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THE EYES OF

TAMMY FAYE

BY JUSTIN RALEIGH | PROSTHETIC MAKE-UP DESIGNER

CONTRIBUTIONS BY LINDA DOWDS, STEPHANIE INGRAM, BRYSON CONLEY,
CHRIS HAMPTON, MICHAEL EZELL, THOM FLOUTZ, AND KELLY GOLDEN
mages of televangelists Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker After a great initial meeting with Jessica and the producers to
are still deeply engrained into my memories from discuss possible approaches, timelines, conceptual design, and
I when I was young. I remember them both on the TV make-up testing, we hit the ground running to develop the multiple
screen in my home a lot in the early ’80s, along with a slew of phases of their transitions. Early on, we discovered production
comedians of the era mocking the media-bashed couple due only wanted to create prosthetics for Andrew and Jessica, with all
to their scandals and the over-the-top appearance of Tammy other character likenesses accomplished through wigs, casting, and
Faye Bakker. Her bold eye make-up, big hair, mascara tears, and traditional make-up approaches.
massive personality was an image that stuck in the public’s mind. That simplified our build, yet also complicated our approach.
Their story together was one many will never forget, especially We had to find a balance esthetically that allowed them to not
Tammy Faye and her iconic looks and bold performances on The stand out as wearing prosthetics, while surrounded by characters
PTL Club (Praise the Lord), and resurrection to fame through who had no prosthetics at all. It meant finding a subtle balance
reality TV in the early 2000s. in the amalgamation of Tammy’s and Jim’s anatomical elements
In mid-2019, I received a call from my friend and mentor Greg with Jessica’s and Andrew’s own features. This is always a tricky
Cannom. He approached me to see if my Fractured FX team and dance; how much do you cover the actor in prosthetics to match
I would be able to handle the overall build of the prosthetics for the character, while still maintaining some of the actor’s own
Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker likeness make-ups. Greg suggested features, and not impeding their performance. If you hire Jessica
I handle the onset supervisor work for the characters, while he Chastain, you want to see some of Jessica in that look, yet still take
worked with me in a co-designer consulting capacity for the initial the audience to a new place visually, and let the acting drive the
sculptures and preliminary tests. performance, not the make-up.
Jessica Chastain as Tammy Faye Bakker is touched up by Kelly Golden (L) and Justin Raleigh (R). Photo by Daniel McFadden.
Insets from top: Linda Dowds and Stephanie Ingram touching up Jessica; Andrew Garfield as Jim Bakker with Jessica.
48 • THE ARTISAN WINTER 2022 PHOTOS: SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES. © 2021 20TH CENTURY STUDIOS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, EXCEPT AS NOTED THE ARTISAN WINTER 2022 • 49