If there’s one thing that a person with ADHD doesn’t often like to do, and a person can go out and ask anyone that has this condition, they do not like to sit still that often. It’s not that they can’t do it, it’s that typically those with ADHD just don’t want to sit still that often since they feel the need to be stimulated and to do something, anything. Sitting in a makeup chair for hours to get the right look for a movie wasn’t something that Howie Mandel treasured about the movie Little Monsters since it meant that he had to be still and simply allow people to touch him continuously as the latex makeup was applied to his skin. Worse than that, the fact that the movie was filmed in North Carolina during the summer months didn’t make things any better on Howie since the combination of latex and humidity made things even harder to bear. Imagine being stuck beneath latex makeup when the heat begins to rise and your skin begins to sweat, it’s enough to drive someone crazy just thinking about it. In fact, Howie has gone on to state that he wouldn’t have taken the role if he’d known just how it was going to go, and how long he would have to sit still for the process. Trying to get someone with ADHD to sit still usually takes a great deal of patience and in some cases medication, which isn’t exactly the best tactic.
A large number of people have had to sit in a makeup chair for an untold number of movies since some makeup effects take a while to complete and are so articulate that they require the subject to hold absolutely still for extended periods of time so nothing is mucked up and the look comes out the way it’s supposed to. But it’s more than a little obvious that this process can wear on a person’s nerves, particularly if they’re not used to holding still for more than a few minutes at a time. Those that don’t normally sit down for a makeup session are the lucky ones since they might need a touchup here and there just so there’s no unwanted glare caused by the lighting that can ruin their image on the camera, but those that are done up in full costume often have to just grin and bear it. While it does sound as though Howie did just this, it’s also obvious that he would have rather been doing anything other than sit in the chair for an extended period of time. In fact, at one point he even lost the desire to say the word ‘latex’ or have anyone touch him. It’s not too hard to figure out why or to empathize with him.
As far as getting along with the rest of the cast went he stated that it was a joy to work with everyone, but getting in and out of costume was the worst experience he’s gone through in quite some time, and he would never choose to do it again since the latex stuck to his skin like glue at some points. Humidity and makeup just aren’t a good mix sometimes, and judging from Howie’s stance on this it’s likely that many other people that have had to don makeup for their role would likely feel the same way. While it looks impressive and definitely makes the characters stand out, a lot of what goes into the design can be a bit troublesome for the actors sometimes, as a few people through history have had severe allergic reactions to some of the substances that have been placed on their bodies. If anyone recalls, the Tin Man and the Scarecrow from the Wizard of Oz both had issues with their own makeup, as the Tin Man’s makeup almost killed him due to an allergic reaction while the Scarecrow’s facial prostheses left him permanently scarred. Another individual that suffered through the process was Mel Brooks since during Spaceballs the gold paint that was used during his role as Yogurt, a parody of Yoda, cause an allergic reaction that he wasn’t expecting. The makeup looks great, but sometimes it’s a little more trouble than its worth.
It’s pretty easy to feel for Howie Mandel on this point since he did put in a great performance during the movie and didn’t really let on that he was suffering since, honestly, he’s a good enough actor to get the job done and make it look genuine. But to think that he was having to peel latex off of his face and body afterward is enough to make anyone cringe since the process of taking it all off sounds as painful, if not more so, than having to sit and endure the application for hours on end.
Follow Us
