I need some help aging an actor in the show I am currently directing.  The actor in question is 17 years old and needs to be 90.  Normally I would just use the standard grey/white hair spray and eyeliner for lots of wrinkles and go with that.  

 

This show however is a courtroom comedy and we are lucky enough to be performing in the circuit court room of our courthouse.  All of the actors who are wittnesses (as is the one in question) will be seated in the gallery mixed in with the audience. 

 

Due to the fact that there are no stage lights, the rest of the actors will not be wearing make-up.  I have latex appliances that I use for Halloween, but it takes 2-3 hours to put on.  (a definite possibility, but if there's something easier...)

 

Oh, also most of the rest of the cast is adult (ages mid 20s to 60s) and playing characters of their appropriate age, so it's not just a matter of making one teenager look a lot older than a bunch of other teenagers.

 

thanks for all the input!

 

I think the ONLY way you'd EVER pull this off is if you had a highly qualified special makeup effects artist who can do an effective old age prosthetic appliance makeup.  I've seen it done on 10 year olds and it blows me away every time....but that's pretty rare.  So 17 is better but still in the category of impossible without a full-blown old age prosthetic makeup application - which CAN take anywhere from 4 - 6 hours.....not just 2 - 3 if it's to be done right.

 

Therefore what to do??!!!  Suggest you FIND someone in your area who is qualified and who can pull this off.  Otherwise what you're going to end up with is likely a feeble attempt at aging someone who first is not old enough and can't be made to LOOK old enough using conventional stage makeup processes - including just white hairspray (think in terms of HAIR LOSS with age more than just color).  Then to get them to look THAT OLD - well without major prosthetic old age makeover - it simply is NOT going to happen.  You'll end up with SOME level of age but nothing remotely close to 90.  Sorry, it's simply NOT going to happen any other way.  You can try, you can do something - but without a complete old age makeover, it simply is going to fall short.  Recently, during the previous Halloween I aged my daughter to about the 70's but it took a full face silicone gel-filled one-piece appliance, and effective wig and costume to get her to look that old - and SHE is 35.  So double the age - maybe with the right prosthetics.  Without them - not even close.  Here - have a look what it takes to do this......

 

http://www.sapsema.org/images/LISAB4AFTER.jpg - http://www.sapsema.org/images/LISAB4AFTER.jpg

 

 

And 17 to 90 - I'm sorry it's just never going to sell without some MAJOR makeup event.  You'd do better using the 60 year old and even then having to do a significant makeup job on that person to age them up to 90.  But 17??  If you do accomplish this - I'd certainly like to see it.

 

TonyDi

Aaron why not jusy use two different actors?

 

thanks

 

Well here again it simply depends upon the actor's physiognomy.  WHAT do they look like and how much - or better yet - how LITTLE do you have to do in order to get them from age 17 to age 40?  SOMETIMES you can get away with a GOOD paint job - forget the prosthetics and do a solid, good theater age makeup job.  There are elements you must study in "aged" faces to be able to know how to accomplish them either with a simple makeup job or whether it's going to REQUIRE more extensive "appliance" makeup work to legitimize.  For the most part, a LOT of 40 year olds look young enough these days that you can likely do some MINOR work to get someone from 17 to 40 without much more than a few lines EMPHASIZED (NOT OVERDONE) with slight attention to "sagging" areas as well as the hair styles, colors and loss, etc., coupled with slight weight gain perhaps (gravity is a pain) and so on and so forth.  But you certainly don't need a full blown prosthetic makeup job though if you HAVE someone who is qualified that CAN help...but certainly isn't necessary.  NOR is old-age stipple stuff to add wrinkles.  Again KNOW the character, the character's life characterisitics, conditions and such to know how to make them up.  TOO many people opt for far too much without looking around at 40 year olds.  I'm 61 but MOST people think I'm in my late 40's or early 50's - certainly NOT my age but it's the Italian genetics perhaps.  SAME idea, know what age, time, conditions and outside forces do to age a person and apply accordingly.  LOOK at some 40 year olds.  I think you'll find a 17 year old with minor makeup work can easily be made to look that age - just as long as they can PLAY that age and sell it legitimately.

 

Good luck.

 

TonyDi