Today we’d like to introduce you to Matthew Mungle.
Hi Matthew, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I grew up in Atoka, Oklahoma on a dairy farm. I saw “The Seven Faces of Dr. Lao” in 1964 or 1965 when I was eight years old and was fascinated by how William Tuttle used make-up & prosthetics on Tony Randall. About that same year, I saw “The List of Adrian Messenger” and again was amazed by the disguises John Chambers created for the film. Cut to 1968 and “Planet of the Apes” was released again with John Chambers masterful creations. After seeing the film, I was convinced that make-up was the profession I wanted to do the rest of my life. I was self-taught with books such as Richard Corson’s Stage Make-up until I went to school in 1978 at the Joe Blasco Make-up Center in Hollywood. I would credit Joe for teaching me Make-up & Prosthetics, as well as about the ins and outs of the Entertainment Industry. During my time at school, I was like a sponge, soaking up every bit of information I could. After going to school, I would take on small jobs on any films I could find but I would really say I started my professional career in 1978. My first real “film” make-up job was “ROAR” in 1978. It was mainly doing straight make-up on the Actors. My big break came when I worked with Ve Neill on “Edward Scissorhands” in 1990.
From then on, my true union profession took off. Working on “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” in 1991 was a dream come true. The production was amazing, the sets were spectacular, and the crew was great. I had worked with the first AD and the DP on several other films, so it made the work even more enjoyable. I was responsible for applying all of Gary Oldman’s prosthetic make-ups for the film. I won an Oscar for our work on the film in 1993 and it was one of the best highlights of my career. I opened my own studio in 1993 and continued to work on huge productions like: “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels”, “What About Bob”, “Blast from the Past”, “Bedazzled” & “Albert Nobbs”. TV Series – “X-Files”, “NCIS” & “CSI”. Broadway Stage (Prosthetics) – “Wicked”. I retired in 2017 and moved to Jonestown, Texas where I set up my new studio in an old police station in Lago Vista. I still do small projects and conduct seminars at Brick in the Yard in Dallas from time to time.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As with any job, there were ups and downs. The movie industry is not kind and I really had to strive for quality work to keep above the rest. Overall the good outweighed the bad.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I specialize in Prosthetic Make-up Effects for Film, Television and Stage. I’m extremely proud of my ability to apply prosthetics that are seamless and can transform an actor into a character. Transforming Glenn Close into a man for “Albert Nobbs” and into Mamaw for Ron Howard’s recent film “Hillbilly Elegy” has given me such pleasure and professional notoriety.
In addition I just learned recently that I received an Academy Award, BAFTA and LOCAL 706 Guild Award nominations for my work on “Hillbilly Elegy”.
As well as a Lifetime Achievement Award from LOCAL 706 Guild Award.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
I contribute a lot of my success to my mentor, Joe Blasco. I went to his school in Hollywood in 1978 and taught there until I ventured out into my professional career a few years later. He taught me the basics of Make-up and guided me through the rough business of the Hollywood machine. I am so grateful for having him as my teacher and mentor.
Contact Info:
- Email: mm.wmmufx@gmail.com
- Website: www.wmcreationsinc.com
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Image Credits
“Albert Nobbs” – Anne Lebowitz
