How did Patricia Murray climb to the top of the Vancouver Film and TV Makeup Industry? According to her, it’s quite simple.
“I’ve always been willing to pivot, learn and grow the talent I have.”
Patricia’s jaw-dropping list of credits includes Head of Department positions in hits like Yellowjackets, Arrow, Frequency, Home Before Dark and Battlestar Galactica, along with Makeup Effects roles on Star Trek Beyond, Wayward Pines, Tomorrowland, Blade Trinity and I, Robot. That’s merely a selection from a long list of productions stretching back to the late 1980s when the recently-graduated aspiring Fashion Makeup Artist received a call from her one-time instructor at Blanche Macdonald.
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“I started in fashion but wanted to learn more. That’s how I discovered Blanche. I was 23 and was like a sponge. I’ve always loved movies and figuring out how they created the characters. I remember being excited to come to school every day. I got to use different products and techniques. I started to imagine building characters.”
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“I’d already started migrating from fashion editorials to commercials and from there to talk shows and newscasts in the Vancouver Film Industry,” she recalls. “Todd MacIntosh who had been my instructor at Blanche, needed an assistant for a TV series. The pilot revolved around a fashion show and he knew I had fashion experience, working with the models at the local talent. That show was Murphy’s Law. I acted cool and told him I’d check my schedule. He couldn’t see that I was jumping up and down with excitement. I went there to learn as much as possible as quickly as possible and five days on Murphy’s Law as a Second Makeup Assistant turned into nine months.”
And so began one of the great Canadian Film and TV Makeup careers. The young lady from North Vancouver who had struggled through high school had embraced her talent and passion. Her task was how to harness them.
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“Todd MacIntosh who had been my instructor at Blanche, needed an assistant for a TV series. I acted cool...he couldn’t see that I was jumping up and down with excitement. I went there to learn as much as possible. Five days on Murphy’s Law as a Second Makeup Assistant turned into nine months.”
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On the set of Hunt for the I-5 Killer with Sara Canning.
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“I found school challenging,” Patricia admits. “My parents encouraged independent learning so I would do art and drama classes out of school. I found my way through art. In those drama classes, I loved getting other people prepared for their performances, including their Makeup.
“I took my first Makeup course at another school in Vancouver. I loved the creative aspect of it and how I felt comfortable behind the scenes. I started in fashion but wanted to learn more. That’s how I discovered Blanche.”
Blanche Macdonald was a far smaller educational establishment in the late 1980s, but the commitment to bringing out students’ creativity was the same as it is today.
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“I’ve been so fortunate. I’ve filmed in India, the Arctic, Japan and Hawaii. My job is to be grounded, centred and calm, and also ready to go into sixth gear at all times.”
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Adding to Riley Smith‘s existing facial hair by hand-laying a beard on the set of Frequency.
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“I was 23 and was like a sponge. I’ve always loved movies and figuring out how they created the characters. This was pre-Internet so I would go to the library and do my own research. I remember being excited to come to school every day. I got to use different products and techniques. I started to imagine building characters.”
She’s been building characters ever since.
“I decided my first five years working in film were going to be my learning years: not only Makeup skills but navigating the film set and all the co-creation involved. I wanted to work for as many Heads of Departments and work on set as much as possible. If I wasn’t getting calls for IATSE projects I would go out and drop off résumés to smaller production houses; anywhere where my makeup would get into print or on screen. I learned to understand lighting and camera lenses. I took sculpting and painting classes. I took a small business class so I could market myself properly. Anything I was curious about I learned. It paid off and still is.”
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“It’s not about you, it’s about the work. When I’m recruiting my teams I’m looking at an artist’s technical skill, someone who can stay grounded and will also put up their hand when they have questions. Communication is really important.”
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On the set of Monarch, applying blood and dirt to actor Joe Tippett. Patricia, along with Dennis Liddiard, Bev Hoy, Mallory Greaves, Lisa Love, Teia Dumaresq, and Jan Ballard, were nominated for a Leo Award for their work.
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This student of professionalism quickly evolved into the master, which meant more responsibility and, more excitingly, more creativity.
