Much of my makeup artistry career was devoted doing makeup for celebrities and important politicians for national news network shows such as 20/20, Good Morning America, World News Tonight, NightLine, This Week with George Stephanopoulos and the bonus movie interviews provided by major film distribution company, Deluxe Entertainment.  In fact, I worked for ABC News for 17 years, so I met a lot of famous people. A lot of these people were also not young when I met them when I was in my mid-twenties, and as I age, so have they. Yes, it is sad to see so many of these celebrities and important politicians that I had the privilege to meet and work with pass away recently, but I am so lucky to have met them and to have helped celebrate their victories. so others can also meet them for many years to come.

One of the celebrities I worked with was Penny Marshall.  This was very exciting for me as I grew up watching Laverne & Shirley.  It was a weekly ritual for me and I clearly remember the joy this brought me in my childhood. When she transitioned into directing, I enjoyed watching Big when I was young, and again with my own child as well as other films she directed.

One of the things that makes working as a free-lance makeup artist the most exciting for me is not the actual makeup application, but the people I get to meet and the places I get to go to, and often these places are inside homes. I met Penny in her house in the Hollywood Hills.  I got to have a peak of her personal world. Being invited into somebody’s home is very special. Her personal interests were displayed everywhere. She was a collector. Beautiful Tiffany Lamps lit up her home, and there were many. There were many other collections too, but her biggest collection was downstairs. She loved sports. She displayed signed basketballs, baseballs, shoes, and gloves in glass cases.  She also had racks of signed jerseys.  When she was ready for me to do her makeup, she was actually watching a baseball game the entire time. She was shouting at the screen paying no attention to the pampering she was receiving. That was her and I got to witness it! I also got to listen to her tell her story to the camera first hand. There are many wonderful pieces online interviewing Penny Marshall if you want to learn more about her life, but since it’s been at least 10 years since I worked with her…I wish I could tell you which one was mine!