At the 97th Academy Awards, the team behind The Substance—Pierre-Olivier Persin, Stéphanie Guillon, and Marilyne Scarselli—took home the Oscar for Best Makeup and Hairstyling, recognizing their groundbreaking work in bringing the film’s bold, body-altering transformations to life.
Speaking backstage, the artists shared insights into their creative process, inspirations, and the deeper themes behind the film’s striking visual effects.
Creating Monstro: A Tragic Transformation, Not a Monster
One of the film’s most haunting and visually arresting elements is the transformation of Demi Moore’s character, Elisabeth, into the grotesque yet strangely mesmerizing Monstroelisasue.
“Coralie [Fargeat] really wanted a dramatic, tragic character—not a monster,” Persin explained, referencing the film’s director. “She had The Elephant Man in mind. That was a big inspiration, especially for her face.”
But while David Lynch’s The Elephant Man provided some stylistic cues, the final design was born out of a mix of early concept sculptures and creative exploration.
“What was written in the script was Elisabeth—Demi’s head—on Monstro’s back, with a frozen expression,” Persin revealed. “That was the only specific direction. The rest was about designing something that worked from every angle, something unique and unsettling without copying anything that came before.”
A Reflection on Women and Aging
Beyond its shocking body horror elements, The Substance carries a strong social message about the way society treats women and aging.
“We live in a time where women are expected to always be beautiful, always smiling, always in good shape,” said Guillon. “Coralie wanted to challenge that idea. Through makeup, we wanted to show that even as Elisabeth changes physically, she still retains her beauty—right until the very end.”
Persin added an even more striking observation:
“At the end, when she fully transforms into Monstro, she’s actually the happiest she’s ever been,” he said. “Even though to the audience, she may look monstrous, she finds balance in that transformation. That’s something important to take away from the film.”
The Challenges of Transforming the Human Body
Transforming an actor into a completely different physical form is no small feat, and the Substance team faced immense technical challenges along the way. “One of the hardest parts was remembering that under all the prosthetics, there’s an actress,” Persin said. “We had to make sure they still had freedom to act, even with the weight of the makeup.”
Ensuring that the prosthetics didn’t just sit on the actors but moved with them was key. “They’re not just a live cast sitting in a workshop,” Persin continued. “They need to breathe, emote, and fully embody the character, even through layers of effects.”
A Win for Bold, Artistic Filmmaking
While The Substance may be categorized as body horror, its complex themes, stunning practical effects, and emotional depth have set it apart from traditional genre films.
With their Oscar win, Persin, Guillon, and Scarselli have cemented their place among the industry’s most innovative makeup artists—delivering work that is as thought-provoking as it is visually striking.
REELated:
Oscars 2025: The best moments from the show
