Wayans brothers get colour change

Beauty is only prosthetic skin deep for brothers Shawn and Marlon Wayans, stars of America’s favourite box office comedy, White Chicks.

The brothers spent five hours a day – three hours of make-up, 90 minutes of body painting and 30 minutes to perfect the eyes and wigs – to be transformed from black men into very white women.

Following in the Hollywood tradition of films like Tootsie and Some Like it Hot, White Chicks quickly became a hit with a public curious to see the Wayans get the Britney treatment.

Two-time Oscar-winning make-up artist Greg Cannom, who worked on Robin Williams in Mrs Doubtfire, used orange paint, covered in a thick coat of light make-up to change the skin colour.

In all, the brothers had their faces and bodies made up 50 or 60 times. “They were great,” said Cannom.

“It was really tough for them.” Cannom thinks Marlon made the prettier woman because of his smaller jaw line. They certainly have a greater appreciation of what it takes to be a woman,” he added.