Thomas Nellen is the man who turns faces into characters. On the set of “Killers of the Flower Moon”, among other things, he ensures that Leonardo DiCaprio can completely merge with his role. In this interview, Nellen tells us what it’s like backstage at the movie.
FACES: You now live in Los Angeles, are Jeff Bridges’ personal make-up artist and worked on the movie “Killers of the Flower Moon”. What is your recipe for success?
Thomas Nellen: Believe in yourself and pursue your dreams. Particularly important: Recognize the opportunities that present themselves when they are right in front of you.
FACES: Without which of your handles do you not let Jeff Bridges in front of the camera?
Thomas Nellen: Moisturizer and sunscreen are always a must! Apart from that, it depends enormously on Jeff’s current project and his role. A little hairspray in the hair, trim the beard a little… and then of course the eyebrows!
FACES: What story from the set of “Killers of the Flower Moon” are you dying to tell us?
Thomas Nellen: Working on “Killers of the Flower Moon” was an incredible and, above all, emotional experience. Many of the actors and staff involved behind the scenes have a direct family connection to the story. Almost every day we learned about the story of a family member who lost their life during the period in which the movie is set. This naturally led to many tears and emotional situations.
FACES: Which looks were the most difficult on “Killers of the Flower Moon”?
Thomas Nellen: Due to the high humidity and the fact that we shot the film at the height of the corona pandemic, it was difficult to keep the actors’ facial hair in place. Between takes, the actors took off their masks and then put them on again. Then, after a while, their moustaches stuck to their masks instead of their faces. The adhesive actually presented us with a real challenge. We solved the problem by adding layers between the skin and the hair, to which the synthetic hair stuck. Also difficult: the traditional Osage looks, which should look unadorned. As you know, the no-make-up look does not mean that no make-up is used at all. As we were filming for six months, we also had to make sure that the actors’ skin was the same tone even when it was tanned by the sun.
FACES: What are your favorite looks, and which character would you love to make up one day?
Thomas Nellen: I love historical films from the forties and fifties. It would be a dream come true for me to be able to bring a Hollywood goddess like Greta Garbo or Elisabeth Taylor back to life in a biopic.
FACES: What’s a makeup artist’s worst nightmare?
Thomas Nellen: When you have very little time, not enough staff available and someone arrives with tattoos that reach from the neck up to the face! That’s why I always have a palette of camouflage colors with me. It’s also a real nightmare when you take a photo of a look through the mirror and only realize that it’s reversed when you recreate the look…
FACES: How much glitz and glam is there in your job?
Thomas Nellen: Even if some people assume that all we do is drink champagne and hang out with the stars, the truth is that it’s a hard and strenuous job. It’s a wonderful industry, but glitz and glamor, no, not really.
FACES: There was a long strike in Hollywood. (How) did this strike affect you?
Thomas Nellen: I was working with Jeff Bridges on “The Old Man” when the strike started. My plan was to finish the second season with him and then go to Montana for the second season of “1923” with Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren. However, its production was discontinued at the end of May – and I haven’t worked at all since then. I’m afraid that everyone will want to shoot at the same time as soon as it starts again and I’ll have to prioritize one project over the other.
FACES: Future scenario: what role do you think AI will play in the film industry and what impact will this have on your profession as a make-up artist?
Thomas Nellen: Well, the industry has already been badly affected and I’m sure that things won’t get better in every respect. However, I hope that the human touch will prevail. The industry has changed so much over the past forty years that we have to constantly adapt and change our artistic approach.
FACES: Finally: great beard! Any skincare and styling tricks you can share with us?
Thomas Nellen: Thank you very much, I really appreciate that. Don’t you dare cut your beard when it’s wet! I always use scissors instead of a razor. And because my beard hair is particularly coarse and scratchy, I use a balm to style it, sometimes a little beard oil to moisturize it and soften the hair. Then I comb my beard in all directions before styling it with my hands.
You can watch the trailer for “Killers of the Flower Moon” here.
Want even more movie inspiration? Here are the most iconic movie quotes you should definitely watch.
Teaser photo: © Killers of the Flower Moon