AN EVENING WITH... SIÂN RICHARDS

Siân, after the success of "Black Panther", you reunite with Ryan Coogler on "Sinners". How has the process of designing for such a different tone been, going from the majesty of Wakanda to a horror narrative where shadows and skin texture play such a decisive psychological role?

- Siân: Well, they were two completely different films, and it's important to remember that for "Black Panther," I was Chadwick's personal makeup artist. I was not the makeup designer or the department head. But, through Chad, I definitely had a very different approach. In some aspects, I did some similar makeup techniques for Chadwick that I used on Michael in terms of playing with the undertones of the skin and the complexions to lead him into his character visually.

If we look at Sinners, I was Makeup Designer, creating the looks for everyone including background. It was a massive cast and there was a huge variety of skin tones. It was set in the deep South in the Mississippi Delta where we shot a lot on location rather than on stages and a green screen as we did in Wakanda. We also had to accurately depict an era that is recorded in history, so it was very important to stay on point approaching it as a period drama which is essentially what Sinners was. Obviously, playing with blood and horror, we customized the colors of the bloods we used for different skin tones so they would read correctly on camera.

Also, when you shoot on film (as we did Sinners) versus digital, which is how Black Panther was shot, the processes are different. Things read differently. Most of Sinners was filmed with tungsten light indoors, which means it was an orange light so we needed to color correct the skin to get the correct read on camera, a similar process as we did for the blood. When applying blood to our cast we needed to layer it and adjust the undertones of the different layers of blood, so that it not only read well on the different melanin levels, but that they had depth and vitality.

Now, of course, Wakanda had none of that. I was doing a straightforward contemporary makeup for Chadwick. And even though it was real skin makeup, it didn't really have any of the elements needed for Sinners. But where there are similarities is that it was a real skin look. I wanted him to look regal and majestic, and I also wanted him to look like he came from an African nation. So I deepened his skin tones and played with pigments on his skin to make it look like he came from that majestic continent. Also to make him look noble, elegant and regal, like the majesty he was.

So, really, the demands of each movie were very different. You can't really compare them stylistically. The other difference with Chad was, of course, the body makeup for the waterfall scene (Warrior Falls). I hand painted his entire body because he had a tan from the neck up from wearing the Panther suit. His face and neck were much richer than he was from the t-shirt area down through his torso and legs. I didn't airbrush because I don't like all those chemicals in the air for people to inhale. So I hand-painted him with a cream makeup that I was working with and developing, which has now become a product I call Hydroproof. And again, I layered colors on him, put golds on his skin. I sprayed a product that would make it water-resistant. So when he was fighting in the water and got drenched, the water beaded and rolled off him like diamonds as the sunlight hit him. It really was iconic and looked so beautiful.

It really was a very different process. Mike needed a  body makeup before he got more tan. And, of course, Mike had tattoos to cover on his back, which Chad didn't have. So, you know, different processes.

In "Sinners", you work with Michael B. Jordan again. How do the color palette and skin finish help immerse the viewer in the period and mystery atmosphere of the film?

- Siân: In "Sinners", Mike played – and won an Academy Award for - two characters. He played Smoke and Stack, twin brothers. And it was a very different approach for each of them because Smoke was an old soul - all in his head. I put mauves, purples, and deep shadows in his complexion. I softened his jawline and change the physiognomy just by placing the highlights and shadows differently. His mustache was more open and elder-like, and his eyebrows were looser and somewhat more separated so you could see the skin through them. The colour placement around his eyes reflected angst and trouble; It was a full character makeup for Smoke, but with a magnitude of subtlety. It really was.

Stack, by contrast, is young and joyful, and he's a survivor. And, whereas Smoke carries his war anguish, and PTSD in his face and manner, Stack doesn't. He lives in the moment. He's always going to make something work - even if he's a vampire, he's the best vampire. So with Stack, it was a totally different color palette. It was more joyful. It was uplifted. It was more dynamic. Stack had the swag and the cool clothes, Smoke dressed like an older man, with his flat cap and pipe.

