Did you find that having the make-up on helped you portray Zhaan?
Eventually, yes, but not in the beginning. Initially it was a shock, and I was going home and crying my eyes out, thinking, "What have I done?"
I thought "God, what am I going to do if [this show] is not well received? It’s going to take me three years to grow back my hair, and eyebrows take months and months. I’ve ruined my career." At first it was difficult and very depressing.
I’d look in the mirror and I’d see this red, rubbed thumb. That’s what I looked like, just a pink, rubbed thumb. I used to take the make-up with fruit acid so I’ve got squillions of broken capillaries as a result. So for the first two weeks, every night I’d just cry my heart out.
But, after I got used to the make-up and started to see some dailies, and after the make-up artists found their way as well and adjusted the make-up to work perfectly, then I started to get a feel for it and it did help. At the same time, also I’m an actor, so I’m able to switch in and switch out, and most of the time I didn’t realise that I was blue and unless I looked down and saw my hands.
I used to wonder why people were staring at me. People would stare, speechless, very close to my face, and it actually made me feel really horrible and very uncomfortable. I used to forget that I was in make-up and I used to wonder what the hell they were looking at.
