S26 - Ep 4 - 98th Oscars - Makeup and Hairstyling

Makeup and hairstyling are among the most visible crafts in filmmaking — shaping how an audience understands age, history, and identity before a word is spoken. This week on Below the Line, Skid is joined by Yvonne De Patis-Kupka, Angela Nogaro, and Lynda Armstrong for an in-depth discussion of the nominees for Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling at the 98th Academy Awards. Drawing on a wide range of experience across film and television, they examine how hair and makeup choices shape character, period, genre, and emotional tone — and how those choices are evaluated within a single, highly competitive Oscar category. As with the rest of this year’s Oscar series, the conversation is available both as an audio podcast and as a full video episode on YouTube, giving listeners the option to watch the discussion or continue enjoying the show in its traditional audio format. Our discussion ranges across: The contrast between large-scale prosthetic work and more restrained, character-driven approaches to makeup and hair How transformation functions differently across genres, from the mythic world of Frankenstein to the grounded period realism of Sinners The challenges of evaluating culturally specific styles, including the kabuki-influenced work in Kokuho When subtlety becomes the hardest achievement — and why “natural” work can be the most demanding The relationship between budget, resources, and creative problem-solving, particularly in films like The Ugly Stepsister How continuity, aging, and wear are tracked over time to support long-form storytelling The ongoing difficulty of judging hair, makeup, and prosthetics together within a single Oscar category What this year’s nominees reveal about the Academy’s evolving expectations for the craft The conversation highlights makeup and hairstyling as disciplines defined by precision, restraint, and collaboration — crafts that help actors fully inhabit their roles while anchoring the world of the film. 🎧 Press play — or watch the full conversation on YouTube — and join us Below the Line as the 2026 Oscar series continues. For more, visit belowtheline.biz.