Crafting the Rockstar Vibe for Daisy Jones and The Six: A Backstage Pass to Our Interview with Makeup Department Head Rebecca Wachtel

Daisy Jones & the Six [Image courtesy of Amazon Studios]

Based on the best-selling novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid, “Daisy Jones & The Six” is a musical-drama series about a documentary that follows the whirlwind journey of an American rock band in the 1970s through its formation, love triangles, adventures on tour, and eventual breakup. The actors’ incredible transformations into their characters are brought to life by the show’s talented makeup team, led by Department Head Rebecca Wachtel. 

Rebecca Wachtel transforms actress Riley Keough into Daisy Jones. [Photo courtesy of Rebecca Wachtel]

The makeup (and hairstyling) is mesmerizing in the way it magically transports you to the eras portrayed on the show. It’s easy to see why the Daisy Jones and The Six makeup team earned a Makeup Artist and Hairstylist Guild Awards nomination (MUAHS, IATSE Local 706) for Best Period and/or Character Makeup. The annual MUAHS Awards, taking place on February 18, recognize outstanding achievements of make-up artists and hairstylists in film, television, commercials, and live theater.

We interviewed Wachtel at the MUAHs Meet The Nominees Event to get a peek into life on the set and the details behind what it took to create all your favorite period and character looks from the show.

Rebecca Wachtel, Daisy Jones and The Six Department Head

Can you tell us about the process of coming up with the makeup looks that captured the rock n’ roll and disco looks of the 1970s? What were some of the most popular makeup trends of that time, and how are they brought to life in the characters? 

There was a long process of research because the show spanned from the mid-60s, into the 70s, and had some 80s elements as well. Plus, there had to be some aging makeup taken into effect for the 90s scenes. Really, we were trying to find the authenticity of who those people were during that era and what they would have looked like. 

Characters Billy Dunne and Camila Dunne in their Laurel Canyon home. “Trend-wise for the band itself during the 70s, they started in the Laurel Canyon scene which was very earthy, natural makeup.” [Photo by Lacey Terrell courtesy of Amazon Studios]

Trend-wise for the band itself during the 70s, they started in the Laurel Canyon scene which was very earthy, natural makeup. It was getting all of these modern actors to that point –covering up a lot of tattoos, getting rid of certain facial hair, hair shaping, covering piercing holes, tanning them, and making it all look like it’s their natural skin.

Daisy Jones and The Six on stage. [Photo by Lacey Terrell courtesy of Amazon Studios]

The show spanned such a wide period of time that the trends and makeup styles changed, so that had to change as characters developed over time.

Were there any real-life inspirations that you based the characters’ makeup on?

I studied a lot of real life rockstars and people from the era, but I didn’t specifically take a particular person and match them to a character.

A look at facial hair created for characters Warren Rojas and Eddie Roundtree. [Photo by Lacey Terrell courtesy of Amazon Studios]

I really wanted them to be unique to who they were and what their character’s style would have been, whether it was chops on a guy or straight facial hair/sideburns.

Rebecca Wachtel transforms Timothy Olyphant into Rod for Daisy Jones and The Six. [Photo courtesy of Rebecca Wachtel]

For the women – Suki, who plays Karen, was a little edgier, so I shaped her a little more off of what was taking place in the UK at the time, a little punk style. We kept her eyes a little darker and tried to show different styles of the people from the time. 

“Suki, who plays Karen, was a little edgier, so I shaped her a little more off of what was taking place in the UK at the time, a little punk style.” [Photo by Lacey Terrell courtesy of Amazon Studios]

What influence did the book and the actors contribute to developing the makeup looks?

The book was a big influence for creating the looks. I really wanted to stay true to the characters when there was something specific in the book that related to makeup. 

“For Warren, his character grew a mustache at some point in the book, so I wanted to incorporate that.” [Photo by Lacey Terrell courtesy of Amazon Studios]

For Warren, his character grew a mustache at some point, so I wanted to incorporate that. 

Daisy was always seen as someone who was a little bit of a mess, but I wanted her to be a beautiful mess. So I just really made sure her makeup was never fully perfect, even when they show her doing interviews when she’s a little older. I really wanted to reflect who she was as a person at that time.

“Daisy was always seen as someone who was a little bit of a mess, but I wanted her to be a beautiful mess.” [Photo by Lacey Terrell courtesy of Amazon Studios]

Can you tell us what a typical day was like on set? 

There was no typical day. We shot all over the place. We shot in Los Angeles, New Orleans, Greece. There was always something different going on, and it was a very busy shoot. We were non-stop, but it was a really fun team and the cast was a joy to be around –they brought so much joy to the set.

