Abhiroop Das
In Yorgos Lanthimos’ ‘Bugonia,’ adapted from the Korean classic, ‘Save the Green Planet!,’ two conspiracy theorists are convinced that Michelle Fuller, CEO of the big-shot pharmaceutical company, Auxolith, is actually an alien. Without warning, the two abduct her from outside her house in broad daylight, believing that it is the only way to save humanity. Thus, Michelle is flung into a world of chaos and uncertainties, where everything she says functions as a double-edged sword. The line between truth and lie blurs steadily in this psychological dark comedy movie, as all characters are forced to test the limits of their humanity and, in turn, confront their darkest corners. As Michelle desperately tries to claw her way out of this crisis, the journey is as much recorded in her shifting appearance as it is in the script.
Emma Stone Shaved Her Head to Make Her Portrayal of Michelle Feel Chillingly Real
For her role as Michelle Fuller, a big pharma CEO who is abducted by two conspiracy theorists, actor Emma Stone went the extra mile and completely shaved her head. Ever since the release of the first stills from this adaptation of ‘Save the Green Planet!’, fans have been taken by Stone’s unique look, particularly her bald head. While it was initially speculated that the ‘La-La Land’ actor used a bald cap or other prosthetics for her portrayal, Stone later confirmed that she had shaved her hair for real while on set for the movie. While talking to People, she explained that keeping her new look under wraps for so long was an intentional decision by the creative team of ‘Bugonia.’ Given the now-iconic hairdo and wardrobe she sported in a previous collaboration with director Yorgos Lanthimos, ‘Poor Things,’ she felt it would be fitting to surprise the audience. Thus, little to no behind-the-scenes photos or candid shots were shared until the moment of the grand reveal.
In a Q&A session, Stone revealed that she knew that she would shave her head the moment she first read the script, and from there, the knowledge stayed in her mind for over a year, till the production for those pivotal scenes started. However, right before shaving her head, she briefly got cold feet, as confirmed by both director Lanthimos and Stone. She explained, “The day of (filming) they were setting up four cameras, because we had to get it in one shot (…) and it was taking a long time to set all the cameras up. And I just started kind of panicking about that.” What ultimately gave her the confidence to pull off the look was remembering her mother, Krista Stone’s chemotherapy treatment. The memory reframed her understanding of what she was doing, as she recalled, “She (Krista) did something legitimately hard (…) And I was like, I’m shaving my head because I get to do what I love.”
Stone reportedly used a 1.5 millimeter razor to shave her hair, and described the process as one of the greatest and most liberating experiences of her life. Being bald also led her to a brand new perspective on some of her daily activities in life, such as showering. In a conversation with USA Today, she also talked about revealing her new look to her four-year-old daughter, Louise Jean. The actor recalled, “I just said, ‘I’m going to shave my head. I’m going to take my hair off, and it’s going to grow back. Isn’t that so silly and fun? We can do whatever we want with our hair! It can change all the time.’ She’s like, ‘OK,’ and then was totally cool.” As such, the actor’s decision brought forth a flurry of new experiences, and she has welcomed all of them with open arms. Although the innovations in prosthetics and makeup mean that actors no longer need to go to maintain immersion, Stone’s decision speaks to her commitment to the craft and its authenticity.
Expert Makeup Work Was Used to Make Bugonia’s Surreal Visual Twists Work
While the bald-headed look is the most iconic feature of Stone’s performance as Michelle, there are a number of other elements that help build up a complete visual profile of the character. In particular, her abductors, Teddy and Don, ensure that she is covered with a mysterious cream at all times. Worse, Michelle is subjected to untold horrors while in captivity, and the physical and psychological abuse is bound to leave its mark on her appearance. As such, the skillful makeup and prosthetic work involved in Stone’s look are what come together to bring Michelle to life. This required the combined strengths of hair and makeup artist Torsten Witte and costume designer Jennifer Johnson, who poured all of their experiences and creativity into making the look work. In an interview with Gold Derby, they elaborated on the creative processes that went into capturing Michelle’s visual decline over the course of the movie.
In the interview, Witte explained that, while the body cream used in the movie was listed as store-bought antihistamine cream in the script, the makeup team had to experiment with several products and formulas. This was done to ensure that the custom-designed cream wouldn’t negatively affect Stone’s skin after multiple nights of shooting. For Johnson, the cream was an integral part of the movie’s visual storytelling, with its evolution over the course of the filming process representing how the character of Michelle loses her grip on reality. The crew went above and beyond with the finer details of the look, making it such that even Michelle’s manicure and pedicure added to her narrative identity. “It was important that Michelle actually looks like she’s wearing a costume,” Johnson explained, reiterating the creative vision and efforts that went into ‘Bugonia.’
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