Emily Carter
In the 2004 comedy film White Chicks, Marlon Wayans and Shawn Wayans play FBI agents who disguise themselves as white women. The film features a dance-off scene between the male FBI agents (disguised as women) and the Vandergelds. While the Wayans brothers' characters do dance in the film, it is unclear whether the actors themselves performed the dancing or if stunt doubles were used. The film received negative reviews from critics, with some commenting on the unconvincing prosthetics and makeup used to transform the Wayans brothers into white women. Despite this, White Chicks has since become a cult classic, and the dance-off scene is considered iconic.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Release date | June 23, 2004 |
| Director | Keenen Ivory Wayans |
| Screenplay | Wayans, Xavier Cook, Andy McElfresh, Michael Anthony Snowden |
| Starring | Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Jaime King, Frankie Faison, Lochlyn Munro, John Heard, Terry Crews |
| Genre | Buddy cop crime comedy |
| Plot | Two black male FBI agents go undercover as white women to protect two hotel heiresses from a kidnapping plot |
| Filming locations | Chilliwack and Victoria in British Columbia, The Hamptons in New York |
| Box office performance | Worldwide total of $113.1 million against a budget of $37 million |
| Critical reception | Generally negative, nominated for five Golden Raspberry Awards, including Worst Picture |
| Cultural impact | Cult classic, dance-off scene recreated by co-stars 15 years later |
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What You'll Learn
The Wayans brothers played FBI agents
In the 2004 American buddy cop crime comedy film "White Chicks", directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans, the Wayans brothers, Marlon and Shawn, played the roles of FBI agents Marcus and Kevin Copeland. The two main characters are black men who go undercover as two rich, white sisters, socialites Brittany and Tiffany Wilson, by using whiteface and wearing masks and makeup. The transformation of the African-American actors into the ersatz Hilton sisters was challenging and time-consuming, requiring up to seven hours of makeup daily, including buckets of acrylic paint, contact lenses, and blonde wigs.
The film's plot centres around the Copeland brothers, who, after messing up on previous assignments, are tasked by their chief to protect two hotel heiresses from a kidnapping plot. The brothers go undercover as the Wilson sisters and, through a series of comedic events, uncover the mastermind behind the plot. Despite the film's commercial success, grossing over $113 million worldwide, it received largely negative reviews from critics, with many citing unconvincing prosthetics and racism as issues. The film was nominated for several Razzies, including Worst Picture, Worst Actress for the Wayans brothers in drag, and Worst Screenplay.
The dance-off scene in "White Chicks" has become particularly memorable, with the female co-stars, Busy Philipps, Jaime King, Brittany Daniel, and Jessica Cauffiel, recreating the choreography 15 years later on Philipps' late-night TV show. While the Wayans brothers themselves did not participate in this recreation, Marlon Wayans celebrated the ladies' performance on Instagram, acknowledging their enduring dance skills.
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They danced in disguise as white women
In the 2004 American comedy film "White Chicks," Marlon Wayans and Shawn Wayans play Marcus and Kevin Copeland, two FBI agents who go undercover as white women. The actors, who are brothers in real life, also danced in disguise as white women in a now-iconic dance-off scene in the movie.
The dance scene took place halfway through the movie, with the opposing teams duking it out to Beyonce's 2003 single, "Crazy In Love." Fifteen years after the film's release, the female stars of "White Chicks"—Busy Philipps, Jaime King, Brittany Daniel, and Jessica Cauffiel—reunited to recreate the dance battle on Philipps' late-night TV series, "Busy Tonight." The actors nailed the choreography, impressing Marlon Wayans, who celebrated their performance on Instagram.
Transforming the Wayans brothers into white women for the film was no easy task. It took up to seven hours of makeup and prosthetics daily, including buckets of acrylic paint, contact lenses, and blonde wigs. The makeup artist, Greg Cannom, described the process as a "painful" experience, requiring the use of bright, orangey-red paint to cancel out the ash tones on the brothers' skin.
Despite the extensive makeup, the disguise was still obvious to the audience, with the characters' true identities going largely unnoticed by the other characters in the film. This discrepancy added to the humor of the story, as the audience was in on the joke while the characters were not.
The film "White Chicks" has since become a cult classic, grossing over $113 million worldwide. While it received generally negative reviews from critics, it has gained a following and is considered a funny and entertaining movie by many fans.
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It took seven hours of makeup daily
In the 2004 comedy film "White Chicks," Marlon and Shawn Wayans play Marcus and Kevin Copeland, two FBI agents who go undercover as white women. The transformation of the African-American actors into their on-screen personas took a significant amount of time and effort, with the brothers spending up to seven hours daily in makeup.
