There have been countless TV shows staring Elizabeth I and so many different interpretations of her look. Here, I have looked into some examples of hair and makeup artists trying to recreate the iconic look on their models.
Cate Blanchett
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| Cate Blanchett before transformation http://www-images.theonering.org/torwp/wp-content /uploads/2013/09/MV5BMTc4NTIwNTI4N15BMl5 BanBnXkFtZTYwODM0MjMz__V1_SY317_CR90214317_.jpg |
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Cate Blanchett played Elizabeth I in the 1997 film Elizabeth. It was directed by Shekhar Kapur and written by Michael Hirst. The film follows Elizabeth in the early days of her reign and shows her struggles and strengths of learning how to become queen. There were many makeup artists and hair stylists who worked on the film to recreate the beautiful Elizabethan looks, including Anita Burger, Miranda Davidson and Karen Ferguson. Jenny Shircore was the makeup and hair designer for Cate Blanchett. Cate was interviewed and quoted saying that she doesn't like wearing wigs for film roles and would prefer to make her hair as similar as possible to the character, even if she had to shave it all off, which she did for her role in the 2002 film Heaven. For Elizabeth she actually shaved her hairline and bleached the front of her hair so that her hairline looked further back and more accurate to the Elizabethan era. She also bleached her eyebrows and eyelashes to match her very fair hair and also to follow the trend of very faint eyebrows. I really like how natural the makeup looks and how it almost looks like she hasn't got any makeup on at all.
Cate Blanchett won many awards for her role in the 1997 film, including a BAFTA and a Golden Globe and the film won the 1997 BAFTA for Best British Film. Jenny Shircore, Cate's makeup artist for the film, won an Oscar for Best Makeup.
Flora Robson
Flora Robson played Elizabeth I in the 1937 film, Fire Over England, directed by William K Howard. The makeup artist is unknown for this role, however it was thought that she wore a prosthetic nose for the part. When comparing her before and after pictures, it is clear that the actress either bleached, plucked or shaved off her eyebrows as they are a lot fairer and thinner in the film. Flora already had a high forehead so I don't think any work was needed there, however they may have neatened it up. She played Elizabeth I again in the 1940 film, The Sea Hawk, and Perc Westmore was her makeup artist.
Bette Davis
Bette Davis played Elizabeth I in the 1939 film, The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex, directed by Michael Curtiz. Perc Westmore was the makeup artist for Bette, who went to extreme lengths to transform herself into the role. She agreed to have her hair shaved back by three inches and she shaved her eyebrows completely off so that they could be draw on, thinner and higher, by pencil. Eye bags were draw on to age her and her lips were made to look thinner. Then to complete the Elizabethan look, white face paint was used all over her face to achieve the perfect look.
Bette Davis played Elizabeth I again in the 1955 film, The Virgin Queen. Bette was a lot closer in age to Elizabeth in this film. Perc Westmore was her makeup artist again and persuaded her to shave her hairline again, in order to have a larger forehead to be more historically correct. However this time her hair did not fully grow back and she had to wear a nightcap to the Oscars. It is thought that her first representation of Elizabeth was a lot more accurate then her second, even though she was closer in age to Elizabeth in the 1955 film.
Glenda Jackson
Flora Robson
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| Flora Robson before transformation |
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| Elizabeth I in Fire Over England (1937) http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kU3W6M1MspY/TZ7j7uhzvDI/AAAAA AAAAJ0/Q-KUxkzELos/s1600/FloraRobsoninFireOverEngland.jpg |
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| Elizabeth I in The Sea Hawk (1940) http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5vuX6vXNOCs/TxLVfoWvZzI /AAAAAAAADqI/FGEJc6pCRK4/s1600/sea+hawk+05.jpg |
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| Bette Davis before the transformation http://www.themakeupgallery.info/period/c16/uk/elizabeth/essex.htm |
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| Bette Davis as Elizabeth I in The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex |
Bette Davis played Elizabeth I again in the 1955 film, The Virgin Queen. Bette was a lot closer in age to Elizabeth in this film. Perc Westmore was her makeup artist again and persuaded her to shave her hairline again, in order to have a larger forehead to be more historically correct. However this time her hair did not fully grow back and she had to wear a nightcap to the Oscars. It is thought that her first representation of Elizabeth was a lot more accurate then her second, even though she was closer in age to Elizabeth in the 1955 film.
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| Bette Davis as Elizabeth I in The Virgin Queen |
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| Glenda Jackson before her transformation |
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| Glenda Jackson as Elizabeth I in Elizabeth R |
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| The ageing process of Elizabeth I http://www.themakeupgallery.info/period/c16/uk/elizabeth/elizabethr.htm |
Glenda Jackson played Elizabeth I in Elizabeth R, a TV mini-series produced by the BBC in 1971, which followed the story of whether or not the Queen should marry. The Executive Producer was Chistopher Sarson and the Director Roderick Graham. The series was written by a number of writers, including John Hale, Julian Mitchell and John Prebble. The makeup artists were Dawn Alcock (6 episodes) and Sandra Shepherd (1 episode). Glenda Jackson had to portray Elizabeth from when she was first queen into her old age, involving complex makeup routines. She had her head partially shaved for the role. The makeup is definitely the most drastic as she gets older as it looks very heavy and prominent. I think prosthetics would have been used to achieve the ageing skin and possibly false teeth.
Anne Marie Duff
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| Anna Marie Duff before the transformation http://www.celebslight.com/images/anne-marie-duff-06.jpg |
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| Anna Marie Duff as Elizabeth I in The Virgin Queen |
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| Prosthetics used for transformation |
Anne-Marie Duff played Ellizabeth in The Virgin Queen, a BBC TV mini series produced in 2005, in which she portrayed Elizabeth from the age of 20, even before she was Queen, right up until her death; quite a challenge for the makeup department. The series was directed by Coky Giedroyc, written by Paula Milne and produced by Paul Rutman. To achieve a realistic transformation from a young girl to a 70 year old involved a number of people in the makeup department. Karen Hartley-Thomas was the makeup designer, assisted by Laura Schiavo, makeup artist, and Maureen McGill and Anna Morena, hair stylists/makeup artists. Neill Gorton had responsibility for the prosthetic makeup, assisted by Lauge Voigt and Vicky Bancroft. FangsFX produced prosthetic dentures.
Anne-Marie Duff has said that she was concerned about having to play the same person as she aged through so many years, but ‘I knew that with the makeup and costume I would look good – the prosthetics not only looked amazing but they gave my face restrictions that it wouldn’t normally have’. To take on her role, Duff also had her hairline shaved and her eyebrows and lashes bleached.
Helen Mirren
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| Helen Mirren before her transformation |
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| Helen Mirren as Elizabeth I in Elizabeth http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UicwEvKg2kc/T6mMV7DnoPI/AAAAAAAAC PI/MFdGgDJvxBI/s1600/helen+mirren+queen+elizabeth+I.jpg |
The television series won many awards including, an Emmy for Outstanding Costumes for a miniseries or TV movie, a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a miniseries or TV movie (Mirren) and a Peabody Award.
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