Even when the cameras weren’t rolling, the cast and crew addressed him as “Mr. Brown” on the set — and it’s easy to see why.
Actor Chadwick Boseman’s transformation into James Brown for Friday’s biopic “Get on Up” is pretty convincing.
Here’s how it happened.
Hair
The appearance-obsessed Brown once wrote, “Hair is the first thing. And teeth the second. Hair and teeth. A man got those two things, he’s got it all.” Robert Stevenson, the film’s “wig consultant,” had nine hairpieces made.
Brown changed looks regularly and often wanted a different look from that of his band members so he’d stand out.
Stevenson’s favorite hairstyle? The pompadour, of course. He added pieces to existing wigs to give the do more height and body.
Face
Boseman played Brown from age 16 all the way to age 63, so the makeup department had their work cut out for them. Technicians helped ease Boseman into old age by using prosthetics to give him eye bags and a turkey-neck.
Boseman also donned a fat suit that added two inches to his waist. Preparing the actor to play young James Brown took about an hour, while making him look like old James Brown took two-and-a-half.
Voice
The filmmakers opted to use actual Brown recordings for the movie’s concert scenes, so Boseman had to lip-sync along. The actor does sing in his own voice during a few non-performance scenes.
Body
Costume designer Sharen Davis fashioned some 50 different costumes for Boseman to wear during the film.
The Godfather of Soul’s concert outfits were replicated as closely as possible. Because Boseman, at 6-foot-1, is five inches taller than Brown stood, Davis loosened the actor’s pants to make his silhouette appear stockier.
Legs
Boseman worked long and hard with choreographer Aakomon Jones to duplicate Brown’s signature dance moves.
The actor practiced as much as eight hours a day for weeks prior to shooting. “To dance like him is much more difficult than you realize,” Boseman says. “The parts of your body are moving in different directions, and he’s never still at the mike. He’s always moving. But there’s something about his music that takes you to a different place in yourself. You reach a point where you want to let it drive you.”
Boseman even managed to nail Brown’s splits: On one grueling day, he estimates he performed 90 to 100 reps of the move.