#ELIZABETHTOO

Published: Jan. 7, 2018, 3:33 a.m.

b'ELIZABETH COOPER SMOKLER has spent 40 years working as a Hollywood makeup artist, primarily on TV sitcoms such as Roseanne, The Ellen Show, Reba, Blossom, The Larry Sanders Show and Who\\u2019s the Boss? It\\u2019s been a wonderful career \\u2013 except, that is, for all the sexual harassment she\\u2019s had to deal with in the process. (50:53) \\xa0 \\xa0 EPISODE NOTES: Not long before allegations surrounding Harvey Weinstein jump-started an ongoing dialogue on sexual harassment in Hollywood, I talked with veteran TV makeup artist ELIZABETH COOPER SMOKLER about her experience working with lecherous celebrities. ELIZABETH: \\u201cThese are people with a lot of power that nobody ever says \\u2018no\\u2019 to. Or, very rarely. And they\\u2019re wealthy and entitled, and you\\u2019re in their personal space. You\\u2019re touching their face, touching their neck and so it can be a challenge at times because people take that as an opportunity to cross boundaries. That was a huge problem in my life.\\u201d Elizabeth has spent 40 years making actors up, primarily for sitcoms (e.g. Roseanne, The Ellen Show, Reba, The Larry Sanders Show, The Naked Truth, The Geena Davis Show, Three Sisters, Blossom, Nurses, Who\\u2019s the Boss?). And while she says most of the men who have sat in her makeup chair have been terrific, there are some men \\u2013 and even a woman \\u2013 she\\u2019ll never forget because they made things extremely uncomfortable and difficult for her. ELIZABETH: \\u201cYou know, it\\u2019s progressive. People begin to harass you in a progressive way. It starts out light and joking, and then it segues slowly but surely into more pressure. And then when you turn them down, they start to get angry.\\u201d On one particular show, things got so bad that Elizabeth\\u2019s father came to a taping and sat in the makeup room while she made up the show\\u2019s star: ELIZABETH: \\u201cI was so bothered by this one person that I told him about it. And he came in like he was coming to see the show. It was an audience show. But my father was thinking if he introduced himself to this actor, that the actor would recognize that this is the daughter of another man and that he should treat me with respect.\\u201d Elizabeth and I also talk about the many positive aspects of her career, what she thinks the secret to her success is, as well as how her craft has changed over the years with the advent of high-definition television (HDTV). And be sure to check out the Bonus Material I\\u2019ve posted \\u2013 a first for PIERSON TO PERSON. I recorded Elizabeth making me up as if I were going to appear on television (to better understand her craft) and, I have to admit, having all of one\\u2019s facial imperfections pointed out and covered up is a little humbling. Not that Elizabeth wasn\\u2019t nice about it. Quite the contrary. After all, she\\u2019s a pro. \\xa0 Many thanks to Lee Rosevere for the opening and closing music featured in this episode royalty free through Creative Commons licensing: 1. "Southside" by\\xa0Lee Rosevere -\\xa0leerosevere.bandcamp.com 2. "As I Was Saying" by Lee Rosevere -\\xa0leerosevere.bandcamp.com'