This past week, award-winning and Oscar-nominated Hair and Make-up Designer Donald Mowat was appointed to the Order of Canada by Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada.
Mowat is a long-time friend of Below the Line, who not only received his first Oscar nomination for Denis Villeneuve‘s Dune earlier this year, but he’s also received a remarkable ten awards nominations from the Make-up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild (IATSE Local 706). He won two of those MUAHS Awards for Contemporary Make-up for Prisoners in 2013 and for Nocturnal Animals in 2017.
Most of the individuals who receive this honor from the Governor General do so through a series of nominations submitted by the general public to the Chancellery of Honours, and the Order of Canada is one of the distinctions the Chancellory administers.
From the accompanying press release about Mowat’s appointment:
Donald Mowat (Canadian) is one of the film industry’s most sought-after make-up artists. He has served as make-up department head and designer on such films as Dune, The Fighter, 8 Mile, Sicario, Nightcrawler, Prisoners, Nocturnal Animals, Stronger, Blade Runner 2049, and as personal make-up artist to Daniel Craig on Skyfall and Spectre. Recent work includes Moon Knight, First Man (directed by Damien Chazelle, starring Ryan Gosling and Claire Foy), The Darkest Minds (directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson, staring Amandla Stenberg) and Velvet Buzzsaw (directed by Dan Gilroy, starring Jake Gyllenhaal).With a career that spans over 30 years, Donald is a longtime member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, The British Academy of Film and Television Arts, IATSE Local 706, Hollywood Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild and Local 798 New York, Local 873 Toronto.Donald has received numerous awards and recognition for his make-up work, including most recently Academy Award, BAFTA, SATURN and MUAHS Award nominations for his work on Denis Villeneuve’s Dune and also received multiple awards nomination for his work on Blade Runner 2049 (2018). His other honors include a British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Award nomination; a MUAHS Award win for Tom Ford’s Nocturnal Animals (2017); Saturn and MUAHS Award wins for Prisoners (2014); a Special Achievement Gemini Award for CBC’s The Sleep Room (1998) and a Primetime Emmy Award win for Enchantment – Mark Twain and Me (1991-1992).Internationally, in 2012, he was awarded a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for his service to the film industry and various charities and, from 2008-2014, was on the board of directors of the Actors’ Fund of Canada – a charitable organisation that helps Canadian entertainment professionals maintain their health and dignity while aiding them to return to work.
Internationally, in 2012, he was awarded a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for his service to the film industry and various charities and, from 2008-2014, was on the board of directors of the Actors’ Fund of Canada – a charitable organisation that helps Canadian entertainment professionals maintain their health and dignity while aiding them to return to work.
Most recently, Mowat spoke to Below the Line about his work on Marvel Studio‘s Moon Knight, an interview you can read here, but you can also watch a reel of his amazing work below.
