Oscar-nominated makeup genius comes full circle with ‘Maestro’
LOS ANGELES (AFP) — When Kazu Hiro first started experimenting with makeup as a teenager in the 1980s, one face leapt out at him from books and magazines he saw in shops: legendary conductor Leonard Bernstein.
Four decades later, the twotime Oscar winner has come full circle with “Maestro,” in which he transformed Bradley Cooper into the towering musical great.
And the makeup effects artist has another Academy Award in his sights.
“Leonard Bernstein was a big inspiration when I was a kid,” Hiro told AFP in an interview.
“Every time I create a human face, I need a reference photograph. And at that time, there was no internet,” the 54-year-old explained. “So I had to go to a bookstore.”
And the face he saw over and over was Bernstein’s. In the 1980s, the internationally acclaimed conductor had a packed concert schedule, along with teaching and composing.
Shortly after that, the Kyoto native saw Bernstein in a documentary on Japanese television.
“I was really inspired by what he was talking about,” Hiro said. “I thought, you know, ‘Someday, I want to work on a film about Leonard Bernstein.’”
Then in 2020, he got a call from Cooper, who directed, cowrote and stars in “Maestro,” which offers a look at Bernstein’s life through the lens of his marriage to actress Felicia Montealegre (Carey Mulligan).
“It’s really a passion project,” Hiro said. “Bradley and me love Leonard Bernstein so much.”
Out of retirement
Hiro first honed his craft in Japan, teaching himself how to change the contours of a face by trial and error.
He moved to the United States in the 1990s, and ultimately became one of the most sought-after makeup artists in Hollywood.
Hiro has worked on dozens of films with A-list stars, including “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” transforming Jim Carrey into the beloved Dr Seuss character, and “Nutty Professor II: The Klumps” with Eddie Murphy.
But after earning two Oscar nominations — for “Norbit,” again starring Murphy, and “Click” with Adam Sandler — Hiro walked away, “retiring” in 2012 and vowing to dedicate the next phase of his career to sculpture.
However, Tinseltown soon lured him back.
He transformed Gary Oldman into Winston Churchill for “Darkest Hour” (2017), a feat that earned him his first Oscar.
Two years later, he earned another golden statuette for “Bombshell,” in which Charlize Theron morphed into television journalist Megyn Kelly.
Working with Cooper was a no-brainer, given his emotional connection to the subject matter.
When Cooper and Hiro first met in 2020, they talked about how to bring Bernstein to life, and effectively represent the nearly 50-year span the film covers.