Gina Gershon might be the last person you’d think of when trying to come up with an actress to play Donatella Versace, but the “Showgirls” star is doing the job quite nicely.
Gershon has stepped right into the role of the fashion design icon for an upcoming Lifetime movie called “House Of Versace”. The film tells the story of how Donatella had to step up after the 1997 murder of her brother, Gianni, and run their fashion house successfully through a struggle with drug addiction and a near-bankruptcy that almost destroyed the company.
There’s an abundance of physical transformation that Gershon had to undergo for the role, including several hours in the makeup chair to get the contours of her face just right.
“She goes through an evolution — she physically changes, as we all know, and it was important to be as truthful about that as possible,” Gershon said. “It’s movie magic — a little tape and glue.”
Besides the makeup, Gershon had cotton stuffed under her upper lip to get the effect just right and dons a long, sleek, platinum wig for the film. Versace has had no comment on the movie, but a documentary will air after the film’s premiere that tells the story of Gianni Versace’s rise to fame and how he came to run a fashion empire. “Versace: Beyond the Headlines” airs at 10 p.m. on October 5.
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