MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: REBECCA LEE ON 'Shōgun' AND 'The Last of Us – Season 2'
Rebecca Lee is an award-winning makeup artist and member of IATSE 891, with credits that include ‘The Last of Us – Season 2’, ‘Shōgun’, and ‘Tin Man’. She shares her story of going from experimenting with makeup backstage in Vancouver theatre shows to working in motion picture production and winning two Emmy Awards. With a deep love for BC’s film community and the people who work in it, she shares how becoming a Union member helped her build her career and more. “The sense of community that I love so much about the job,” she says, “is fortified through the Union.”
When Rebecca Lee learned her work as Department Head Makeup Artist on The Last of Us – Season 2 was nominated for an Emmy Award, she couldn’t help but think of her journey in motion picture production and feel proud to be one of the many Canadians being recognized for their talent and artistry.
“My initial reaction was, I wonder if we can bring another gold statue back to Vancouver, because I see it as an award for the entire industry here. It’s another reminder that as Canadians, as Vancouverites, as Vancouver crew, we’re part of making really big, really important, really beautiful works of television and film.”
Rebecca does makeup touch ups on Bella Ramsey on the set of ‘The Last of Us – Season 2’.
This is Rebecca’s third time being nominated for an Emmy Award, after winning two Emmy Awards for her outstanding makeup artistry – one for her work on Shōgun, and another for her work on the Wizard of Oz inspired sci-fi series Tin Man.
On September 14, the 2025 Emmy Award winners were announced, and while Rebecca didn’t take home a third golden statue to add to her collection, she enjoyed celebrating with industry colleagues in style in Los Angeles.
“To be even included with the other nominees as some of the top makeup artists in top television, is a huge honour.”
Rebecca won an Emmy Award in 2024 for her work as the Makeup Designer for 'Shōgun'.
Born and raised in Vancouver, Rebecca sees award recognitions for her work in motion picture production as a win for the entire industry here in BC.
She remembers flying back from LA in 2008 with the golden Emmy statue for Tin Man in a box and feeling excited to show it to her colleagues back home.
“There was this huge sense of pride to be flying back from LAX with that Emmy Award in a box. I went straight up to security, and I said ‘Hey, I have an Emmy in this box, is that going to be a problem? It's pretty heavy and it's pretty sharp.’ They said, ‘No, no, you're fine.’’
“There were boxes like it all over the airport because everyone was flying home with these Emmys and that was just such a huge thrill. I brought it into work and everyone took pictures. It felt like a real win for Vancouver film. It felt like it was an award for everybody.”
As someone who started out in the industry without formal training in the art of makeup design, Rebecca has skyrocketed to the top of her field since starting her career. It helps, she says, that she loves her job, the people she gets to work with, and the BC film community’s emphasis on collaboration.
“No one gets to this stage without a huge amount of collaboration with many different departments.”
The BC-based makeup crew for 'The Last of Us – Season 2' celebrated their nomination for a 2025 Emmy Award in style in Los Angeles earlier this September. From left to right: Rebecca Lee, Krystal Devlin, Amber Trudeau, Chelsea Matthews, Jessica Wong, and Leslie Graham.
FROM BACKSTAGE THEATRE FUN TO EMMY AWARD-WINNING ARTISTRY
Rebecca’s journey began in the world of acting. After studying theatre at the University of British Columbia, Rebecca started performing in theatre productions across the city.
There was something about the camaraderie and creativity of the work being done behind the scenes that pulled Rebecca in. She discovered that she loved to add different character details for herself and other actors through makeup.
“I was the actor who backstage would add a black eye or a missing tooth and a wound. I just loved creating with makeup, so it didn't matter if my character didn't need any of those things when I went on stage.”
“After the shows, I would always have as much makeup on as I possibly could and would go to the makeup cabinet and experiment and just try things out. That's how I got started. I found it creative and fulfilling to see things come to life that way.”
With no formal training in makeup, Rebecca started learning on the job on different theatre and then film and television productions.
“I had no idea that makeup could be a career at all, but I feel very fortunate that I was able to discover that and had some really great mentors and people supporting me.”
Confidence in her craft took some time and a conscious effort on her part to celebrate every single win, big or small.
“Even the smallest victory to me made such a big difference. It may have been on a project where I was assisting someone else and they said, ‘Hey, great job! You really nailed that.’ It could be as small as that, but I needed that reassurance that I'd made the right decision and that I was headed in the right path because I didn't have the overview of schooling and a broad base of knowledge.”
Being part of the Union changed everything.
Rebecca with Joel Kinnamon on the set of ‘Altered Carbon’.
UNION FORTIFIES FOUNDATIONS FOR GROWTH
Rebecca says that for someone like her who didn't have the foundation of film or makeup school to build upon, it really helped to be part of the Union. It gave her access to big opportunities and helped her understand what would be expected from someone to be successful in the industry.
“One of the hugest moments when I really knew that I was on the right track was when I got my first Head of Department (HOD) job through the Union. My first really big professional job was on a pilot for IATSE. That other people had that kind of confidence in me was a huge boost. I loved every minute of it.”
Being a member of the Union gave her not only better protections and benefits but also access to training and a set of industry standards to help measure her progress by.
“Protection that the Union offers workers is so important. Also, what I really value is a set of standards for the craft that the Union helps uphold. There's a level of ability and a level of work that's produced and there's a standard that needs to be met on unionized shows.”
IATSE 891 Makeup Department members Amber Trudeau (left) and Rebecca Lee (right) celebrate their 2024 Emmy Award for their work on ‘Shōgun’.
It still took her some time to really settle into feeling like she had mastery over her craft. Thinking back to 2007, when she worked on Tin Man, she says she still had doubts about whether she really knew what she was doing in her field. Being part of what would become an Emmy Award-winning team helped to settle her fears.
