On any given work day, a long list of boldface names demands Emily Robinson’s attention: Kim Kardashian needs her makeup touched up. Michelle Obama is due for a sponge bath. And will someone please re-attach Simon Cowell’s head to his body before the doors open at 10 a.m.?
As the studio manager for Madame Tussauds in Times Square, Robinson, 28, is responsible for keeping the attraction’s 200-plus figures looking their best — and wields an impressive arsenal of intricate tools, paintbrushes and even curling irons to keep her charges in tiptop shape.
It’s a career the Carroll Gardens resident says she never dreamed of as a studio arts major at Kenyon College — until the day she spotted a serendipitous Craigslist job posting that would put her sculpture and installation experience to use in a unique way.
After five years at Madame Tussauds in DC, the Chicago native now runs the New York studio (a hushed aerie just a floor above the hubbub of the attraction) and spends her days primping, patching and plotting makeovers with her team of two.
In between sculpting a new pair of ears for George Clooney and repainting Oprah, she sat down with @work to tell us what it’s like to work in wax.
How did you break into this business?
I sort of lucked out — it was actually my first full-time position. When I was looking for jobs a couple months out of college, [Madame Tussauds] was just opening the DC location and had to pull together their staff to get ready for the opening. I think it was just really amazing timing.
Coming from a fine arts background, did you have reservations about working at a tourist attraction?
I had no reservations. I thought it was amazing that there would be a job like this. I always wanted to be an artist, but I didn’t think I’d be able to find something where I could be artistic on a daily basis.
Once you started, what was the learning curve like?
I had two weeks of intensive training with the London artists, but when they left, I was on my own. I was taking care of about a hundred figures right away. It took me a while to feel comfortable doing what I do now, but it’s definitely something that you get better at as you practice.
Were you at all freaked out by working with such life-like figures?
When I started in DC, I had to open the building, so I had to walk through the dark to turn the lights on. Every morning was a little bit scary. And if any figures are moved at any point, that can be really surprising. We see the figures in the exact [same] spot every single day, so if they’re changed, it’s like they’ve moved or walked over. But you really get used to everything. You start thinking just about what they need.
Walk me through an average day. What are your responsibilities?
We get in at 7:30 a.m., and we’ll do morning repair work on any damage that we see until 10, when we open. We do a lot of scratch repairs, hairstyling, wardrobe repair and a lot of wax sculpting and re-sculpting — like fixing ears when they break off. Some of the figures don’t need major repair work for a year. We’ll just clean them every week or so. Others need constant attention.
Like which ones?
We just got One Direction, and they have this constant stream of fans who sit next to them, wanting to touch their hair. We have to check up every few hours to make sure they look okay. Justin Bieber is another example — he is constantly being kissed, which deteriorates the wax. You have to actually dig out [the wax] and rebuild and repaint it, which takes about an hour. It’s a lot more work than you think.
What’s the biggest challenge you face?
As a team, we have about 400 hands we have to take care of, in addition to the heads. The hands deteriorate in maybe two weeks, so that’s been incredibly hard for us to get on top of. We are constantly replacing hands. We have spare hands ready. And when they’re good, they really bring the whole figure together.
How much creative input do you have?
A lot of what we do is very detailed oil painting — building up realistic skin tone, painting on makeup. It’s less creative because we’re really trying to be accurate. We use references, so everything is really, really specific. But I get to be creative when we plan a figure’s re-style, and get to pick from their best looks and source their clothing. We recently re-styled Lady Gaga — it’s really fun.
It must be nerve-wracking seeing your works of art so exposed to visitors. Are you always on alert?
We all get a little bit uncomfortable when we see people get too close, but you get used to it. There was a time when a little boy grabbed Ella Fitzgerald’s arm in DC and tipped her over, so she broke. We all had to run and save her. And the kissing is always an emergency for us too [because of the deterioration of the wax]. As soon as we see it, we are immediately trying to get it off.
What’s your advice for someone wanting to make a career out of their artistic skills?
I didn’t think this job existed until I saw it, so my best advice would be to keep an open mind. So many companies need an artistic eye and artistic ability.