This Is Us is famous for its time jumps. The NBC drama interweaves '80s and '90s flashbacks in with present-day situations. And while Jack Pearson (Milo Ventimiglia) sadly didn't live to see his children in their adulthood, his wife, Rebecca (Mandy Moore), did.
So how does the show add a roughly 30-year age difference to Moore's character — and make it actually realistic? The power of makeup goes a long way.
In a live Instagram story, Moore took fans behind the scenes of the show. The actress posted videos of the show's makeup artists carefully layering on makeup in a way that makes her character look older. From the looks of the video, strategically-placed highlights and darker tones can create the visual effect of onscreen wrinkles, without the use of prosthetics.
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As People points out, Moore is 33, while present-day Rebecca Pearson is 66. That's a hefty age difference for one actress to pull off — but the show's makeup team is so skilled that the transformation actually works.
One thing the This Is Us makeup team doesn't have to worry about, though, is adding forehead creases to Moore's face. In the present day, Rebecca has bangs — so the makeup team doesn't have to layer too much makeup onto the actress' forehead.
And while the transformation is seriously impressive, Moore also admitted that her skin doesn't always agree with all the makeup she has to wear to get into character. The actress explained that she has sensitive skin and that the makeup "removal process" isn't always an easy one. So, we should probably be thankful that we get to watch the magic onscreen without having to actually go through it ourselves.
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