet the family for Thanksgiving. Her grandfather still thinks the South is in the Civil War (and winning), her mother is a God fearing, Baptist Sunday school teacher, and the father is a close minded bigot with possible ties to the KKK who would rather die than admit he’s wrong about anything. The daughter has to deal with her two younger siblings and the problems they’re going through as well. There’s her younger sister, Gabby, who is the town darling, who wants to get out of the small town they reside in, but an addiction to crack keeps her from every getting out. Then her brother Nathan (that would be me!) brings his best friend from graduate school home for Thanksgiving and it isn’t until later in the film that the audience learns the best friend in question is really his lover.
Yeah, a real crazy family drama, but something that my agent thought I should get my hands into all the same. For a while we were pushing for me to play the part of the fiancé because it has some great comedic moments, but for some reason I wanted to step into Nathan’s shoes, wanted to try something different.
So cue me doing screen tests and finally signing on to the project.
And as the caravan of cars carrying my entourage and me pull into the Fox Studio lots, I can’t help but feel nervous as hell.
“Justin, hey perk up,” Rachel, my cousin, nudges me, breaking my concentration on line running. I turn to look at her and see that our car has stopped in front of a small army of golf carts. There’s a young woman standing next to one, looking slightly anxious. She’s holding onto a clipboard that looks as thick as the Bible and she’s mumbling into a headset.
“Welcome to the studios, Mr. Timberlake!” she exclaims excitedly as puts the clipboard under her arm to extend a hand, “I’m Leslie, one of the Production Assistants and I’ll be showing you around the set this morning. Can we get you anything waiting for you in your trailer? Coffee? Soda? Water?”
“No. I’m fine,” I state. The one thing I hate about the first days is that everyone starts to kiss your ass and only cares about making sure you are pleased as punch to be here. Of course, I’m happy as hell to be given this opportunity, but the fact of the matter is – brownnosing gets old after a while.
“Great then let’s get started!” she grins as she leads me over to the largest cart. Soon we’re zooming between the enormous sound stages, Leslie pointing out where everything is. I’m only half listening, I’m still going over the lines in my head. Besides, Rachel is apying attention to everything.
“And here is the cast lounge,” Leslie states with a flourish as we end our tour, the cart coming to a stop in front of a large white tent, “Mr. Kinney, your director, wanted this set up for today so you could get reacquainted before you go into makeup.”
Hopping out of the cart, I wave goodbye to Rachel as the PA zooms off in the cart to take my cousin to my trailer. I make my way into the tent and see that most of the cast has already assembled. The cast is all star at best, and I can’t quite believe I was able to land a role with such a great caliber of actors.
Rachel McAdams is the lead and is currently in deep conversation with Jude Law, who will be playing her fiancé. William Macy, Melissa Leo, and John Hammond (Nathan’s father, mother, and grandfather respectively) are situated on plush couches, sipping on coffee and laughing about something that happened at the Golden Globes eons ago. The only two people left are standing at opposite ends of the room. The woman is screeching into her cell phone and the man is looking like he wants to be involved with the rest of the conversation, but has no idea how to go about doing it.
Those two would be Clark Jones and Valora Francis – Nathan’s lover and sister. Clark looks absolutely beside himself with relief as he stalks up to me and shakes my hand. Valora gives me a dismissive look before she rushes from the tent, muttering into her phone.
“Thank God you’re here…I was afraid I was going to have to engage her in actual conversation,” Clark whispers to me as he leads me over to the rest of the actors who are all smiling in our direction, “she’s been yelling about getting a bigger trailer since she got here.”
I’m about to give him a witty retort when a runner comes bursting into the cast lounge, “I need Luke, Nathan, Bethany, and Gabby in make up please!” I give Clark an apologetic look as I leave him to talk with Will, Melissa, and John. I meet Jude and Rachel at the entrance, the runner looking three shades of green.
“Where’s Miss Francis?”
“I think she went to her trailer,” Rachel offers and the runner adds a fourth shade of green to his already waning face.
“We’re already behind schedule. You know where the make up trailer is?” Jude and Rachel nod and I just stand there looking like an idiot, “Tell Penelope that Miss Francis will be along shortly.” And before we can say anything else, he runs off towards the trailers, looking like a most aggrieved White Rabbit.
“Shall we get going then?” Jude asks before he turns on his heels and walks towards a line of trailers just down the wide corridor between Soundstage 24 and 25. I cast a wayward glance at Rachel who just smiles and starts off right behind our English co-star.
I guess it’s time for me to finally step into Nathan’s shoes.
