Which film won an Oscar for ‘Hair and Makeup’ despite a measly $250 budget?

With only a $250 budget, makeup artist Robin Mathews made movie magic on the set of “Dallas Buyers Club” (2013). On a daily basis, Mathews repeatedly gave actors makeovers that would transform them from healthy to near-death and back again.

Since Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto played AIDS patients in the 1980s, the makeup had to reproduce skin blemishes and rashes that were the norm for the sickness at that time. Over the 28-day production, Mathews used that $250 budget not just for the lead actors, but for the entire cast, including extras. To make matters worse, since the entire indie film had a low budget, scenes weren’t shot in sequence, requiring additional changes. In addition, although both McConaughey and Leto lost 40 pounds for their roles, any apparent weight gains, losses, or health changes throughout the pair’s onscreen medical treatment, also had to be created through makeup and prosthetics.

Obviously, the 2014 Oscar won by Matthews and her assistant, Adruitha Lea, was well-deserved.

‘Dallas Buyers Club’ premiered at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival and was released theatrically in the United States on November 1, 2013. The film grossed over $52 million worldwide against a budget of $5 million.

McConaughey and Leto also won Academy Awards (for Best Actor and for Best Supporting Actor, respectively) at the 86th Academy Awards. The film also was nominated for Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Editing.