‘POOR THINGS’ MAKE-UP ARTIST
Nadia Stacey won the Oscar for Best Make-up and Hairstyling for Poor Things, along with the prosthetics team Mark Coulier and Josh Weston. This was her third collaboration with actress Emma Stone, after The Favourite and Cruella, and her second Oscar nomination, while her other film credits include One Love and Everybody’s Talking about Jamie. Here, Nadia gives HELLO! a behind-the-scenes look at showbiz’s most glamorous night...
‘I woke up at 3am on the morning of the ceremony and my sleep was pretty sketchy after that – it was like Christmas Day, but with a mix of fear as well as excitement.
I was staying at the Sunset Marquis and my oldest friend, Helenka, had flown out to be with me, as had three of my team – Ellen, Claire and Grayson. We were a real girl gang.
We ordered breakfast and mimosas and got ready together, helping with each other’s hair and make-up.
At 12pm, we piled into the car sent to take us to the Dolby Theatre, where we were the second car to arrive at the red carpet. We looked like right eager beavers! Some of the girls hadn’t even been to LA before and their energy made me appreciate: “This is amazing – let’s just enjoy it.”
Our award category was the sixth of the evening and when it came close, a lady with a clipboard moved us to seats four rows from the front, right in the thick of all the actors and actresses.
Emma [Stone] and Mark [Ruffalo] gave me a hug and then [2017 Best Supporting Actor winner] Sam Rockwell introduced me to Cillian Murphy, who I’d never met before. That’s when you realise: “This is really happening. I’m a nominee among all these people.”
I remember looking a few rows down in front of us and thinking: “Who’s that guy in the hat? Is that Slash? Why is he at the Oscars?” That was before he’d performed I’m Just Ken with Ryan Gosling, which took the roof off.
I’d had a strange feeling just before the award was announced that it may go our way. I don’t remember walking to the stage – it was like an outof-body experience – but when I look back at it now, I’m in full arm-swing, striding mode.
SPEAKING FROM THE HEART
When you’re up on stage, you don’t think of all the big celebrities out there and you can’t really see them anyway. I’d written a speech and knew who I needed to thank, but when I realised that none of the other winners had read from a piece of paper I decided: “Just say whatever comes to you.”
Emma had left the auditorium to use the bathroom beforehand. When our category came up, I thought: “Oh she’s missed it,
