We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kato DeStefan. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kato below.
Kato, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
The make-up bug was first put into my head to do from watching Star Trek (The Original Series) and Planet of the Apes films as a kid. Seeing the way the make-up artists changed these actors was really intriguing. I started gathering whatever books and magazines on character and prosthetic make-up I could find. In 1982, when I saw John Carpenter’s film, The Thing, that was the final push that I needed. Rob Bottin’s crowded such groundbreaking work on the film that it still holds up today.
Kato, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I grew up on Long Island in a typical Italian American home. My family would have been really happy if I had become a doctor but I kept drifting towards art classes. Growing up in the 70’s, I caught the tailend of the Monster Movie Revival (Aurora Monster Models, Famous Monsters Of Filmland Magazine and the birth of Fangoria Magazine). Each time I would go to the stationary store, I would come home with a new monster magazine or a sketch pad (to draw monsters in). It was a great time for a Monster Kid to grow up. My family really didn’t understand what I was into but I never caused any trouble and had good grades so they would let me be happy. My grandfather would even surprise with the occasional monster model kit. The models, action figures and monster make-up kits were just gateway toys for a future generation of Make-up Effects Artists.
Around my Senior Year in High School, I found an address to write to Dick Smith, he was the Make-up Artist who transformed Marlon Brando for The Godfather and I started corresponding with him. Dick gave me some useful but very harsh critiques of the work I showed him. I’m really appreciative of the time he spent with me.
In 1990, I packed up my truck and did the cross country trek to Los Angeles. A few of the bigger Make-up Effects Artists said they would consider hiring me but I needed to live in L.A. I was hired on my first film within 2 weeks of moving from Long Island. I started working for Steve Johnson at his company XFX Inc. Steve had put together a shop with some amazingly talented artists and everyday was a new learning experience. Working at various make-up effects shops over the years was great but the work in the shops started to be more superhero suits and less prosthetics, my real goal was to be on set doing make-up application. In order to work on set for big budget films and network television in Los Angeles, you need to become a member of Local 706 Make-up Artists and Hairstylists. That dream did come true after three years of focusing on that goal. Since then I have been one of many artists that get called in to work on films like The Harder They Fall, Jordan Peele’s Nope, Bullet Train, Captain Marvel and TV shows such as The Orville, Star Trek: Picard, Dancing With The Stars and SEAL Team (to name a few).
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
My goal is to be an artist that never stops learning. I feel that if there is a point where I think that I know it all, its time to leave the business. I take as many classes as I possibly can (even if its for stuff that my peers would think that I’m proficient in). There is always something new that you can learn. Be humble. Even after I retire from the film industry, I will still do a random make-up now and then just because I love transforming actors into a new character.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
When I’m working on a show, I am there as a commercial artist- hired for my ability to execute a make-up not my creativity. Some Department Heads now there are certain shows or types of make-ups I enjoy doing and will call me for those reasons. I’m always given a direction of how the characters should look but when I do make-ups for myself, that’s where I feel rewarded
Contact Info:
- Website: robertkatodestefan.com
- Instagram: @katodestefan