Jake Harper
In the 2004 comedy film White Chicks, Shawn and Marlon Wayans play FBI agents who disguise themselves as two rich, white sisters. The transformation of the African-American actors into the Wilson sisters was achieved through extensive makeup and prosthetics, including plaster casts, clay sculptures, and foam latex appliances. The process was time-consuming and challenging, involving up to seven hours of makeup, body painting, contact lenses, and wigs each day. While the disguise was obvious to the audience, it went largely unnoticed by the characters in the film, contributing to the humour.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Movie | White Chicks |
| Year of release | 2004 |
| Main characters | Black men who work for the FBI |
| Plot | The two main characters go undercover as two rich, white sisters |
| Makeup | White-skinned masks, body paint, blue contact lenses, and wigs |
| Makeup time | Three hours of makeup, 90 minutes of body painting, and 30 minutes for eyes and wigs |
| Total time in makeup chair | Five hours |
| Number of days in makeup | 60 days |
| Makeup artist | Greg Cannom |
| Actors | Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans |
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What You'll Learn
The Wayans brothers wore blue scleral contact lenses
The Wayans brothers, Shawn and Marlon, underwent an extensive transformation process to portray the blond, blue-eyed hotel heiresses in the movie "White Chicks." One notable aspect of their makeup was the use of blue scleral contact lenses, which covered their entire eyes. These lenses were necessary to make the whites of their eyes appear bright enough and differed from typical coloured contacts. Shawn Wayans described the lenses as extremely uncomfortable, comparing them to those used for interrogation in Iraq.
The Wayans brothers' transformation required a range of other techniques in addition to the contact lenses. Their faces and arms were shaved, and their hair was flattened to accommodate custom lace wigs designed to create a feminine hairline. The wigs, with their length and volume, played a crucial role in concealing the sides of their faces and necks. Additionally, layers of foam latex were applied to their faces to soften their strong jawlines and cheekbones, creating a more feminine appearance.
Special makeup artist Greg Cannom, who had previously worked on films such as "Bram Stoker's Dracula" and "Mrs. Doubtfire," led the Wayans brothers' makeover. Cannom faced the challenge of altering the actors' race, which many believed was impossible. He created plaster casts of the brothers' faces and applied foam latex to alter their facial features. Cannom also built up their noses to make them appear thinner and more delicate.
The transformation process was time-consuming and demanding for the Wayans brothers. They spent up to seven hours each day in the makeup trailer, undergoing various procedures, including three hours for makeup application, 90 minutes for body painting, and 30 minutes to perfect the eyes and wigs. Despite the challenges, the final result was convincing, with Cannom himself being surprised by their transformation on some occasions.
The Wayans brothers' dedication to their roles, despite the discomfort and challenges of the transformation process, showcases their commitment to bringing their humorous vision to life. While the film received mixed reviews, the brothers' willingness to undergo such an extreme makeover contributed to the comedic effect of their characters' disguises.
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The actors' faces were cast in plaster
To transform the Wayans brothers into their on-screen characters, the actors' faces were cast in plaster. This was one of the first steps in the extreme makeover process. The plaster casts were then used to create clay sculptures of the actors' features. From these sculptures, moulds were made, which were used to create overlapping foam prosthetic appliances.
According to Greg Cannom, the special makeup creator, "You have to get their three-dimensional likeness. If it’s not sculpted right, it shows. Then you still have to sculpt the new design on their faces. It has to fit them perfectly." The process, though standard, was challenging, as Cannom explains: "I’m trying to add on a smaller, female face to a larger male face. You want it to all blend. Altering the top lip and the nose were the most important things to change. Male and female top lips are very different."
To achieve this, Cannom used silicone appliances with a special formula of glue. He also used foam latex, a material that has been used since 'The Wizard of Oz'. The process began with the top lip, followed by the forehead, a wrap piece under the lip, and finally, the nose.
The actors spent up to seven hours a day in the makeup trailer, with three hours dedicated to makeup, 90 minutes to body painting, and 30 minutes for the eyes and wigs. This gruelling process was repeated for 60 days, with the actors enduring the discomfort of the blue scleral contact lenses and the challenges of limited sleep. Despite the challenges, the actors maintained a positive attitude throughout the filming process.
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The makeup process took three hours
The makeup process to transform the Wayans brothers into the Wilson sisters in White Chicks was a lengthy and challenging one. It took a total of five hours each day to complete the entire transformation, with three of those hours dedicated solely to applying the intricate makeup.
