Prosthetics makeup designer Vincent Van Dyke knew how nerve-wracking it was for Claude to meet Professor Hammer and for Nicos Damianos to meet Ned Godwin. It wasn’t because their political affiliations differed or that they had unsettled beef between them–it’s because all four characters are played by Robert Downey Jr. in HBO’s The Sympathizer. By having all of Downey’s characters in one space (in one booth even), he knew everyone was going to whip out their microscopes. Van Dyke must be thrilled to discover, though, that all we were paying attention to was the characters.
Van Dyke talks about how he takes inspiration from scripts or direction from his directors, but his most important relationship was with Downey Jr. since he was creating these men with his entire body. Even though we can see the Oscar-winner beneath the character, we lean into Van Dyke’s work, because it’s so unbelievably detailed and everything is steeped in character.
Professor Hammer’s body was one of the biggest pieces that Van Dyke created, and he loved giving him a gnarly tummy scar. Claude is the first persona that we meet, and he pops up the most throughout the season. His hair is further back on his scalp and his skin is blotchy and pink. That’s totally different than his Godwin with his fake teeth and Cranston-meets-Clinton vibe.
What could be distracting actually makes us excited for every time Downey pops back up on screen. Who knows…maybe the people you meet in your every day life aren’t just stranger or acquaintances. Maybe they are Downey in disguise?
The Sympathizer is streaming now on Max.
