Anthony Gordon, the infamous ‘Makeupman,’ is not only LA’s most sought after makeup artist and hair stylist. More importantly, he is a mentor for developing talent and a fantastic personality if you have the pleasure to speak with him. His work can be seen most recently on the CW’s billboards that sit from Times Square to Hollywood Boulevard (and along I-95 here in Philadelphia). Anthony has definitely worked television before, most notoriously for the series “Veronica Mars” and commercial work for companies like American Express (featuring Ellen, Beyonce, and the Village People), Geico, Nike, and Pepsi.
No stranger to celebrity bourgeois, Anthony is strangely earthbound. A conversation with him usually consists of shop talk and gossip, rarely ending in celebrity dirt (although, I’m convinced he could start a glitterati-smackdown that would rival Perez Hilton any day). So when Anthony expressed interest in being featured on my blog, I saw it only fit to wring him out in an effort to get all ten of my readers some solacious celebrity gossip.
Jordan Liberty, GGF: So I know we were talking earlier this week about the Skingraft show you’re keying for LA Fashion Week, can you fill our readers in on the project?
Anthony: When Skingraft approached me with their new collection, we discussed their inspiration, which was ‘Joan of Arc meets Amelia Earheart.’ We designed a woman that is strong, does the jobs that women shouldn’t do, and empowers. They express that not through their makeup – but really their accomplishments. We came up with this fresh, strong, boyish look for the runway show.
GGF: Aside from the runway work, what are your favorite jobs to do?
Anthony: Variety! I love being able to do a commercial one day, a fashion shoot the next day, and every year I try to take low budget film. I call it my “favor” because I believe todays students are tomorrows filmmakers.
GGF: Yeah, I saw that you did a gay slasher film last year, what was that like?
Anthony: I just did the opening sequence, it was like 60’s dancers singing ‘Watch Out for the Straights’ [laughs] – which was probably the best part of the movie. But yeah that was fun, I created 4 looks from like Phyllis Diller to Nancy Sinatra – it was a blast.
GGF: Your best celebrity spill? I demand dirt.
Anthony: I can’t do that. I would only do that if they were dead [laughs].
GGF: Any deceased divas you want to share about?
Anthony: I don’t know…is June Lockheart still alive?
GGF: Not sure. Want to dish anyway?
Anthony: Hold on let me make sure if she’s alive or not [googles]. I mean honestly, I’ve had a really good experience with almost everybody.
GGF: And by almost, you’re referring to?
Anthony: Most people are nice to the makeup artists. I mean, you’re touching their face. It’s the unwritten part of our job to be everybody’s friend. [The celebrities] realize that part of your job is watching their back, so it’s hard to trash anybody. When I arrive at a job, I try to be the best friend of everyone I’m working on. The other thing you have to realize is a lot of these celebrities work crazy, crazy hours and do a lot of emotional things. Or they have off days like anyone else. You just have to be very neutral with it.
GGF: Whatever I’m so disappointed in you.
Anthony: Oh [laughs loudly], Oh I don’t – ok. I did makeup for Glynis Johns. She’s hugely famous on broadway, she was in Superstar, and she was the mother in Mary Poppins [more laughing]. So Glynis was very sick when I had to do her makeup for the Disney Live Action thing. Instantly she crushes up a vicodin and takes it. And we’re talking…and she’s explaining how to do her makeup. [She] forgets she took a vicodin and takes another. I think by the end of doing her makeup she had taken about six — and I kindly tried to mention to her ‘I think you’ve taken several of those, are you alright?’ And she got a little defensive, so I left it alone.
So they put her on camera and they start interviewing her about Mary Poppins, and she’s high as a kite. She starts saying she likes fairies and can see them everywhere, and is angry at the producer because he couldn’t see them. She was high as a kite [laughs] and she’s like eighty, well, pushing ninety. So they interviewed her for like two hours and couldn’t get a straight answer from her. The producer was bright red angry, and it was even worse because I made him buy her a bouquet of flowers. I told him that she was this huge icon and we needed to give her this star treatment – yadda yadda. Afterwards he just wanted to beat her with the flowers.
GGF: How would you describe your personal style?
Anthony: I’ve always been a street chic kinda guy. Um, I like anything that has an edge to it. I love punk and goth. I mean when I die and like come back – like reincarnated, I’m gonna be a goth chick [laughs]. I’m just awed by them. The makeup, the fashion – they’re awesome.
