Mandy Moore has been in the spotlight for nearly two decades, and in that time, she's given us a lot of good stuff. Remember "Candy," the 1999 hit single? So catchy. If you've got a kid, you've listened to her sing on the Tangled soundtrack enough to have every lyric memorized. And you're lying if you deny tearing up watching A Walk To Remember. This year, Mandy Moore has wowed us with her most serious role yet as Rebecca Pearson in This Is Us, one that earned her a nomination for best supporting actress at yesterday's Golden Globes.
For those who missed out on the show's heart-warming first season, This Is Us follows a group of people whose lives intersect in unexpected ways. Moore plays Rebecca in two stages of life: as a young mother in the '70s and as a divorcée in the early 2000s. We caught up with Moore while she was getting her manicure done with Essie a few hours before she walked the red carpet at the Globes yesterday. Check out our conversation below.
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How far in advance did you plan out your look tonight? What was the inspiration for your hair, makeup, and nails?
Once the dress was decided upon, then the real fun began. I think it’s important to have an open dialogue and collect ideas as a team. By Saturday, we had narrowed the look down to a slight nod to the sexy '70s. Considering the dress was old-school Hollywood glamour, we wanted to play against it with a bold, navy-lined eye and a nude lip. For hair, we went with a style that had body, but was more brushed-out with fluffy texture. For nails, I went with a beautiful nude hue from Essie’s newest collection – Gel Couture Ballet Nudes. The shade is called At The Barre and it perfectly complemented my navy dress. Do you typically wear nude polish?
I love a good nude nail, but it’s great to mix it up from time to time too. If I know I’m going to want to stretch out my manicure for as long as possible, Essie’s gel couture line is my go-to... The long wear formula is amazing because my manicure will literally last for two weeks, which is perfect for when I’m shooting the show.
Once the dress was decided upon, then the real fun began. I think it’s important to have an open dialogue and collect ideas as a team. By Saturday, we had narrowed the look down to a slight nod to the sexy '70s. Considering the dress was old-school Hollywood glamour, we wanted to play against it with a bold, navy-lined eye and a nude lip. For hair, we went with a style that had body, but was more brushed-out with fluffy texture. For nails, I went with a beautiful nude hue from Essie’s newest collection – Gel Couture Ballet Nudes. The shade is called At The Barre and it perfectly complemented my navy dress. Do you typically wear nude polish?
I love a good nude nail, but it’s great to mix it up from time to time too. If I know I’m going to want to stretch out my manicure for as long as possible, Essie’s gel couture line is my go-to... The long wear formula is amazing because my manicure will literally last for two weeks, which is perfect for when I’m shooting the show.
We adore your ‘70s beauty look on This Is Us. Who is your ‘70s beauty icon and do you keep her in mind when you're getting ready to play your character?
Personally, I’m obsessed with how a lot of my favorite musicians looked in the '70s and '80s — Joni Mitchell, Stevie Nicks, even Meryl Streep — but considering I play a mom of three, I’m not sure how much of their looks I can incorporate into how my character looks. Do you have any ‘70s hair or makeup trends that you really love? Have you adopted any into your normal beauty routine?
Since I cut bangs before the season started and I’ve been trying to grow them out, they’re at that perfect, awkward-but-not-quite-long-enough-to-blend-into-my-hair stage which works out well for the character. I can’t help but have feathery hair on and off camera right now! In terms of makeup, I’m not going to lie — I do love a little colored shadow.
What is it like to see yourself older in the show? How do you feel about aging and what is your skin-care routine like?
Honestly, I’m excited to get older and I’d be lucky to age as gracefully as Rebecca does. The show's prosthetic makeup process, while pretty taxing and long, is always fun. I think the only downside is it wreaks havoc on my skin! I have extremely sensitive skin and it does not like being in prosthetics for 16 hours a day, three days in a row. So if that’s the case, I need to get in for facial immediately or my skin goes crazy. How long does it take for the artists to age you in the show? What do you normally do while you’re sitting in the chair getting your hair, makeup, and nails done?
It takes between three to four hours to do the prosthetic makeup for the show. There’s a lot of moving around and contorting my body to stretch my [the prosthetic] skin, so I can’t really sleep. I try to participate and help blowdry the glue. I also just keep quiet and zen so I don’t go crazy [laughs]. Has there been a product used on set that you’ve liked so much, you kept it for yourself?
I am obsessed with Julie Hewett’s Camellia Ruby Balm. It looks bright pink, but gives the perfect tint on the lips and it’s pretty much all I wear for my character in 1988, but now I use it in my day-to-day life, too. The cast of This Is Us seems so fun — what’s one of the craziest things that have happened on set?
Milo has as many different looks as I do, so there’s a lot of fun in the hair and makeup trailer with all of his fake facial hair. There’s always a lot of joking about showing up to set [to find] Milo in my wigs or extensions and me in his goatee or beard. The material is so heavy and emotional that we have to find ways to keep ourselves laughing and entertained. I hear you have a pretty intense ritual of putting energy out there before you film. Can you tell us a little about it?
Damn. Sterling [K. Brown, her co-star] really called me out on this. So much of our jobs consist of waiting and trying to stay present and ready to go at a moment’s notice, so sometimes to get the energy flowing, I throw my arms out in front of me in a sharp movement to remind my body and mind to wake up and work together. We all have our own little things we do to prepare ourselves for the job at hand, so I don’t think anyone thinks it’s weird!
Honestly, I’m excited to get older and I’d be lucky to age as gracefully as Rebecca does. The show's prosthetic makeup process, while pretty taxing and long, is always fun. I think the only downside is it wreaks havoc on my skin! I have extremely sensitive skin and it does not like being in prosthetics for 16 hours a day, three days in a row. So if that’s the case, I need to get in for facial immediately or my skin goes crazy. How long does it take for the artists to age you in the show? What do you normally do while you’re sitting in the chair getting your hair, makeup, and nails done?
It takes between three to four hours to do the prosthetic makeup for the show. There’s a lot of moving around and contorting my body to stretch my [the prosthetic] skin, so I can’t really sleep. I try to participate and help blowdry the glue. I also just keep quiet and zen so I don’t go crazy [laughs]. Has there been a product used on set that you’ve liked so much, you kept it for yourself?
I am obsessed with Julie Hewett’s Camellia Ruby Balm. It looks bright pink, but gives the perfect tint on the lips and it’s pretty much all I wear for my character in 1988, but now I use it in my day-to-day life, too. The cast of This Is Us seems so fun — what’s one of the craziest things that have happened on set?
Milo has as many different looks as I do, so there’s a lot of fun in the hair and makeup trailer with all of his fake facial hair. There’s always a lot of joking about showing up to set [to find] Milo in my wigs or extensions and me in his goatee or beard. The material is so heavy and emotional that we have to find ways to keep ourselves laughing and entertained. I hear you have a pretty intense ritual of putting energy out there before you film. Can you tell us a little about it?
Damn. Sterling [K. Brown, her co-star] really called me out on this. So much of our jobs consist of waiting and trying to stay present and ready to go at a moment’s notice, so sometimes to get the energy flowing, I throw my arms out in front of me in a sharp movement to remind my body and mind to wake up and work together. We all have our own little things we do to prepare ourselves for the job at hand, so I don’t think anyone thinks it’s weird!