TOY STORY
"Mariah had to look frazzled, overwrought and overworked in this role," says Van Lierop "and we wanted to push that idea as far as we could. We even wanted to put a prosthetic nose on her, but, unfortunately, she was allergic to the materials in the nose so we couldn't use it." Van Lierop drew in the moustache, drew in dark circles under Carey's eyes and used specially mixed foundation to create a grey tinge to Carey's skin.
The effect? Well one would have thought Carey had on monster makeup by the dramatic reaction of celebrity TV shows, magazines and websites to her look. But the one person who was not fazed at all was Carey herself. Van Lierop says, "Mariah was right there all the way. There was no diva attitude at all." Van Lierop was impressed by how Carey bought into the role all the way, knowing her "make-under" was just a part of the character.
Mo'Nique (pictured above) had the same dedication and bonus(!), "made us laugh everyday she was on the set," notes Van Lierop. "Her character was deranged and poor" so every detail was created with those specifics in mind. Van Lierop made Mo'Nique's teeth brown, her foundation is lighter than her complexion and her lipstick rides above her lip line;the true signs of someone who is completely sans self-awareness. Mo'Nique's inclusion in the film's fantasy sequences also required up to 3-4 makeup changes in a day of shooting.
Van Lierop got this gig because of her stellar reputation in the business (she's worked with everyone from Richard Pryor - on her first film - to Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan - on her most recent film, not yet released) and after a 41/2 hour meeting with director, Lee Daniels. "I read the script and was fascinated. I highlighted anything that related to hair and makeup." Daniels shared her vision of how the characters should look and they agreed that number 1, everyone's look should be true to the era - 1987 - and number 2, no-one should look as if their makeup was carefully crafted, except for those scenes requiring just that.
"All the makeup we used can be found in drugstores," Van Lierop surprisingly reveals. "Creatively, it was some of the best work I've ever done." A Harlem resident for 25 years, Van Lierop is a former model who was born in Detroit to parents who actually named her Toy (it's her legal name, NOT a nickname) who thought their little tot actually looked like a toy. "And yes, I've heard heard every toy joke on the planet."
Van Lierop moved to Los Angeles in 1971 to work on CBS' The Carol Burnett show and then to New York to work for ABC Television (soaps, The Dick Cavett Show, Wide World of Sports). Music industry legend, Berry Gordy, wanting to break barriers for African-Americans behind the camera, gave her her first break in films when he hired her to work on that Richard Pryor movie (also starring Billy Dee Williams and James Earl Jones), Bingo Long's Traveling All-Stars and Motor Kings. She's worked non-stop in the industry ever since.
As for the Oscar buzz surrounding Precious, she's of course hopeful that she will be nominated but, "You never know. I'm not going to get my hopes up, there's a lot of stiff competition out there." But Van Lierop, we're sure, is an absolute contender.
See below for Toy's Tips on how you can travel often and still look fabulous.
When traveling, remember shampoo can double as laundry soap, and crème rinse can double as shaving crème.