“We were non-stop, but it was a really fun team and the cast was a joy to be around –they brought so much joy to the set.” [Photo by Lacey Terrell courtesy of Amazon Studios]

Any quick stories about life on set that stand out?

When we shot the album cover scene, it was so freezing cold. It had rained, and it hailed at one point.

Aurora album cover from Daisy Jones and The Six. [Photo courtesy of Amazon Studios]

It was so windy, and props were blowing over but they all had to look perfect like it was a sunny day. That was kind of a crazy shoot day experience, but that’s the magic of movie making.

Characters Daisy Jones and Billy Dunne perform in the desert. [Photo by Lacey Terrell courtesy of Amazon Studios]

Is there a look that you created on the show that you are the most proud of? 

I’m really proud of the show over all and the looks we pulled off. One thing that stands out is Daisy’s progression through the whole series, especially her journey in episode 8. You can see the changes through all her performance looks, Daisy’s progression into drugs, and eventually her OD’ing. That whole shift is a transition through makeup I’m really proud of.

A Daisy Jones performance look. [Photo by Lacey Terrell courtesy of Amazon Studios]

Did you have any favorite products that were key for creating these looks?

For the women I love Julie Hewitt’s Cheekies. I used Evan Healey’s Luna Balm on Riley for her glow. Endura Skin and Skin Illustrator are the two main products we used for tattoo cover as well as Westmore body makeup and Dermablend body makeup over top.

The actors all had different looks, and we wanted them to look really natural. We used a lot of cream based products, and didn’t over powder. That meant we had to do a lot more touch ups, but that was the aesthetic I was going for.

“We used a lot of cream based things, and didn’t over powder. That meant we had to do a lot more touch ups, but that was the aesthetic I was going for.” [Photo by Lacey Terrell courtesy of Amazon Studios]

Can you share a little bit about what went into developing the evolution of makeup looks and aging of the characters for the 1990s aspect of the show? What characters had the biggest transformation?

Rebecca Wachtel applies makeup to actress Camila Morrone.

Getting into the 90s, the question was, "What have they done with their lives to that point?” Will, who played Graham, had kind of left the scene and moved back home and was more of a clean cut guy, simplified. 

Karen, played by Suki Waterhouse, is still a rockstar, but she could have had “work” done at that point. I was thinking about what her style would be. She always had a cat eye through the whole show, but just changed how it looked. I used Debbie Harry (Blondie) as an inspiration for her. I wanted the age makeup to be just right.

We went through so much testing and had so many prosthetics made for quite a few of the actors, but in the end went back to something more natural. We used more highlighting and shading, stretch and stipple, skin texture changes as well as beauty makeup and facial hair changes.

Billy was into construction, outdoor work, and running. Billy, played by Sam Claflin, has freckly skin naturally, so I thought he’d have much more discoloration on his face as he aged. I added the discoloration in along with a more weathered skin texture. I really tried to think about who these people were, what happened to them over time, and how they would look later in life.

What was the most challenging character in terms of makeup progression?

Riley had the biggest progression, so it was probably her, but it was so fun to create all the looks.

Daisy Jones and Simone [Photo by Lacey Terrell courtesy of Amazon Studios]

Also, Simone was amazing. I loved doing all the disco looks. If I could have a show that was all disco, I would be all about that.

I really went off of the costume designer’s vision for her vibe. Simone wasn’t actually that hardcore disco, she had an earthiness to her. I kept her makeup a little softer in that vein.

“Simone wasn’t actually that hard core disco, she had an earthiness to her, so I kept her makeup a little softer in that vein.” [Photo by Lacey Terrell courtesy of Amazon Studios]

The eyelashes got bigger and the glitter started as she was progressing more in the New York disco scene from LA. That was really fun to do. 

Greece was more like a stand alone look, more stripped down. It was more island makeup and tanned skin, so it was a whole different vibe too.

I enjoyed it all so much it didn’t feel like a challenge. I felt really inspired.

[Photos courtesy of Rebecca Wachtel and Amazon Studios]

A University of Michigan graduate, Lizzy Sherman is an award-winning writer/editor. Her work has appeared in publications including Sports Illustrated, Healthline, Beauty Launchpad, DAYSPA, CNET, Entertainment Tonight, and more. She has been a featured guest speaker at Cal State University Northridge, Digital LA, and The National Association of Audience Marketing Professionals. When she's not writing, Lizzy enjoys yoga and playing guitar. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter: @zillizy, @zillizy16