To achieve the levity in Stack's character, I used pale colors like shrimp pink, pistachio greens, and Naples yellow in his complexion, raising his cheekbones and contouring them more dynamically so he had a stronger cheekbone line; and I contoured his jawline to be stronger and pulled it further back towards his ears to give him a more dynamic line. His moustache was more groomed and defined, and I filled it in a little with paint just to emphasize it - and painted hairs into his eyebrows, of course, to define his brow bone too. I painted hair by hair on his eyebrows with alcohol colour. Where in Smoke I had all the trouble and angst areas, in Stack I had levity and joy. So their makeups were entirely opposite. I defined Stack's lash area, without putting mascara, but just, you know, underneath his eyes, to give him a little bit more realism with soft blacks and browns blended just to give him a more heroic look.  Also with Smoke, of course, we have body makeup, tattoo coverage. As the story progresses, he has a patina of dirt, blood, and sweat all over his body. So it was layers of different paints and pigments to give that differentiation, products that would make his skin glow naturally. I love using oils on the skin for that because they don't look greasy, but you get that beautiful warmth in the skin, which is very important. Putting reds in his skin tone to "bring the blood back," so to speak. And, of course, Stack would be very different again as a vampire because he was even more perfect. His vampire body makeup was obviously covering tattoos, but keeping him gleaming, to keep him sexy, attractive -  the hero Stack was. The one thing I did for Mike in the early days was to predict  how deep his skin would tan naturally in the sun when we shot outside. It was incredibly hot and he was always going to get a tan, no matter how much sunscreen I used or how much shade he was given. I made the decision very early on, to deepen him with makeup on day one so that he had time to tan and then his skin eventually matched my predicted skin tone for him. I remembered back to Wakanda and that Warrior Falls fight with Chad and knew Mike would go much deeper than he arrived and so it was perhaps easier for me to make that decision than someone who had not worked with him before. It’s why it´s so important to always pay attention to everything. Let nothing pass your gaze.

"Cloud Atlas" by Tom Tykwer, Lana & Lilly Wachowski / Halle Berry / Photo: Reiner Bajo ©Warner Bros Entertainment

You have worked with legends such as Queen Latifah, Billy Bob Thornton, and Halle Berry. What's the secret to maintaining such a long career and remaining the first choice for the world's most demanding directors?

- Siân: I mean, I don't take any of it for granted. You know, it's funny, I worked with Queen Latifah because Halle recommended me to her from "Cloud Atlas". And Billy, I met on another movie when we shot “London Fields”. I was the department head on that movie and Billy was in it and he came with his personal. And so we got to know each other on that movie. In later years, he wanted someone to travel with him on "The Gray Man" who could do MU Hair and FX. So Billy called me for that. We're mates, basically, so when he needs me, he'll call me. But he has  his team that he uses now.

And what's the secret to maintaining such a long career? I never fan-girled people. I'm very down to earth. I dress professionally. I have a skill set that they already feel confident in, and I think that's the most important thing. 

I've done a diverse amount of work. And it's funny, because a lot of people on productions think I'm a producer. So I have a different energy in the way that I do things, but also I really take care of actors. I'm fully supportive of them. What they do, I cannot do, nor do I wish to. You know, they are magicians and I respect them hugely because I watch their process and they know it - I think when someone feels that they have someone who's got their back the focus shifts to performance only.

I think that security is second to none. I’ve been with LaKeith Stanfield since 2022 when we did "Book of Clarence" and I met him on "Judas and the Black Messiah". Lakeith is like family now. Chad was the same. It becomes a family situation. They know they've got their people around them. It's really important. Ryan Coogler and I might not shoot another together, I don't take Sinners  success or what we have done previously for granted because I might not be right for another movie for him, but I might be right for this movie for him.  Who knows?.

So I'm truly grateful for all the opportunities that I've been given and I take nothing for granted. And I think just keep your humility, always stay real, be a pro and be educated.

Look the part. I think that that is what instills confidence. If you look at all of the top tier makeup artists, they go to work looking the part.  They're serious about what they do. Look at Chrissy Blundell  and  Donald McInnis in London. You look at Vivian Baker over here. You look at Ve Neill, Bill Corso. You know, these are top tier players. They all look the part, come dressed for success, their hair is done, Bill's in a suit stuff like that…. they all have a certain way about them. Daniel Phillips, another one – always looks on point. Nana Fischer cool as heck.  What you project is how you are perceived. Look the part and it will help you get the part.

