Q. Congratulations on your first Oscars. So my question is going to be, what this project means to you because at the age of 15 when you were living in a small country in Japan your dream was becoming a special makeup artist in Hollywood. Your dream came true in your 20s and you left the film industry six years ago and then came back for this project. So this project brought you back to the film industry and then brought your first Oscar. So what this project means to you and then what your first Oscar means to you at this time in your career. If you prefer, you can answer it in Japanese.
A. (Kazuhiro Tsuji) Yeah. I think it's really important, the timing‑wise because I left the film industry and Gary asked me to design this. And really, like, everything came together and then great timing, and I met David and Lucy and they're really special, and I never worked with any such a kind before. And also I learned a lot from ‑‑ through this project because almost ‑‑ it's really what I learned is that people ‑‑ how much people care about and how much they love about their job, and I kind of realized and kind of ‑‑ it was a really special project because it's such a great talent came to one show and we did ‑‑ we made an amazing film and I think we made history. So it's really meaningful to me.
Q. Hi, Kazuhiro. So there are very few Asians nominated at this year's Academy Awards; I think you're the only one, and you're the winner as well. How does that feel?
A. (Kazuhiro Tsuji) I don't want to think about I'm Asian. I'm just doing what I love to do. So, I hope everyone feels that way because it's ‑‑ as soon as we start to think what the race we are, it's not good. It doesn't work that well.
Q. You know Gary Oldman says, "Look at me. What do you think of? Winston Churchill." And of course we all laugh. At what point did you all think, "We know we're good, but we've pulled it off. Look at him. We've pulled it off"?
A. (David Malinowski) I think it was the final test day that we did back in London. Kazu had already designed the makeup and done the final test in L.A., and he brought the makeup to London to hand over to myself and Lucy. And it was during those two weeks where we tweaked the makeup, we finessed it, and we got it to what you see on the screen today. You know, it was that very final day that Joe, Gary, the producers signed the makeup off and said that's what we want for DARKEST HOUR.
Q. What was your reaction? You looked at him and you believed it?
A. (David Malinowski) Yeah, I think so. You know, yeah, I do believe it. I'm just being honest. I do believe that it's an outstanding makeup and the feedback we've had from everybody else has been superb. So, you know, I hope everybody likes what they see on screen today.
Q. I don't know if you were aware, but on the Red Carpet they were showing the video of Gary dancing to James Brown while he was in his full outfit and full makeup, and I just wondered if you could talk a little bit about the relationship that you three had with him because it seemed to be a very warm bond between all of you.
A. (David Malinowski) Yeah. I met Gary on a previous job, and I think one of the main reasons, other than, you know, he likes the work I did with him, was that we just got on so well together, our personality, he's very similar. We like to joke, mess around, but we also have, you know, an eye for detail. We both want the best of whatever we do. So ‑‑ and then you add to that mix Lucy who's, again, very similar sense of humor to myself and Gary, so you could imagine that we spent four hours on a makeup bus every day for three or four months, it's going to get a little bit insane at times. So, you know, Gary likes to dance around, he likes to sing, he likes to chat, tell stories, and, you know, we like to do the same. I think, you know, we've just got a brilliant sense of humor between all of us. Do you want to add anything, Lucy? Do you want to add for me?
A. (Lucy Sibbick) He's got so many characters inside his body, so he's always doing different impressions.
A. (David Malinowski) Yeah. He's always doing impressions. He does a good De Niro, for example. I won't do it now because that would be terrible. He does a good Christopher Walken and he does an extremely good Winston Churchill, more importantly. So fingers crossed for Gary tonight.
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