The process of turning the Wayans brothers into their on-screen characters was a complex and time-consuming endeavour. It required a dedicated team of makeup artists and special effects experts, led by special makeup creator and applicator Greg Cannom. Cannom and his team faced the challenge of transforming the Wayans brothers' skin tone and features to resemble those of blond, blue-eyed hotel heiresses.
To achieve this transformation, the makeup team employed a range of techniques and products. They used water-based acrylic paint in a bright orange-red shade, which was airbrushed onto the brothers' skin to counteract the ashen tones that resulted from initial attempts. Over this base, they applied Revlon Color-Stay foundation, which was used in large quantities to achieve the desired coverage and matte finish.
Additionally, the Wayans brothers wore coloured contact lenses to alter their eye colour and enhance the brightness of their eyes. These lenses were particularly notable, as they covered the entire eye, contributing to the overall transformation. The brothers also donned straight blond wigs, completing their new appearances as the ersatz Hilton sisters.
The extensive makeup process was not without its challenges and discomfort. Shawn Wayans described the contact lenses as "painful," comparing them unfavourably to interrogation tactics. Despite the challenges, the dedication of the Wayans brothers and the makeup team resulted in a remarkable transformation that brought the comedic premise of "White Chicks" to life.
Although the film received mixed reviews, with some critics noting the unconvincing prosthetics, the transformation of the Wayans brothers remains a notable aspect of the film's production. The seven hours spent daily in makeup showcase the attention to detail and commitment to bringing this unique story to the big screen.
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The film was shot in British Columbia
The 2004 film White Chicks, starring Marlon Wayans and Shawn Wayans, was shot in several locations in British Columbia. Principal photography took place in Chilliwack, Victoria, and Vancouver, British Columbia. The film also features exterior scenes shot in the Hamptons in New York.
The process of transforming the Wayans brothers' characters from African-American men into blonde, blue-eyed women involved a complex and time-consuming makeup process. This included applying water-based acrylic paint, foundation, and contact lenses. The brothers' straight blonde wigs also played a significant role in their character transformations.
The dance-off scene in the film was recreated by actress Busy Philipps, who delighted fans by reuniting with her co-stars to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the film. While there is no specific mention of the Wayans brothers physically performing the dance moves in this scene, they did star in the movie and played the roles of FBI agents Marcus and Kevin Copeland.
The film White Chicks was directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans, who also co-wrote and co-produced the film with his brothers. It was released in the United States on June 23, 2004, and received mixed reviews from critics, with some praising its humour and others criticising its unconvincing prosthetics and racial insensitivity. Despite the initial negative reception, the film has since gained a cult following.
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It grossed over $113 million worldwide
The 2004 American buddy cop crime comedy film "White Chicks" grossed over $113 million worldwide. The film was directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans and co-written by him along with his brothers, Marlon Wayans and Shawn Wayans. The film stars Marlon and Shawn as two FBI agent brothers, Marcus and Kevin Copeland, who go undercover as white women to protect two hotel heiresses from a kidnapping plot.
The process of transforming the African-American actors into ersatz Hilton sisters was challenging and time-consuming. It involved using water-based acrylic paint, 50-gallon drums of Revlon Color-Stay foundation, and large, bright-coloured contact lenses. Despite the challenges, Marlon and Shawn Wayans nailed the choreography in the film, including a dance-off scene at a nightclub.
"White Chicks" received generally negative reviews from critics, with some calling out unconvincing prosthetics and racism. It was nominated for five Golden Raspberry Awards, including Worst Picture, Worst Actress for the Wayans brothers in drag, Worst Director, Worst Screenplay, and Worst Screen Couple. Despite the negative reception, the film grossed $19.7 million in its opening weekend in the United States, taking the #2 spot. It ultimately earned $70.8 million at the US box office and an additional $42.3 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $113.1 million, surpassing its $37 million budget.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, the Wayans brothers, Marlon and Shawn, who played FBI agents Marcus and Kevin Copeland, were part of the dance-off scene in the movie.
The dance battle took place halfway through the movie, where the opposing teams danced to Beyonce's 2003 single "Crazy In Love".
The White Chicks co-stars, Busy Philipps, Jaime King, Brittany Daniel, and Jessica Cauffiel, were part of the dance-off scene.
Turning the Wayans brothers into white women was no easy task. It took up to seven hours of makeup, which included applying a water-based acrylic paint in an orangey-red shade to cancel out the ash tones of their skin.
White Chicks was nominated for five Razzies, including Worst Picture, Worst Actress for the Wayans brothers in drag, Worst Director, Worst Screenplay, and Worst Screen Couple. It did not win any of the categories.
