Michael Westmore

Makeup Artist


The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About
About this interview

In his two-hour interview, Michael Westmore discusses his family's background as makeup artists (grandfather George applied makeup for Mary Pickford and father Monte was the makeup artist for Gone With the Wind), and shares that he did not initially want to go into the family business. He talks about accepting an internship at Universal Studios with his uncle, Bud Westmore, and assisting with makeup on The Munsters. He describes his experiences with movie makeup on Rocky and Raging Bull and recounts his Academy Award-winning makeup for Mask, starring Eric Stoltz. Westmore then details his intricate makeup for the many Star Trek television series and movies on which he's worked: Star Trek: The Next Generation; Star Trek: Deep Space Nine; Star Trek: Voyager; and Star Trek: Enterprise. He explains how he creates looks for new aliens on a weekly basis, talks about the most difficult makeup application he's ever executed, and outlines advances in prosthetics and techniques. Melody Chen conducted the interview in a joint venture with UCLA on March 13, 2004 in Los Angeles, CA.

All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.

"I have collected books from everything on Earth. I have birds. I have insects. I have reptiles. I have amphibians. I have mammals. So almost every thing you see on "Star Trek" has some connection to Earth…You will find something that's familiar in there, whether it be a chunk off a rhinoceros, a bat, or some skin-texture."

People Talking About ...
Highlights
Michael Westmore on his inspiration for the makeup for the Cardassian race on Star Trek: The Next Generation
01:06
Michael Westmore on "Chakotay"'s tattoo on Star Trek: Voyager
01:42
Michael Westmore on assisting with makeup on The Munsters
00:59
Michael Westmore on how prosthetics have changed over the years
01:46
Michael Westmore on CGI's impact on the makeup industry
00:58
Michael Westmore on advice to aspiring makeup artists
01:46
Full Interview

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Chapter 1

On his childhood and early interests; on television shows he enjoyed as a child; on his family's experience in make-up; on his apprenticeship at Universal Studios; on assisting with makeup on The Munsters
On leaving Universal Studios; on working with Sid and Marty Krofft; on makeup for Rocky; on working on Dan Curtis productions; on collaborating with his brother, Marvin; on winning an Emmy for the television movie of Frankenstein; on makeup for the miniseries Eleanor and Franklin; on working with fellow makeup artist Del Armstrong
On the television movie The Amazing Howard Hughes; on research for historical projects; on makeup for Raging Bull; on makeup for The Day After

Chapter 2

On makeup for the nuclear fallout portrayed in The Day After contd.; on makeup for the television movie, Why Me?; on makeup for the feature film Mask; on winning the Academy Award for Mask; on working with Elizabeth Taylor on Malice in Wonderland
On makeup for Star Trek: The Next Generation

Chapter 3

On makeup and his makeup staff for Star Trek: The Next Generation; on creating aliens for Star Trek: The Next Generation; on how much time he has to create character looks for each episode; on working closely with costume designers and hair design
On the Cardassian race on Star Trek: The Next Generation; on using prosthetics; on makeup for the Borg characters on Star Trek: The Next Generation; on fitting actors with prosthetics; on the makeup that took the longest to apply on Star Trek: The Next Generation -- LeVar Burton's when he played a lizard 
On his favorite makeup creations

Chapter 4

On working with Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Rick Berman, and Robert Justman; on the impact of Star Trek: The Next Generation; on working on Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine  at the same time; on Star Trek movies; on "Chakotay's" tattoo on Star Trek: Voyager
On the character "Seven of Nine" on Star Trek: Voyager; on makeup for Star Trek: Enterprise; on budgets and creating prosthetics; on the impact of CGI on the makeup industry; on his style as a makeup artist; on current projects; on advice to aspiring makeup artists; on career highlights and how he'd like to be remembered
On how he met his wife; B-roll pictures from productions on which he's worked
Shows

Day After, The

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Michael Westmore on makeup for The Day After
01:31
Michael Westmore on makeup for the nuclear fallout portrayed in The Day After
05:32

Eleanor and Franklin

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Michael Westmore on makeup for the miniseries Eleanor and Franklin
03:34

Malice in Wonderland

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Michael Westmore on working with Elizabeth Taylor on the television movie Malice in Wonderland
01:48

Munsters, The

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Michael Westmore on assisting with makeup on The Munsters
00:59
Michael Westmore on the premise of The Munsters
00:47
Michael Westmore on a picture of makeup for The Munsters
00:20

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

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Michael Westmore on transitioning from working on Star Trek: The Next Generation to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
02:11

Star Trek: The Next Generation

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Michael Westmore on makeup research for Star Trek: The Next Generation
00:44
Michael Westmore on makeup for Star Trek: The Next Generation
07:02
Michael Westmore on makeup for Star Trek: The Next Generation
29:06
Michael Westmore on the cast and impact of Star Trek: The Next Generation
05:43

Star Trek: Voyager

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Michael Westmore on makeup for Star Trek: Voyager and on "Chakotay's" tattoo
02:49

Why Me?

