by Brittany White | Department Head Make-up
Photos courtesy of HBO Max
Getting to department head Hacks Season 5 will forever be a highlight of my career. Coming onto a show that’s already established can be intimidating, but from day one, it just felt like everyone wanted each other to succeed, work together, and create a great show. I was lucky enough to lead and be a part of an incredibly talented team. This season would not have been what it was without them.
One of the focuses for this final season was elevating the characters’ looks without changing who they were. Everyone already looked great, so we just needed to evolve their characters. We took each character and added nuance to the make-up so that it was more about the audience feeling the change without noticing why.
For instance, Ava was getting her glow up. She needed to feel like she’d grown into herself a little more this season while maintaining her youthful, effortless and unmistakably Ava-vibe. To achieve this, I did a lot of light layer buildup: using airbrush foundations and creams to keep the skin looking moisturized without the feel of anything too heavily applied. This meant powdering, blotting or anti-shine had to be strategically placed and timed. I kept her eye make-up incredibly minimal and a natural lip. As many know, sometimes doing a “no make-up” make-up can be harder than anticipated. It all comes down to finding the proper balance. To me, that’s the art of make-up and the types of challenges I enjoy most. If the audience never thinks about the make-up because they’re completely invested in the character, then we have done our job well.
Working with Hannah was an absolute joy. She is hilarious, personable, and has this uncanny ability to make everyone around her feel like family. Jean was exactly the same. Both created an incredibly welcoming atmosphere on set.
We had quite a few fun make-ups this season with one of them being the Andorian (Ann Dowd) make-up from the convention episode. Veronica blocked out her brows, airbrushed her all shades of blue and brought the character to life. With the help of our incredible hair team, we worked together to figure out how to get the antennae through the wig without flopping all over the place. It was such a fun character and watching Ann Dowd in blue andorian make-up smoke a cig while giving Deborah Vance fan advice was also a real treat to see.
Our third, Veronica Rodarte, always did spectacular work, often in ways you’d never even be able to tell. Just one example is when she hand-laid a mustache on the antiques seller for episode five, which had to match from a previous season. No one on the set knew the mustache was fake.
The season was full of funny moments like this on and off the camera. The AI episode where Jimmy and Kayla get bed bugs was another favorite. Creating the bites on them was a fun challenge in and of itself but filming the hotel room scene was even better. There were so many of us hiding inside the small bathroom during the take because there wasn’t enough room for us anywhere else. Make-up, sound, camera—all crammed together in this small space, trying our best not to laugh while Paul and Meg killed the scene as always.
One thing that always gets me on any set with character make-ups is when they are all ready—in the costume, make-up, wig/hair … all of it. Then you just see them off camera hanging out or doing normal things like getting crafty, checking their phones, or having a smoke. Those moments are just so surreal and genuinely funny. The Amazing Race clown make-ups were that moment on this season. Just Jean Smart, Kaitlin Olson, Property Brothers, Trisha Paytas, and Jordan Firstman amongst others … all done up in a clown make-up and costume, walking around and interacting as normal … hilarious.
Working on a comedy series, you really never know what to expect. Some days it was beauty, other days it was character or special effects. We never knew what the next script would ask of us or what the showrunners would throw in for fun. That’s part of what made the season so exciting.
One thing I loved about leading this department was watching everyone’s individual artistry come together. Each one of us brought something different to the table, and it made collaborating and adapting to requests something we could nail every day.
Erin Blinn, Assistant Department Head Make-Up
This show is so precious to so many people. By coming in on the fifth season, Brittany, Veronica, and I had a large responsibility to uphold the actors overall established vibe while still staying true to our own artistic visions.
That being said, we changed a lot of the characters’ looks this season to better align with the trajectory of their storyline. Everyone is growing in their careers and coming into their own as people as well.
Kayla is still quirky, bold and loud and her make-up has always reflected that but for this season, I used more color combinations to elevate and strengthen her looks. Meg loves blue eyeshadow and is always down for anything, so I used a lot of blues and cool tones for Kayla’s dramatic eye looks. I also gave her a more deliberate and snatched liner (often in blue) to command more attention and intention in her looks. I wanted her eyes to look slightly bossy and a little intimidating.
However, I also wanted to keep her make-up slightly aloof like her character so I used mostly natural/nude colors for her lips with a diffused darker nude liner for some lip contour. The girls got great lips so I wanted to accentuate them. I thought the combo of done-up eyes and understated lips told a story of what Kayla is willing to spend her time and energy on and what she finds important in a make-up look. (Not that I expect this part to come across clearly to everyone, just a little something for me and Meg.)
I also elevated Mayor Jo’s look by making her done-up for every moment that could come up. In my mind, Mayor Jo is always ready for the press. One of my favorite moments with Lauren (Weedman) was the blood gag we did on her when she breaks a champagne bottle to christen the Diva Casino. I wrote her an email to mentally prep her for the blood gag to which she responded only “I love that shit.”
When it came to do the blood gag, it was on stage in front of a crowd, and on a huge time crunch—which is always how it feels when you do blood gags, but this time it was literal. Veronica was the brave one who volunteered to be the person to pull the trigger for two takes that were both executed perfectly.
Keith Sayer, Jean Smart’s Make-Up Artist
Over the last five seasons, I made deliberate strides to evolve Deborah’s make-up gradually from season to season. Deborah Vance’s make-up reflected old showbiz glamour while navigating a modern world. Applications of a custom blend of Chanel foundations mixed with camellia oil and rice water achieved her luminous skin. Contour and highlight underpainting, applied with Japanese art brushes, sculpted lift and definition, providing precision without heaviness. Both matte and shimmer cool tone pigments formed the foundation for her multiple quick-change looks throughout the episode. Subtle brow and lash variations, paired with rotating lip and blush combinations, allowed each outfit change to carry its own distinct mood. Every intentional shift honored Deborah’s emotional beats rather than distracting from them. With so many looks to maintain, detailed face charts and reference photos rigorously maintained continuity across numerous looks, ensuring each return to camera was seamless and true to character.
Jen Bell, Jean Smart’s Hair Stylist/Wig Stylist
In Season 1, Deborah Vance is an aging comedian with a stale Las Vegas Show. They have both seen better days… We had Deb’s ‘show looks,’ a dated up-do with a bad wig she wore on stage and to business events around town. Her ‘normal look’ was a short style also harkening back to the ’80s. We used Jean’s hair with some pieces added.
As Season 2 approached, I was able to have four wigs made by Justin Stafford. Two longer for the new updo styles and two short for Deb’s real life. I started with a light blonde wig, added a medium blonde base with low lights and then bleach highlights on top of that. The process was the same for all the wigs, and it took about five passes on each wig to get them to the perfect blonde.
As the seasons continued, Deb’s style advanced as well, until we see her in Season 5 in Paris at her fashionable best! It has been an honor and a privilege to work with our incredible crew. The collaboration with Kathleen Felix-Hager, the costume designer, and Keith Sayer, Jean’s longtime make-up artist, and my good friend was so much fun!
Every episode had some kind of challenge whether constructing a towering up-do for the playing card dress or figuring out how to keep the wig from falling apart in the ocean as Deb swings out to save Hannah in Season 4. There was never a dull moment!
I believe Hacks Season 5 was a special show made up of a great cast, writers, showrunners, and crew. We worked hard but we laughed even harder. More than once during the season, Erin and I would look at each other and say, “I can’t believe we are at work right now.” That pretty much sums up the experience. A show can’t get any better than that. I’m incredibly proud of what our make-up department accomplished, but I’m even more grateful for the people I got to share it with. •
