Todd McIntosh is an icon in the Makeup business. His work on Buffy the Vampire Slayer changed the face (and faces) of the sci-fi/fantasy genre, deservingly winning him the first of two Emmy Awards. He’s also an icon here at Blanche Macdonald. As our Makeup Director for our Makeup Programs in Vancouver, Todd’s expert fingerprints can be found over Canada’s ever-evolving and most complete Makeup curriculum.
Although Todd remains our Makeup Director, he recently announced his retirement from the Film and TV industry, finishing his on-set career with a very special role as Sofia Vergara’s personal Makeup Artist on Netflix narco-drama Griselda.
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“I’m used to having famous people sitting in my chair. Sofia was very focused on this performance. She was still fun and friendly. We laughed constantly and it felt like a little family.”
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Griselda image credits: IMDB. Griselda Makeup Department Head: Angela Nogaro. | Header design includes Griselda image sourced from Variety.
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“The Department Head, Angela Nogaro, contacted me at the last minute,” explains Todd from his new home in Spokane, Washington. “I suspect they realized the main Makeup Department wouldn’t have enough time to deal with Sofia. They needed someone dedicated to Sofia full-time.
“I was called on a Friday for a makeup test the next day. Four days later we were filming. Normally you’d get a week to test, refine and choose your products and looks. We were doing it on the fly.”
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Video credit: Netflix.
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Todd may be used to designing looks and heading departments, but the ability to step in at short notice is another skill any movie Makeup Artist needs to have up their sleeve.
“Sofia’s prosthetic pieces were already designed: the nose, teeth and eyebrow covers. Sofia’s eyebrows are full and very recognizable. She wanted a thinner, 1970s-style eyebrow. That was very important.
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“Being a Makeup Artist on a film or TV set is challenging. The work needs to be done to a high standard and often done very quickly. It’s a high-pressure environment.”
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“This was a personal project for Sofia. She was an Executive Producer and her eyes were on every detail. We worked together as a team, and I’m not afraid to admit there were times she said that the nose was wrong so we took it off and started again. Those things happen. The prosthetics were translucent silicon appliances that were meant to blend into the skin. You put it on, blend a bit and it disappears. Sofia wanted Griselda’s skin to be three or four shades darker than she is naturally. I was putting an opaque foundation over a translucent product and all the edges and details showed up. So we had a daily struggle getting these things to fade away. It’s tough to step in with your work and reputation on the line with close to zero preparation. I was still deciding which sealer to use three days into filming.”
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Dan Stevens makeup from a Legion episode showing his character in different timelines. Image credit: Dan Stevens.
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Being a personal Makeup Artist for a major star on their personal project takes more than technical excellence. It also takes an understanding and appreciation of the actor’s craft and how that can be supported every step of the way.
“I’m used to having famous people sitting in my chair. Sofia was very focused on this performance. She knows she has a reputation as a comedienne and a lighter performer. She wanted to show that she has another side so this performance was very important to her. She was still fun and friendly. We laughed constantly and it felt like a little family. But at the same time when we were on set and going into that performance, I would step back and be as invisible as I could be. I’d hand her the teeth – not even making eye contact – and she’d give them back to me when she was done. Sometimes she’d take out the teeth while she was walking and hold them out behind her without even knowing I was there. She expected me to be there!
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“Students are staying passionate throughout their time at BMC, and I love that. Every time I come to Blanche Macdonald I see beautiful makeups. I’ve seen students’ second or third bald caps as good as union people I know in the States. I’m very happy with the technical work I see at Blanche.”
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Todd applied the Tap Dance Man character makeup for the horror mini-series Them. Makeup designer and tech: Howard Berger.
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“Sometimes an actor will carry the energy of that kind of role off-set. That is not Sofia. Once she stepped off set she was her usual charming self. And I have never seen anyone eat sweets as much as she does!”
Todd’s decades of experience mean that he’s the perfect person to ensure that Blanche Macdonald’s Makeup Programs in Vancouver is continually being updated to reflect the changing face of TV and Movie making.
“There are always small changes to the curriculum. The teachers give us their feedback and we make the adjustments. I look at the content of the curriculum and make sure we’re talking about new products. And if I encounter products that change the way I apply things, I’ll add those in.
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Todd applied the character makeup for the Mocklan called Topa in Seth Macfarlane’s The Orville. Characters designed and constructed by Makeup department head: Howard Berger. Photos by Howard Berger.
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“Students are staying passionate throughout their time here at Makeup Programs in Vancouver, and I love that. Every time I come to Blanche Macdonald I see beautiful makeups, sometimes very expertly done by people just beginning to learn their craft. I’ve seen students’ second or third bald caps as good as union people I know in the States. I’m very happy with the technical work I see at Blanche.”
Every time he visits us, the straight-shooting Emmy winner tells it like it is. He knows it’s entirely possible for students to create incredible careers for themselves. He’s seen it for himself many times.
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“We want to prepare students, but in a classroom situation, they should be relaxed enough to open up and learn more. We’re not coddling students. We’re providing a safe space so they can learn to express themselves.”
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Photos by: Howard Berger.
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“I’ve never been a salesman,” he laughs. “I tell the truth and have never said anything but the truth. Being a Makeup Artist on a film or TV set is challenging. The work needs to be done to a high standard and often done very quickly. It’s a high-pressure environment. We want to prepare students for that, but in a classroom situation, they should be relaxed enough to open up and learn more. We’re not coddling students. We’re providing a safe space so they can learn to express themselves.”