Siân, if you could go back to those early shoots in the UK in the early 90s and talk to that young woman who was starting her journey surrounded by her father's cases... what would you tell her today, knowing that your hands have helped sculpt some of the most iconic moments in global pop culture?

- Siân: Wow. Thank you for that. Gosh, I don't even think like that. It's really interesting to see how people see you. And I really thank you for that accolade because my kids always tell me that I don't see myself properly and that I should give myself more credit than I do.

For me, it's just it's always been about the work. This is actually a really tough question because it demands I look at myself, which is something I rarely do… I look at everybody else. “If you could go back to the early 90s and speak to that young woman starting her journey, what would you tell her today?” Just know that it's going to be OK.  I think that's what I tell her, because in the 90s it wasn’t evident that it would be ok. In the 90s I was definitely starting out and I didn't take the same route as people generally took. It was very challenging when I when I started out, you know, I started out in fashion because I had to.

There was a recession in the film industry in the early 90s and not many films being made, so I had to pivot and starting off in something new was a real challenge. So, I ended up doing fashion and doing makeup, hair and styling on advertising shoots, runway and commercials. I shot calendars, shot lingerie, all sorts of things that I never thought would be in my wheelhouse. And what that did very quickly was to have me work with a hugely diverse collection of people and also to be a really good beauty makeup artist.

I had wanted to do special effects when I finished makeup school having gone to art school, my goal was always to do special effects makeup. But the universe had other plans for me and had me go into fashion, commercial, advertising and editorial.

And the skills I learned from that have stood me the test of time. So what I would say now is you will be led to where you're meant to be. And to always practice, take nothing for granted. Be grateful for every opportunity. Be present in every opportunity. Really witness minute by minute what the universe is giving you and that the experience that it's giving you is a gift , an opportunity. And never lose your sense of self-worth.

If you're good at what you do, people recognize you for it and they are lucky to have you. And sometimes, especially with today’s language, we keep saying I'm so honored to do this. No, you're not honored. Stop using the word. It's not an honor. You've trained for this. You provide a service. You provide stability. They've hired you for your skills. So this way people have of conversing now is too much. I'm tired of people being falsley humble in that sense.  It's almost like a brainwashing of an attitude for a generation. When you work hard and you put your time in, you deserve it and you are deserving of it.   So instead of saying I'm so honored, say I am so deserving of this right now. 

And that's something that I should have told myself because I always felt, gosh, I'm so lucky to have this. But if I hadn't done the work and if I hadn't practiced, if I wasn't who I am, then I wouldn't have got that offer. So perspective in everything. And the other thing is just check your ego at the door. Egos are not needed. They're needed to a certain point to help you get out of bed and do the work. But remember to always stay true. 

"Cloud Atlas"  Sian Richards & Halle Berry ©Warner Bros Entertainment

Siân, your fine arts background seems to be your 'secret weapon' on set. A legendary example was Cloud Atlas, where you achieved a transformation of culture and skin tone on Halle Berry that many considered impossible to execute. How did you manage, through hand-painting and the use of brushes instead of airbrushing, to create skin that not only deceived the human eye but also became the technical foundation for your later work on Bessie?

- Siân: The work I did with Halle on Cloud Atlas was definitely fun because it was five different makeups and I changed her skin tone three times.

I transformed her Native Old Lady,  into Meronym, Luisa May, a southern Indian guest, aged Meronym and a German Jewess called Jocasta. This Jocasta makeup was a big makeup in every way because it involved a silicon nose, lenses that I designed and also I completely changed her from her African American cultural tones to an entirely different culture and paler skin tone with different undertones. I hand painted her entire body for one scene. I can't really remember all the names. It was a long time ago. Her Southern Indian lady also had a gelatin nose and hand painted henna in one of the scenes – no makeup test just straight out the kit. But Jocasta was probably the biggest makeup because that was transformative. Yahoo Movies credited as ‘The Greatest Makeup Transformation In Cinema’ when the movie came out.

