Daily Inspiration: Meet Morgan McDonnell

Today we’d like to introduce you to Morgan McDonnell.

Hi Morgan, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’ll start by saying I was raised in a very art forward household. Any and all creative endeavors were supplied and encouraged by my amazing mom. Within the makeup sphere, she would paint my face a different animal at the drop of a hat, give me her old makeup to play with, take photos of me and my friends when we did fake editorials and “did our makeup like the girls in the magazines” (heaaavy emphasis on we did not know what we were doing). So when I showed interest in working in makeup, she was, both my parents were very much on board. I worked retail for many years but I felt kind of…slimy?? about tricking people into buying products they didn’t need?? just to keep my average sale high??? An artist at one of those retail jobs told me about MUD (Makeup Designerory) in Burbank, and my parents said go for it. So in 2012 I did.
I was so naive when I first got to LA, I told myself, “Ok, like, you’re gonna graduate and then like, you’re gonna pay off your loans right away with all the money you’re making on all the big jobs, and it’s like, it’s all gonna to happen right away because you deserve it you only child!” No idea how to network, no idea how to live in a big city, no idea of anything really. The only reason I got any connections was because of my special effects teacher (Karen I hope you’re reading this) who recognized that I was serious about working in the tv/film industry. She connected me with a couple of her recent grads that she had hand plucked, and the ball got rolling…slowly…very slowly. My parents paid my rent the first , gosh I don’t know, two years?? and refused to have me get a retail job to supplement my income. I realize this makes me absolutely 1000% privileged, and I fully realize how insanely lucky that was. I wouldn’t have succeeded at all without their help financially and emotionally. They were, and are, my biggest cheerleaders.
For 5 years I worked so many low budget non union gigs no one has ever heard of. Sometimes I did hair, makeup, and special fx. Even wardrobe too. All for like, $150 a day on a horror movie no one saw. But I feaking loved it. In 2018 I got into the union, and I will say every single year after that has been completely different than the previous. Should I say something like, “But it sure beats working in an office!” to end this section? I’ll say doing what I do for a living is one of the only work environments I’ve been in where I have been praised and hired specifically for being entirely myself, where I get to laugh and make people laugh and that is also encouraged, and where I feel creative and artistically fulfilled all at the same time.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I think any creative who has worked the past 5 years will all answer this similarly, but I’ll say no. Point blank. Everything is different from when I was a kid, different than from when I was in makeup school, different from before the pandemic, and different post strikes. The rules have changed, and no one seems to know what the rules are anymore. But I refuse to give up because my job is SO FUN!!! I keep thinking, “What would you do otherwise…” and I just keep saying, “this.” This career path is consistently inconsistent and hard to predict, but like, when you’re on set and you’re working with your friends on something cool, and laughing with talent, and you’re on the back lot of Universal and you see the tram go by that’s full of tourists…that’s a high I’m gonna keep chasing.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I think what I specialize in, besides something concrete like corrective makeup which is true, is more of a vibe. Which sounds sooo cringe, but I really take pride in it. I think any one of my colleagues would agree. I bring the fun, I bring the silly, I bring the vulnerable truth wrapped in a package we can all laugh at and with. I’m the first person talent (and my coworkers in the trailer for that matter) interacts with and I think with that comes a great responsibility. From the second I walk into the makeup room/trailer/set/catering whatever, you know “that girl is fun and she’s going to make my day better”. And what a gift to be able to give people! I want to set the tone for talent so when they get to the actual work part of their day they’re primed to feel good. Good about how they look, and good about the time they spent getting ready. My favorite makeup artist gave a ted talk where she said that being a makeup artist is a big responsibility because the head is a permission giving space. It’s a space on your body that only loved and trusted people can touch. To do that with a stranger is a wild ask. If someone on the street came up and started touching your face you would freak out! But it’s a literal part of my job description to be able to do that right away and have it be ok. It’s a very vulnerable place to be for talent, and I do not take that truth lightly.
In the literal sense of the question, I think I specialize in corrective, natural beauty. I’m always trying to enhance THEIR features, rather than change them entirely. I’m also proud of every comedy makeup I’ve ever done. If the makeup I’m doing for a comedic purpose is making someone laugh, I’m in heaven. I have talent I’ll do for red carpets and we still talk about some of the ridiculous things I’ve put them through.

What matters most to you?
I’ve thought about this a lot lately….what I value most in this life. My mom always had this quote, “the purpose of life is joy”…she also said “you’re only young once, but you can be immature forever”…but I do think they kind of go hand in hand. My answer is: fun. Fun matters most to me. I like my job because it’s fun. I also think being in nature is fun and important. I think art is fun and feeds the soul. I think quality time with my friends and family is fun. Museums and libraries are fun and inspiring…
I also think life feels sooo heavy right now. So many things are changing every single day all over the world and I think focusing smaller has mattered more to my mental health than it ever has before. I think to myself “what can I directly affect today and make a difference”? How can I change my best friend/parent/cashier/server/dog’s day? How can I reconnect with my city? How can I feel like I’m a working part of nature? I think that all translates to: community. And guess what? FaceTiming with my best friend and her 2 year old? Fun. Going on a hike in the middle of Griffith Park with my dog and boyfriend? Fun. Going to the downtown library and seeing it’s rich history? FUN!!! Boy this was a messy answer, but I hope it makes sense.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: seriuslymofun
• Other: morganbmcdonnell@gmail.com