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Michael Westmore on makeup for the television movie, Why Me?
08:23
Topics

Advice

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Michael Westmore on advice to aspiring makeup artists
01:46

Emmy Awards

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Michael Westmore on winning an Emmy for makeup for the television movie about Frankenstein
00:37
Michael Westmore on his surprise at winning an Emmy for makeup for the television movie, Why Me?
01:47

Technological Innovation

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Michael Westmore on how prosthetics have changed over the years
01:46
Michael Westmore on CGI's impact on the makeup industry
00:58

Television Industry

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Michael Westmore on advice to aspiring makeup artists
01:46
Professions

Makeup Artist

View Profession
Michael Westmore on his makeup apprenticeship at Universal Studios
02:43
Michael Westmore on how prosthetics have changed over the years
01:46
Michael Westmore on fitting actors with prosthetics and difficulties if actors are claustrophobic
02:42
Michael Westmore on his style as a makeup artist
01:04
Michael Westmore on advice to aspiring makeup artists
01:46

Stylists

View Profession
Michael Westmore on his makeup apprenticeship at Universal Studios
02:43
Michael Westmore on how prosthetics have changed over the years
01:46
Michael Westmore on fitting actors with prosthetics and difficulties if actors are claustrophobic
02:42
Michael Westmore on advice to aspiring makeup artists
01:46
Michael Westmore on his style as a makeup artist
01:04
Genres

Comedy Series

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Michael Westmore on assisting with makeup on The Munsters
00:59
Michael Westmore on the premise of The Munsters
00:47
Michael Westmore on makeup for The Day After
01:31

Sci-Fi/Supernatural Series

View Genre
Michael Westmore on makeup research for Star Trek: The Next Generation
00:44
Michael Westmore on makeup for Star Trek: The Next Generation
07:03
Michael Westmore on makeup for Star Trek: The Next Generation
29:06
Michael Westmore on makeup for Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and Star Trek: Voyager
10:33

TV Movies/Miniseries/Dramatic Specials

View Genre
Michael Westmore on makeup for the miniseries Eleanor and Franklin
03:34
Michael Westmore on makeup for the nuclear fallout portrayed in The Day After
05:32
Michael Westmore on makeup for the television movie, Why Me?
08:23
Michael Westmore on working with Elizabeth Taylor on the television movie Malice in Wonderland
01:42
People

Brent Spiner

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Michael Westmore on Gene Roddenberry's thoughts on makeup for "Data" on Star Trek: The Next Generation
02:16

Cher

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Michael Westmore on getting hired to do makeup for the feature film Mask
05:57

Dan Curtis

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Michael Westmore on working on Dan Curtis productions
02:00

Dick Smith

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Michael Westmore on working on Dan Curtis productions, with Dick Smith vouching for him
01:05
Michael Westmore on how prosthetics have changed over the years and Dick Smith's invention of PAX paint
00:44

Elizabeth Taylor

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Michael Westmore on working with Elizabeth Taylor on the television movie Malice in Wonderland
01:42

Eric Stoltz

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Michael Westmore on getting hired to do makeup for the feature film Mask
05:57
Michael Westmore on a picture of Eric Stoltz in Mask
00:17

Gene Roddenberry

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Michael Westmore on makeup for Star Trek: The Next Generation
02:26
Michael Westmore on Gene Roddenberry's thoughts on makeup for Star Trek: The Next Generation
02:37

John Chambers

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Michael Westmore on what he learned from mentor John Chambers
03:31

Jonathan Frakes

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Michael Westmore on working with Jonathan Frakes
00:30

LeVar Burton

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Michael Westmore on the makeup that took the longest to apply on Star Trek: The Next Generation -- LeVar Burton's when he played a lizard 
01:07

Martin Scorsese

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Michael Westmore on makeup for Raging Bull
03:02

Marty Krofft

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Michael Westmore on meeting Marty Krofft and getting involved with his projects
01:05

Nicholas Meyer

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Michael Westmore on director Nick Meyer's vision for the makeup on The Day After
05:05

Patrick Stewart

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Michael Westmore on working with Patrick Stewart
00:36

Peter Bogdanovich

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Michael Westmore on getting hired to do makeup for the feature film Mask
05:57

Rick Berman

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Michael Westmore on working with Rick Berman
00:39

Robert Blackman

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Michael Westmore on working closely with costume designers on Star Trek: The Next Generation
00:57

Robert De Niro

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Michael Westmore on makeup for Raging Bull
03:02
Michael Westmore on a picture of Robert De Niro in Raging Bull
00:15

Robert Justman

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Michael Westmore on working with Robert Justman
00:38

Sylvester Stallone

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Michael Westmore on makeup for Rocky and working with Sylvester Stallone for the next eight years
01:20
Michael Westmore on a picture of Sylvester Stallone in Rocky III
00:20

Tommy Lee Jones

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Michael Westmore on working with Tommy Lee Jones on The Amazing Howard Hughes
02:26

Werner Klemperer

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Michael Westmore on working with Werner Klemperer on makeup for Star Trek: The Next Generation
04:09

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