Vanessa Kirby on Character Beauty, Ice Bath Facials, and Postpartum Skin Care

With theater, it’s the best because you don’t think about it too much. You can just do it in five minutes alone in your dressing room, and it’s almost like a pre-show ritual every night. But on film sets, there is a makeup artist. I’ve been working with Gemma Hoff, my on-set makeup artist, for a long time. We met on The Crown, and we have done lots of projects together since. She is so talented.

What is your relationship like with Hoff on set?

We have our own little diets. We go together and she knows me so well now. We have a great time at work, creating the characters together. On The Crown, we had so much fun doing makeup from the 50s and then moving from the second season to the 60s when the makeup was much bolder and the hair was completely different – ​​we loved that transition. As a result, you could make colors more pop.

Vanessa Kirby as Princess Margaret in The crown

Alex Bailey / Netflix

We would go for a bright red or orange lip, and more eyelashes because it was the 60s, then the hair got a lot cooler. We loved watching all the icons from that era, like Vanessa Redgrave, Bridget Bardot and Jane Birkin. And I think Gemma also came from theater, so we knew the power of dreaming of yourself elsewhere.

How is the glamor process of action films different from period films?

With action films, you have to wear less makeup because you just have to be able to, for example, get in the water or engage in some sort of fight sequence. In fact, we’re never really done. Anyway, I always prefer more defeated characters.