Every principal actor has a wig designed for their role. Wigs are carefully applied and are invisible to the human eye. Each wig must be washed, styled and cared for as one might treat their own hair.

In addition to the character's basic makeup, the make-up artists also add a variety of dirt, blood, scratches and gashes that the character would encounter during the difficulty of their journey. The makeup artists work closely with prosthetics artists to coordinate the adding of prosthetic features during the makeup process.

The size of the hair and makeup department swells depending on the extras working on the set each day. They are a very mobile team and move from location to location in buses especially designed to accommodate their needs and supplies.

Building Middle Earth | Making of Gollum | Transforming Characters | Gallery