From autopsy rooms to dingy basements, there are
very few places Randy Westgate is afraid to go as a
makeup artist. The winner of five Emmy Awards and
nominated for five others, Westgate first made a name
for himself on Fox's MADtv. Now, with nearly fifty
feature films to his name including Fight Club, Valkyrie,
and X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Westgate continues to
grow as an artist.

With each passing film, he does much more than craft
a believable bruise: he helps audiences feel something.
Westgate's art lies in making the impossible seem
possible.
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in and around Sandusky, Ohio.

What made you interested in becoming a makeup artist?
I have always been interested in movies. Most particularly, in special makeup effects.

What was your first step?
An independent film advertised for a local special effects makeup artist for a little horror film. So, I answered
the ad and got the gig. After finishing up the movie, I decided I wanted to pursue this as a career, so I left
Sandusky in 1989 and moved to California.

Is it fair to say that your work takes a lot of planning?
A lot of planning goes into anything that is worthwhile. Now,
having said that, more often than not it is fast and furious and
can change on a dime. So, you have to be prepared and be
able to think on your feet.

Do you do any research for your work?
Yes. I enjoy doing the research, from forensic pathology to
archived photos for period facial hair. However, most of the
character choices come from a collaborative effort between the
actor, myself, and the director .
Westgate won five Emmys for MADtv
What is the most surprising part of your job?
I believe the most surprising aspect of my career is the longevity of it.

What aspects of filmmaking are attractive to you as a makeup artist?
I enjoy all of them. Beauty, character, prosthetics, and blood.

Can you name a few of the projects you most enjoyed working on?
In no particular order: Fight Club, MADtv, Pathology, Panic Room, The Mexican.
You've worked as Edward Norton's personal makeup artist
on many of his films, including the upcoming Leaves of
Grass. How did this relationship come about?
I met Edward on Fight Club [in 1998] and have worked on and off
with him for approximately ten years now. I really respect him as
an actor -- especially his choices.
What are some of the typical challenges you face on set?
Typical challenges for each project usually involve changes to the characters, such as tattoos, scars,
sideburns, or a beard. The devil is in the details. And the details are usually what sells it.

What can you tell us about the experience of working on MADtv?
MADtv was a wonderful, challenging show. Every other Friday was in front of a live audience. Most of the
prosthetics were not made for the actors, and we had to improvise a lot. And we had to be fast! On a typical
film, you have as much time as it takes, mainly because it's going to be projected on a big screen and your
eyebrow [will be] five feet across.


Westgate's work on Edward Norton for
David Fincher's  Fight Club
What advice would you give to any aspiring makeup artists?
My advice to anyone considering this as a career: You really have to
love it. And don’t give up. Most importantly: education, education,
education.

While many of your films are well-known, like Fight Club and
Mulholland Drive, are there any smaller films you worked on
that deserve some attention?
Of the smaller projects, I really enjoyed a little film called American
Perfekt with Amanda Plummer, Robert Forster, Fairuza Bulk, David
Thewlis, Paul Sorvino. Check it out.

Westgate with Paul Walker, working on
The Life and Death of Bobby Z
What's next?
My latest project was a film called Warrior that we shot in Pittsburgh. It is a drama centered around
[mixed martial arts]. It wrapped in July. I’ve been day-playing on Cold Case and a new TV show called The
Middle. That, and waiting for my next film.
Westgate (far left), making adjustments on the set of the film Pathology.