Mrs. Doubtfire Makeup Artist: Ve Neill, Oscar-winning Makeup Artist: Sunday’s Guest “Mrs. Doubtfire” makeover history told by Babushka, Barbra, and Euphegenia Robin Williams was a loving and generous soul. RIP. It’s possible that Ve Neill doesn’t remember every detail of the days she spent filming “Mrs. Doubtfire” in San Francisco in 1993, but she does remember the Fact that she did.
And she’d know, because Williams’ makeup artist, Neill, spent hundreds of hours working with the actress during the course of filming. Williams’ anonymous protagonist, Euphegenia Doubtfire, was the result of more than 50 times assembling foam latex pieces, but that wasn’t the only appearance she tried on. Barbra Streisand, an old babushka, and even a coiffed brunette woman with scarlet lips were all transformed into Williams in one memorable moment. There was an outtake in which Williams was disguised as Ivana Trump, according to the scene’s supporting actor, Scott Capurro.
“Mrs. Doubtfire” has many memorable scenes, but none display Williams’ versatility as a humorous actor like when Daniel Hillard, a voice actor, arrives at the doorway of his brother Frank (Harvey Fierstein) and his brother’s husband, Jack (Capurro) for an all-nanny makeover. Miranda (Sally Field) believes he is an elderly Scots carer, and he’s determined to deceive her of that fact. When Neill worked with Greg Cannom, he was capable of making it happen. “Doubtfire’s” makeup artist, a Hollywood veteran who earned an Academy Award for her work on the 1988 film Beetlejuice, was uniquely qualified for the job.
San Francisco Humorist and Actor
Capurro, a San Francisco humorist and actor, didn’t nearly have the clout Neill had when he became engaged. When the “Doubtfire” opportunity arose, he had no prior experience in film acting, but he still couldn’t have prepared much for the audition. Not even a brief description of the character or the movie was given to him. Only that the character he was reading about had an important role to play had he known anything else.
My improv assignment was to make Robin look more feminine. What would you do?,” the casting director said to me as I began working on my improv. Capurro believes this. As a result of reading an article about Robin’s hairy hands for a movie, I started believing I was a costume designer…. Because your hands are covered in hair, I told you, “The first step is to shave your hands.” With that, I had a good laugh. The audition was hardly a party, but I made it plain that I was thrilled to be on film, which was probably unique in 1993.”
Neill and Cannom (together with Yolanda Toussieng) began working on Mrs. Doubtfire’s look as production began. When it came to creating the Doubtfire character, the makeup artists faced a time-consuming task because the character was based on a Scottish woman. Before each application, the makeup artists had to recast all of Williams’ latex pieces from scratch: a neckpiece, nose, lips, eye bags, eyelids, and forehead. Neill and her helper, Stephan Dupuis, had to devise a means to keep Williams occupied while she sat in the makeup chair for hours at a time. They came up with a novel solution.
The fact that Robin hadn’t seen any classic films at all was “so weird,” recalls Neill. The last time this happened, Stephan brought his laserdisc player in, and I removed the doors of the cabinets. His mirror viewing experience was much enhanced by the addition of this monitor. I’ve used that makeup on him at least 52 times, so that’s a lot of movies. A look back at the makeover scene from SFGATE, with Neill and Capurro.
For sake of Readability, the interviews have Trimmed
Neill: We wanted to see how many different ways we could make him look like a woman, so we tried a lot of things. As a result, we made do with what we had and experimented with various noses and wigs, head coverings, and other disguises. Unless I’m mistaken, I believe we winged it through that. As soon as we arrived, they showed us a bedroom and laid out costumes for everyone.
I recall it being a large apartment, and I was trying to keep it out of the way of everyone else’s activities. It is because even in a spacious flat, there is lighting technology and sound people. In addition, we all had extras who stepped in for us in the middle of the filming process. “Oh, no, this is all incorrect,” Neill recalls saying to the set dressers who had already put the room together. To further bolster the illusion that this was a cosmetics station, I rearranged a significant portion of the set’s decor.
Capurro: It was a really intimate situation, and everyone was really polite to each other there. Assuming I didn’t ask the right questions, I know I made a lot of mistakes. First line: “He’s got an early-morning shadow at 8:30, and you’re worrying about some wires,” which I still remember saying. I’ve made the same mistake over and over again. I couldn’t get it perfect because I was so scared.
How much time and effort do you need to devote to skincare?
Especially when using prosthetics, the process is quite time-consuming. Wear and tear on the skin will occur regardless of how carefully I remove the prosthetic each night. Because women don’t shave as males do and because their skin is more fragile, it’s a little trickier with women. Are you satisfied with the final product or are you critical of your own work when you see films on which you worked? In general, I’m pleased with the outcomes, but sometimes the production crew adds computer-generated graphics or special effects after filming, akin to Photoshop. A piece of their work that I see will make me ask, “What is that?” This is not what I did!
How do you manage both your TV and film careers?
Face Off is filmed in the spring and summer, so I’m able to work on movies in the fall and winter. The last two Hunger Games movies kept me away from home for over nine months. What advice would you provide to a female who is thinking of pursuing this line of work: I tell them that you’re never at home. Having a family while working in this sector is tough because of the long hours. It is possible to have greater control over your career by working on advertisements, print work, or a two or three-day-a-week television show.
When you return to California after working on a film, what are you most looking forward to: To be in one’s own bed. I recently moved into a new house and am itching to unwind. As a result, I enjoy spending time in a place that is both eclectic and unusual. It’s calming and nourishing to me. My favorite place to relax in the backyard is on the patio. My other favorite pastimes include dining out at local eateries and visiting farmers’ markets. No, I don’t do anything on Sundays. The answer is a resounding nay. It’s never the same on any given Sunday. If it’s chilly and rainy outside, I’ll put on all the shows I missed while I was away and simply sit back and enjoy the show. A sewing machine has given me the opportunity to create a wide range of creative projects, not just apparel.
Do you have any plans to publish a book in the near future: Definitely. A new form of coffee table book is something I’d like to experiment with, but I don’t want to share the details just yet. For the past 40 years, I’ve been seeking a way to scan all of my old photos so that I can determine which ones I want to utilize. Everyone tells me I should write a memoir or an autobiography, but I think I’ll hold off till I’m older.
In what ways do you find work: I’m sometimes called upon by actors, directors, or producers. After finding an agency in 2010, she now helps me land interviews with industry professionals like directors and production managers. Her help will be requested if I have an idea for a film project that I’d like to be involved with.
