The woman in the Iron Lady mask: How prosthetics transformed Meryl Streep into Maggie

The woman in the Iron Lady mask: How prosthetics transformed Meryl Streep into Maggie - It’s the impressive transformation that has landed the prosthetics artist Mark Coulier with his very own Oscar nomination.

And now see the incredible pictures which document how he transformed Meryl Streep into Margaret Thatcher for The Iron Lady.

Couiler, who has worked on films including The Mummy, Star Wars and Harry Potter, was able to capture the former Prime Minister’s features using a silicone mask.
 

Transformation: Behind the scenes snaps have revealed how Meryl Streep was transformed into Margaret Thatcher with the help of prosthetics


Work of art: Coulier and his team created masks out of silicone to make the actress look like her character but something that would still allow her to act


The material is not only lifelike but it is also responsive meaning that Streep’s acting ability would not be compromised.

The artist told Vanity Fair magazine: ‘Some actors really don’t like wearing prosthetics, but I think Meryl, well, like, is probably not the right word—but didn’t hate it.’

Streep, who has also been nominated for an Oscar, her 17th nod, donned a prosthetic in every single scene for the film, which charts Thatcher’s rise to power.

Maggie through the ages: In every scene in the film Streep wore a prosthetic with different adjustments made to portray different ages of the politician


Oscar winning work: Coulier has been awarded his first Academy Award nomination for his work helping Streep to look like Thatcher

To portray different ages the prosthetics team led by Coulier deployed different techniques to make Streep appear older.

Coulier, fellow nominee J. Roy Helland, and makeup effects artist Barrie Gower made 20 full neck pieces, 20 sets of cheeks and 40 sets of noses for Streep alone, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Thatcher's teeth were made by FangsFX, and her wigs by Peter Owen.

Various techniques: As well as using different methods to age Meryl as Margaret, Mark also used dentures to create a slight overbite


Wave: The remarkable resemblance of Meryl to the former Prime Minister is the film is uncanny and the actress has earned her 17th Academy Award nomination

Speaking about the difference in structure between politician and actress Couiler notes: 'Meryl has great bone structure. Really good cheekbones. Thatcher’s got a rounder face.’

Dentures were used to create: ‘that slight overbite that Margaret Thatcher appears to have.’

As well as the silicone prosthetics several different wigs and plenty of make-up was used to create the differing ages that span the film.

Speaking about the techniques Coulier said: 'It's difficult to have it move well and very easy to get wrong. Although the fact that people have not realized quite what prosthetics some of the other characters are wearing is also quite rewarding. If our work goes unnoticed, I take that as a compliment.'

Men age too: Jim Broadbent, who plays Denis Thatcher in the film also underwent some work on the set of the film


Looking back: Meryl is seen in costume with her co-stars Jim Broadbent, who plays Denis Thatcher and Olivia Coleman who plays Carol Thatcher

The long hours of filming also caused problems for the transformation team.

Speaking to Hitfix.com he Coulier said: 'It is very difficult to maintain makeups like this during a 14-hour shooting day on very hot sets when characters are involved in lots of close-ups with intimate detail.'

It wasn't just Meryl who was attended to by Couiler and his team, Jim Broadbent, who plays Denis Thatcher in the film also underwent some work on the set of the film.

Hard and work: J Roy Helland, make-up artist on The Iron Lady and Meryl and


Hard at work: Barrie Gower seen working on one of his other projects also worked on The Iron Lady

One snap shows how the actor's hair is lightened white and liver spots position around his head, with deep lines etched onto his face.

Marking the spot: This snap shows one of Meryl's prosthetic being made

Meryl, who has already picked up a Golden Globe for her portrayal in the film received her award and spoke out about the role last month.

She said: 'I gotta thank everybody in England that let me come and trample over their history.'

And talking about her role at a press conference afterwards, Meryl admitted she did not have a positive view of Lady Thatcher.

'I think coming into this I had a very reductive view of Margaret Thatcher, so I sort of did what we all do to political figures we don’t agree with — we turn them into something more than human and less than human at the same time.

'And it was interesting to look at the human being behind the headlines … in the winter of that life and to have a compassionate view of someone with whom I disagree.'

The film has been met with controversy as it depicts an ailing Lady Thatcher, who suffers from dementia, looking back at her life.

The woman who started it all: Margaret Thatcher speaking at a Conservative Party conference when she was Prime Minister ( dailymail.co.uk )