Since then, she’s continued to grow and hone not only her skills and talent but her leadership in the industry, working as a Makeup Head of Department for high-budget productions where she’s been able to bring her own original creative designs to life.
“On Tin Man, I was the main assistant to Makeup Head of Department Lisa Love who really designed the whole show. I helped to execute the designs. The biggest change from then until now is that now I am an HOD and I am helping design shows with the producers, directors, and others.”
“It feels like validation for my work because I am designing the looks for the show as opposed to helping create someone else's ideas.”
Rebecca’s experience working on unionized productions not only helped her grow her career but brought other benefits too.
Camaraderie between members who have the common interest of making motion picture magic means people look out for each other.
“The sense of community that I love so much about the job is fortified through the Union.”
The IATSE 891 makeup crew for ‘The Last of Us – Season 2’.
BEHIND THE SCENES ON ‘SHOGUN’ & ‘THE LAST OF US’
On Shōgun, there were plenty of shared challenges and obstacles for the crew to overcome together as a community. One of those included an unrelenting atmospheric river.
Producers had a mission to stay true to traditional and authentic portrayals of Japanese history. In the effort to fulfill this mission, film technicians from Japan were flown in to collaborate with Vancouver film technicians to transform BC’s rugged coastline into an accurate depiction of life in feudal Japan.
Scenes involving hundreds of samurai required some creative thinking. Bald caps were made of silk, with adjustments made to make it all look seamless under high-definition cameras.
“We collaborated, the Japanese crew and the North American crew, to create a bald cap that we could put on quickly and get hundreds of them done in the morning. It was an incredible feeling of accomplishment because we had maintained the authenticity and we were able to keep production going smoothly by getting the cost and the amount of time that it required down, all by collaborating on one learning technique.”
BC’s winter weather, however, proved to be less collaborative.
“We had some very long, difficult days in rain that was coming down sideways. Our habutai, as they're called, or our silk bald caps, were working exceptionally well in the studio, but under those kinds of conditions we really had to work hard to maintain them.”
She remembers looking at the monitor before they started filming and seeing all the actors with plastic caps on their heads to try to keep them dry. She and her team would run out and take all the plastic caps off before the start of a scene, and then as soon as they heard ‘Cut!’ they would run back out and try and keep the actors covered as much as they could.
“Those were some of the hardest days I've ever had on set, with mud up to my knees and rain coming down sideways and trying to keep all these beautiful hairstyles and actors’ porcelain skin with the saffron red lips immaculate. It was really a challenge.”
Rebecca Lee doing makeup touch ups on actor Hiroyuki Sanada (above) and actress Anna Sawai (below) on location in BC during filming for ‘Shōgun’.
What kept her afloat was the way people stepped up to help each other through it all.
“You help Costumes hold the umbrellas, and they help you cover someone up while you're touching them up. We all work together, and it gets done. There is a moment of extreme pride seeing the final images and that it all worked out. It does make it all worthwhile in the end.”
Working on The Last of Us – Season 2 was also no walk in the park.
“We went to the mountains, we went to the snow, we filmed in snowstorms. There were some really tough days with elements like rain, or snow, and the cold, and trying to meet the requirements of keeping people touched up under those conditions. It's not at all easy. When I think back to The Last of Us, I remember some of those extreme conditions that we were filming under.”
But working on such a well-loved show felt like an honour.
Behind the scenes with Bella Ramsey, Catherine O’Hara, and Pedro Pascal on ‘The Last of Us – Season 2’.
“A strong memory from working on The Last of Us was the day we shot the final scenes for Season 2,” says Rebecca. “I knew what a big deal this would be for the fans of the show, and I think everyone did. We knew we were filming something iconic.”
ADIVCE FOR FUTURE MOTION PICTURE MAKEUP ARITSTS
To work as a makeup artist in the industry requires not just technical skill and hard work but emotional intelligence. The finale for the second season of The Last of Us involved some grim and violent aspects of the storyline that set a sombre and serious tone on set. In those situations, there’s an unspoken understanding between everyone to help the actors stay in the headspace they need to be in to bring the story to life.
“As a makeup artist, we're so close to the actors. We're usually the first people they see in the morning. We can kind of set the tone for them. You have to be present and be aware. If they're getting ready for a big emotional scene, then you know you can't disrupt that by telling jokes and trying to entertain them.”
“Other times actors may want that sort of distraction and we turn on the loud music and we have a dance party, but it’s important to be a little bit flexible and listen to what people need.”
For people interested in a career in motion picture production, Rebecca says the hard work is worth it. Through rainstorms and sometimes unpredictable chaos or inclement weather, she’s always loved her work, and a big part of that is because of the people who make up BC’s film community.
“I have a team of people that help me, and we help each other, to achieve these great looks and these final scenes. I just love working in film and I love that I get to do it. I think the reason I keep coming back is I get to work with my friends.”
The Union invests heavily in training opportunities so members can continually upgrade their skills and keep building knowledge to help navigate what can be challenging but rewarding work in motion picture production.
“There is always work for good people who are passionate about what they do. The requirements are a lot, and it's difficult, but it's so worth it. Keep doing makeup and do as much makeup as you can to get experience if you are interested in a career in motion picture production.”
“There's always room for talented people who really care about their job and care about making great film and television.”
Written by Claudia Goodine, Copywriter for IATSE 891.
Are you an 891 member who’d like to be featured in a Spotlight? Know an 891 member making BC’s motion picture community a better place for all workers? Email Spotlight suggestions to communications@iatse.com. Read more 891 Member Spotlights here! Visit Ourwork.ca for more on the benefits of joining the Union.