“As a Head of the Makeup Department long before filming begins, you have an opportunity for input. Maybe the vision of the Director and Producers is different from mine. That’s fine. You go to meetings, meet the actors and do tests. You make adjustments and potentially create new looks. You try to bring all the elements together with what the actor is creating. I love that process.
“It’s exciting creating characters and then executing them in the trailer and on set. When I’ve done Makeup, whether it’s an effect or beauty Makeup, I want to be on set to witness how it reacts to the movement, the light and the lines the actors are speaking; literally experiencing the character come to life.
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“I can’t possibly be great at every technical area within Makeup, so I make sure I have a diversity of talent and age groups within my teams. I’m looking for anyone who wants to learn and refine their skill at every level.”
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Walking the red carpet at the Emmys: “With my eyes half closed, I stand beside Jayne Dancose who received the Emmy for “Door to Door” along side Charles Porlier. Myself and Rebeccah Delchambre received the nomination for “Taken” Prosthetics Makeup Effects. I had the very fortunate experience of working on both shows – the win was all around!”
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“I’ve been so fortunate. I’ve filmed in India, the Arctic, Japan and Hawaii. My job as a Makeup Artist is to be grounded, centred and calm, and also ready to go into sixth gear at all times. That way the cast feels grounded and centred, and the showrunners and directors feel confident that everything will get done without any stress.”
Keeping cool under pressure is Patricia’s stock in trade. That doesn’t mean she doesn’t get excited on the inside.
“I was part of the Makeup Effects department on Star Trek Beyond. I was asked to come in for a few day calls and when I arrived I geeked out! My inner 12-year-old nerd was on a Star Trek set alongside the Star Trek world I loved when I was growing up!”
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Around the world and on set: With Alexander Ludwig and Ashley J Young on the set of Earth Abides | With colleague and friend HOD Hair Debra Wiebe on the set of Monarch | Working with Debra and an amazing team in Japan | Back on set! “A sweet type of exhaustion”
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The enthusiasm is always there, but Patricia is under no illusion that being Head of Department for major shows isn’t hard work.
“On Yellowjackets Season 1 my teams would have five to ten people with day-call Makeup Artists coming in when required. It was like doing a pilot for seven months. We were establishing the story and the looks were evolving as the characters were growing. There were a lot of wounds and we were often running two or three units. I worked really closely with Bill Terazakis on Yellowjackets. He passed away while we were filming so it was a super tough show for me.”
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Creating the “Oil Slick” Woman with Michelle Pedersen for Yellowjackets, Season 1.
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Losing a Film and TV Makeup legend that she’d worked alongside for years came as a tragic shock. It also reinforced Patricia’s belief that any department’s success relies on a team effort.
“There needs to be synchronicity,” she insists. “It’s never about just one person. Forget your pride. It’s not about you, it’s about the work. When I’m recruiting my teams I look for technical skill and experience. I’ll call other Heads of the Department and ask about the pros and cons of Makeup Artists they’ve worked with. I’m looking at an artist’s technical skill but also someone who can stay grounded and will also put up their hand when they have questions. If we get thrown something and they don’t have the experience, let me know. I can train them there and then or get them to help with something else. Communication is really important.
“As a Head of the Makeup Department long before filming begins, you have an opportunity for input. You go to meetings, meet the actors and do tests. You try to bring all the elements together with what the actor is creating. I love that process.”
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Testing with Jim Sturgess on the set of Home Before Dark: “As a HOD makeup, when “stitching” happens on camera, I request time in the trailer for actors to test the “stitching” on the prosthetic. This way the one that is “wounded” has an opportunity to see how it feels.”
Transforming Louis Herthum into the “Sheriff” on the set of Home Before Dark.
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“Ultimately when people are confident in their own art, they’re willing to ask questions and keep learning. They don’t need assurance or attention. They know when their makeup works and when it doesn’t. As an artist, the competition is with yourself to become better at your art and a better communicator. If the competition is between members of the team, it’s not good juju for anyone.”
Perhaps the most amazing of the many amazing things about Patricia is that despite decades in the business, she’s still looking to give opportunities to new talent.
“I can’t possibly be great at every technical area within Makeup, so I make sure I have a diversity of talent and age groups within my teams. I’m looking for anyone who wants to learn and refine their skill at every level.
“After all, where is all this knowledge going to go after I retire?”
