Getting the Nixon ‘do

Though the greatest special effect of “Frost/Nixon” came from Frank Langella’s haunting ability to channel the essence of disgraced former President Richard Nixon, he did have some help from hair and makeup. Hairstylist Colleen Callaghan used old pictures of Nixon and a 1977 cover of Time magazine, in particular, to work with Favian Wigs by Natascha in re-creating the exact wave of the president’s hair. The $5,000 wig, which was made from human hair, was applied to the actor in a 45-minute process that ended with Langella transforming himself internally. “Toward the end [of the application], he would start to pull into Nixon,” Callaghan says. “On the set, everyone addressed him as Mr. President.” The second key aspect to Langella’s appearance was his nose, a gelatin mold created by makeup artist David Anderson. “I created five different noses,” Anderson says. “Choice one was basically Langella’s nose with two bumps. Choice five was a full-blown Nixon nose, but it looked a little gross on Frank’s face.” The production went with choice four, something just shy of the full-size presidential schnoz. The challenge was keeping the set cool. “If his body temp got too high,” Anderson said, “the nose would melt.” Tricky indeed.

-- Patrick Kevin Day