Meet Tami Lane, the Oscar-Nominated, Out Makeup Artist Behind 'The Hobbit'

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So you’re a real Hollywood success story. Now you and Howard are nominated in the same category. How does that feel?

I am just happy for him.  Back in 2006 we won together for the Chronicles of Narnia, and now we are both experiencing the Oscar thing again. Neither one of us have, over the years, been close to it, so it’s kind of fun to be going through the experience again. It has a little twist now.

Exactly.

But, yeah, he’s happy. And proud, because, you know, it’s his fault that I do what I do.

I know you’ve been busily preparing, can I be the first writer to ask who you’ll be wearing?

Well I’m not really wearing…

Anything?

I’m wearing jeans and a Kiss t-shirt.

That would be awesome. 

I went to Bloomingdales and got a dress by the designer David Meister. It’s not like Valentino or anything like that. I don't think designers seek out the technical awards people. If I was Naomi Watts, I would probably have Valentino ringing my phone.

Is it nerve-wracking prepping an event of this magnitude?

It is nerve-wracking. Last time, Disney actually sent over make-up artists and hair artists so we didn't have to worry about that. But this time around I’ll be doing my own.

Is the process fun?

Once you’re dressed and there, it becomes amazingly fun. A friend of mine said to me, “It’s its kind of like a wedding. You plan for it, you go through all this preparation for it, and then when it happens, It’s five in the morning and your home and it’s’ all over with. And it just happens so quickly.”

I agree with that. You just have to relax and enjoy every minute of it. And with the Oscars it’s not just the ceremony they also have other events that happen throughout the week.  You get invited to these parties. Warner Brothers is throwing a party, Hollywood Reporter threw a party last week…  It’s nice to be included and getting such amazing recognition by all these people and your peers.  And when you’re nominated, you don't feel stupid going up to someone like Sally Field and going, “Hey, I’m a really big fan!”

Let’s talk about The Hobbit. How do you begin to prepare for such a massive job?

Well, I think my naivety was in my favor. Since I was returning back to New Zealand I had a good pool of artists to pull from. When I took the job, I hadn’t actually seen designs or even knew what I was getting into. I was really excited that, just being one of many on Rings, that they would accept me as somebody in an authority position for something as big as this. I only got nervous after landing in Wellington and going to a workshop, looking at all the designs and all the mock  sculpts they had,  and then realizing the intense nature of what was going to happen, and needed to happen.

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