GGF: And your favorite designer?
Anthony: Um, well – I like a lot of the old designers. Like Stephen Sprouse and Norma Kamali. I have a thing for vintage designers.
GGF: What’s your current makeup obsession?
Anthony: I’m obsessed with models with bleached eyebrows. It just forces me to look.
GGF: Oh my God, a man after my own heart.
Anthony: Prada just did one – it was amazing. It was like 5 girls with bleached brows. Hold on I’m looking at it right now.
GGF: I love that ad, it’s fantastic.
Anthony: Oh Sonia Rykiel’s new collection is genius [flips pages]. Hold on I just bought the new Italian Vogue. Oh here it is. – the Prada ad with the frizzy hair and they all have no eyebrows. And the shimmery faces. And even Armani. But Prada is more of that dirty eye I was talking about last year. I love Prada. Valentino did it as well.
GGF: French Vogue is my absolute favorite.
Anthony: Yeah I couldn’t find French Vogue so I bought Italian Vogue instead. I love French Vogue, Italian Glamour, Oyster from Australia, and Dansk. Those are my “refer-to” mags.
GGF: In your opinion, what’s the worst makeup cliché or trend?
Anthony: The only thing that has ever really driven me crazy was ‘twig and spice’ in the 90’s. ‘Twig’ lipstick and ‘Spice’ liner by MAC covered in gloss. Everyone wore that lip with a smoky eye. And you could see it on the street.
Like ‘oh, twig and spice.’
‘How’d you know?’
It was like a greasy pork chop face. You couldn’t miss it. That bothered me after a while. But interesting always gets my attention. I think that anyone who dares to do something different catches my eye. I always respect people who dare to try something new. And especially with makeup – because it washes off.
GGF: You define classic and timeless makeup as:
Anthony: I would think, is any makeup that you could wear in any era and it passes. Beautiful is beautiful.
GGF: Favorite meal of the day?
Anthony: Breakfast.
GGF: Me too!
Anthony: Oh my God, I could eat breakfast all day long. I eat breakfast for dinner half the time too. We’re gonna have to go have breakfast [laughs] – I love breakfast.
GGF: Next time I’m in LA – you’re on.
Anthony: I make a mean breakfast too. French toast, bacon, sausage patties, potatoes, eggs…oh I make great breakfast. I’m like the king of breakfast [laughs]. That, and the grill, I have a grill in the backyard and no one touches it but me.
GGF: A lot of green artists ask me for advice, as I’m sure they do you. What advice can you give newer artists?
Anthony: Especially if they’re young, I tell them to move to Italy. Go live in Milan. For a year – get in the heart of fashion. Be a big fish in a small place. If I could start all over again, it would have been in Italy.
GGF: What advice do you have about free/test shoots?
Anthony: [Nervous laugh]
GGF: I had to ask. I know.
Anthony: Um…wow. What advice do I have about test shoots… Well my friend Cooper would tell you to say ‘yes’ to everything, because you don’t know what opportunities might come from those experiences. And I think that’s fine when you’re new. So say ‘yes’ to everything. At every [test] you’ll learn something new. Soon you’ll realize you need to bump and test with better photographers. If you do it a lot when you’re new, you’ll have a huge arsenal of contacts later on in your career.
GGF: Any epic last words?
Anthony: Actually I have a great quote. Its on my facebook page, I want it carved on my gravestone. Here, I’ll read it to you.
“Life is not a journey to the grave with the
intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming — WOW– What a Ride!”
GGF: Who said that?
Anthony: I have no idea.
(For the record, the original quote was by Bill McKenna (motorcyclist) in 1982, and went like this: “Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in one pretty and well preserved piece, but to skid across the line broadside, thoroughly used up, worn out, leaking oil, shouting GERONIMO!” but has since been changed and is now cited as ‘anonymous.’)
Jordan, Anthony…
This was fabulous and truly inspirational.
Thanks you two; I’m on cloud 9!
(Mmmm, eggs over medium, waffles, maple bacon….mmm)
S
I love his advice for green artists– I am 19 and am starting to get into the makeup industry through interning. I was thinking about going to Spain in a few years, but maybe Italy is the way to go after all…
Kick ass interview! In every way!
Fantastic interview! Such a great makeup artist, and from the sound of it… a cool and down to earth person! You both Rock!
I love this interview! Except for the fact you made me hungry, ha! No seriously you are both fantastic, insprirational and extremely helpful, thank you! x