Special makeup creator and applicator Greg Cannom, a two-time Academy Award winner for makeup design, faced the daunting task of altering the actors' races and transforming their masculine features into feminine ones. To achieve this, Cannom started by creating plaster casts of the actors' heads. Using these casts, he crafted clay sculptures of their features, allowing him to design the new feminine look required for the film.
From these sculptures, Cannom created overlapping foam prosthetic appliances that would fit perfectly over the actors' faces. The process was meticulous, requiring precise measurements and attention to detail. Cannom chose to work with foam latex due to its stiffness and ability to function as a facelift, lifting the skin and creating a smoother canvas. He also enhanced their noses by building them up with layers of foam, allowing him to reshape them and make them appear thinner.
The actors' eyes were transformed using blue scleral contact lenses that covered the entire eye, brightening the whites and enhancing the colour. Completing the look, hairstylist Linda Villalobos styled straight blond wigs that helped frame their faces and conceal their necks, contributing to the overall illusion.
The entire process was physically demanding for the actors, requiring early mornings and long days. The makeup was uncomfortable, and the contact lenses caused irritation. Despite the challenges, the final result was impressive, with the Wayans brothers successfully convincing audiences of their new identities as the Wilson sisters.
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The actors wore blonde wigs
The entire makeup process was challenging and time-consuming, requiring 60 days of gruelling work for the makeup artists and actors. The process involved making plaster casts of the actors' faces, creating clay sculptures of their features, and then using moulds to craft overlapping foam prosthetic appliances. The goal was to make the masculine faces look feminine, with special attention given to altering the top lip, forehead, and nose to achieve a female appearance.
The actors also wore blue scleral contact lenses, which covered their entire eyes, and were necessary to make the whites of their eyes brighter. The combination of extensive makeup, body paint, wigs, and contact lenses transformed the African-American actors into their characters, the blond, blue-eyed hotel heiresses.
While the actors' dedication and the makeup artists' expertise resulted in a convincing on-screen transformation, the process was physically demanding, with the actors receiving little sleep due to the time-consuming nature of the makeup application and removal. Despite the challenges, the film White Chicks became a cult classic, grossing over $113.1 million worldwide.
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The makeup was painful for the actors
The makeup process for White Chicks was extensive and painful for the Wayans brothers. It took up to seven hours a day to transform the actors, requiring buckets of acrylic paint, and contact lenses that actor Shawn Wayans likened to those "used over in Iraq to get information out of al-Qaeda".
To create the White Chicks characters, special makeup creator/applicator Greg Cannom first cast each actor's head in plaster and then used the cast to make a clay sculpture of their features. With a mold from the sculpture, he created overlapping foam prosthetic appliances. "You have to get their three-dimensional likeness," Cannom explained. "If it's not sculpted right, it shows. Then you still have to sculpt the new design on their faces. It has to fit them perfectly."
Cannom chose to work with foam latex because it is stiffer than silicone and shrinks slightly, functioning as a facelift. "It pulled up the skin under their necks and on their foreheads, so it was really hard on their skin," he said. To alter the actors' strong jawlines and cheekbones, Cannom added layers of foam latex to build up their jaws and noses, rounding off sharp edges to make their faces seem smaller.
The paint used to transform the Wayans brothers was also a challenge. Cannom explained that regular paint looked ashen against their skin, so he developed a water-based acrylic paint in an orangey-red shade to cancel out the ash tones. This was followed by a thick coat of light makeup, which Cannom sourced from Revlon. The paint, however, was too shiny, so Cannom used Revlon's Color-Stay foundation to matte it down to a soft finish.
The contact lenses used in the film also added to the discomfort of the actors. Cannom explained that the lenses "covered the whole eye" to make the whites of their eyes appear brighter. Additionally, the actors wore straight blonde wigs to hide the sides of their faces and necks, with more hair on top to avoid a drag queen look.
The entire process was grueling for the actors and the makeup team, requiring a significant amount of time and effort to recreate each day.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, the actors in White Chicks did dress up. Shawn and Marlon Wayans, who played the main characters, spent around three hours on makeup, 90 minutes on body painting, and 30 minutes on eyes and wigs.
The actors' transformation involved plaster casts of their faces, clay sculptures of their features, and overlapping foam prosthetic appliances. The process aimed to make the actors' faces look bigger to soften their jawlines and cheekbones.
The actors' transformation was so convincing that even the film's special makeup creator/applicator, Greg Cannom, did not always recognise them. He recalled being "freaked out" the first time he talked to Marlon in full makeup.