I changed the eyelashes and shaped them so that I gave her more of that 30s swoop too... After awards season was over, I got a call  from Lois Burwell, who was governor of the makeup branch. During the award season run up and "Cloud Atlas" hadn't made it for nomination. But Lois called me and said that the Jocasta makeup was Academy worthy but they didn’t do single makeup nominations – they do now though! She said you did what is almost impossible to do well, which is to take a woman of one culture with deeper skin and transform her into another culture. And she said it was a clever makeup because it read so clearly on film. And it was all hand painted. I love a brush because I go back to fine art with a brush.
And that makeup technique was something that I used on Queen Latifah when I transformed her as Bessie Smith, because Latifah is very caramel skin tone and I made her a lot deeper for her character of Bessie Smith, who was the 1930s blues singer from the south. I hand painted Queen's body too. She had a full nude scene and one where she's sitting in front of the mirror. That was all hand painted makeup and skin shimmers and oils and the same for her face every day. I would take her from looking nice and caramel into a much richer, more earthy tone that has seen sun from the Mississipp. And in fact, it's something that I have followed through with my entire career ever since the realization that I had with Halle when we were doing her makeup, because, you know, I had to do it live on the day. The makeup tests that the makeup department head had wanted to do really hadn't worked out right. They wanted to use an alcohol makeup on her skin and it looked so dry and unreal. I knew that I had something if I used a cream makeup that I could get the finish that I wanted and it would look like skin.

I had been playing around with Halle and doing my own private tests with her and photographed her. And I showed it to the VFX guy, Stefan Ceretti.  And we were planning on doing another camera test. And when he saw my pictures, he said, what are these? I said, this is what I've been doing myself. He said, this is what we need. We showed them to Tom Tykwer, our director. And Tom said, Siân, this is beautiful, should we do another test? And I said, no, don't do the test, the crew is exhausted. I'll deliver it. Do you trust me to deliver?. And Tom said, yes, I absolutely trust you. I said, OK, then go and get some rest. And on the day you will have her.

And so when that day came and I was painting Halle with that Queen foundation brush, that number 11, oh, my God, I remember in my head, it got emotional for me because I suddenly was taken back to art school whilst I was doing her makeup. And I remembered when I was at Wimbledon Art School, head of course, Bill, Furlong, he used to get models for me to do body makeups on because I told him I didn't want to go to St. Martin's, but I wanted to go to London College of Fashion, complete their makeup course, become a makeup artist and work in film. And he said, well, what do you need? ‘I need you to get me models to practice body makeup or makeup designs on’. And so he used to get me these models and I would paint David Hockney's on face. I would paint David Hockney's onto models or Matisse onto models.

I did a Roy Lichtenstein, a section from Wham! on a model. I would do all of this body makeup. And when I was painting Halle in "Cloud Atlas", in 2012 - I left makeup school in 2001 here I am in Germany having this moment where I'm painting an Oscar winning actress and I'm remembering my roots at art school doing this stuff. And I applied all those techniques into the body makeup transformation of Halle Berry.

It definitely was emotional, especially when Halle looked at herself in the mirror and she just said, oh, my God, those three words were everything. So, you know, that's why I say that art is so important. The same thing with Queen. It was it was less of a transformation as Halle because what it gave her was a freedom that she'd never had before. Everyone always recognized her as Halle. But when she walked on set in the Jocasta makeup, Lana Wachowski, one of our directors, introduced Halle to her mother. And Halle was in her German accent as she spoke to the mother and the mother didn't know it was Halle Berry. She thought it was a German actress and she was just very nice to her. And when Lana told Halle that afterwards, it was the icing on the cake. And Halle told me, I was absolutely overjoyed, - no camera test!!! Thank you God. Thank you for giving me this skill. Thank you for the art and thank you for me seeing. And so that is the story, really, and the message for anyone that's reading this. Go and visit an art galleries. Practice your painting. Don't just look, really see. It's everything. It is absolutely everything and it will enable you to deliver better than you ever delivered before.