See the painstaking process that Aussie actress Mandy McElhinney underwent to transform from Rhonda to Rinehart in Channel Nine’s epic telemovie, Hancock.
We all know and adore Aussie actress Mandy McElhinney for her role as Rhonda, the sun-loving Bali tourist in the famous AAMI TV commercials.
At Woman’s Day of course we know and love her for playing former editor Nene King in the TV series Paper Giants.
Stepping away from her more down-to-earth roles this time, Mandy instead played Australia’s richest woman, mining billionaire Gina Rinehart for the epic Nine telemovie House of Hancock. It was quite a departure for the normally loveable Mandy.
It wasn’t just all down to her amazing acting chops either. It took hours of painstaking prosthetics from Nine’s skilled team of make-up artists to transform her into Gina.
Click through the gallery to see the elaborate step-by-step process as Mandy transformed from Rhonda to Rinehart!
We know and love Mandy McElhinney for her down-to-earth roles such as the sun-loving Bali babe Rhonda from the insurance ads.
At Woman’s Day of course we know and love her for playing former editor Nene King in the TV series Paper Giants
In her latest major role though for Nine’s House of Hancock, Mandy underwent the ultimate transformation from Rhonda to Rinehart, from bogan to billionaire.
Of course…she did it with a bit help too though!
It took Mandy layers of prosthetics and six hours in the makeup chair to make the full transformation into Gina.
The Make up team apply a heavy layer of prosthetics. “It was a powerful moment,” the former comedian told Woman’s Day of the first time she stepped out in character. “Everybody stopped in their tracks and thought the real Gina had arrived!”
Sporting a much fuller figure and a rounder face, the Perth-born actress admits it took more than just a costume change to become Australia’s $12 billion woman.
“It was like I woke up and had transformed into another person,” reveals Mandy, 42.
‘They completely changed my face, from the shape of my eyes to my lips.”
The creepy layer of prosthetics before it’s applied to Mandy’s face.
The skilled artists work on shaping the delicate layers of prosthetics before they’re applied.
Mandy says: “The makeup and prosthetic artists did an amazing job to create an entire face for me and it took about six hours each time to get into.”
She did say though: “Sitting in the chair was extremely uncomfortable.’
Mandy says she spent a long time researching Gina to help her get into character: “I take the responsibility of presenting a version of someone’s life really seriously,”
‘I remember the Rose Hancock era when I was young and thinking it was fascinating,” Mandy said,
The effect of the prosthetics could be rather creepy as Mandy made her transformation into Gina.
As each new layer of prosthetics is added, further trimming, smoothing and refining work is done.
The final layer of prosthetics is added.
The skilled make-up artists compare their work to the real thing.
Make-up artists keep images of the real Gina close at hand to make sure their work is as accurate as possible.
The final touches…
And thus the transformation is complete!
The resemblance between Mandy in make-up and the real Gina is uncanny.
And thus the transformation, from Rhonda to Rinehart – is complete!
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