Makeup artist Wendy San George on career, husband's accident, and divorce

I'm Vic Cohen, Downtown Los Angeles' Skid Row Studios. The name of the show is It's a Fair Question. Because on this show, every question, that's right, every question is a fair question. There is no question that is too personal or ever off limits. And our guest today is an incredible woman. She is a, she's kind of like a co-worker, I would call her that. She's also a great friend. And she's just a really amazing woman. She is a makeup artist to some of the biggest stars in Hollywood. And some of the smallest stars in Hollywood, I suppose too. Right? You don't discriminate. No. She is Wendy San George. Hello, Wendy. Hi, Vic. How are you? I'm great. How are you? Good. Now you need to do a couple things for me. First of all, we want to get your mic really close to your face. Close enough? Yes. And you're seeming a little timid right now. This is not the Wendy I know. I'm never timid. Well, you're coming, I'm seeing a little bit of a shyness about you almost. Well, I'm usually behind the camera, not in front. Well, you are. You're behind the mic. Well. It's the same thing. You're behind something. Well, this is new. I'm on air. So you're not used to being the talent. Never. Right. And how does that feel? Funny. It feels, does it feel uncomfortable a little bit? I need a brush, a puff, some makeup. No. Wendy said that she needed time for her hair and makeup for the show. And I, you know, it is radio. No one, no one can see you but me. Yes. How do I look? You look amazing. You always look great. Ah, thank you. Yeah. So Wendy, tell me some of the celebrities and tell those listeners, what do you think about them? Hello, you listening. Hello, you listening. Who you've, you, the makeup, you know, who you've worked with? 30 year career. It's hard to think. Let's see. Well, Jerry Lewis. I know you told me. Yes. I've been with JL for many, many, many years. No, you sound very Hollywood. I have to tell you, I have to kind of call you out on that. Who calls him JL? Oh, everybody who works with them. Really? That's just not you trying to be hip? No, that's the people close to him. Seriously? Well, Jerry Lewis takes too long. JL's easy. Really? You're that, you're in that kind of hurry? Yeah, always. Okay. For now on, I want you to. Call me VC. I'm going to call you VC from now on. It's VC. Right. Okay. Cause you know, we have a full hour here. We do have time for you to say Jerry's full name. I call Howie Mandel. I don't call him Howie Mandel. I say, Hey Mandel. Okay. All right. It's just, you know, closeness. I had no idea that that's what they call him. JL. Just the people close. Okay. So who else do you work with? Oh, AAS. Who's AAS? Adam Sandler. Right? You've worked with Adam Sandler. I did work with them on the MTV movie awards. They called me in to do just, you know, his number. Uh-huh. And Chelsea Handler, right? Yes. I was her makeup artist for a period of time. And what happened? Why aren't you still? The show's still on the air. Oh, that's, any questions fair? It's a fair question. That's a fair question. I, I left. And a fair question, a fair answer. I, I, I left. She's a wonderful woman and I left. Oh, you know, Wendy, there's more to that story. There has to be. I don't know the story, but I'm interested. So, you know, I'm going to ask. Yes, you did ask. Okay. I am asking what happened? It was just time to move on. Okay. So generally speaking, makeup artists, people in Hollywood, in any business, forget Hollywood, when they're got a very good job, they don't generally just leave. So was there, was there friction between the two of you? No, no friction. I just, you know, you, when you're a freelance artist, sometimes you choose to freelance and move on. You know, it's funny. I feel like, and I don't want to feel like this, but I feel like I'm trying to corner a mouse, you know? You're the mouse. So I'll leave it at that. It sounds like there was a little more to the story, but part of your work as a makeup artist is you, you can't say too much, right? You become very close to the people you work with. Yes. It's a very sacred area and you never kiss and tell. Right. So I'm suspecting this is one of those cases. They're all cases are that way. Good answer. Wow. You are very smart the way you answer because I see what's going on here. Don't you listening? Don't you? Yes, you. Don't you see what's going on here? Wendy here. I'm going to answer for Wendy. Okay. And Wendy can say yes or no. I'll be you, Wendy right now. Well, Vic, the truth is, even though I really shouldn't say this because it's not cool and I don't want to burn bridges, but I really didn't get along well with her in the sense she's wonderful woman, but I just didn't like the atmosphere. And she's really, the rumors are true. She's really tough to work around and I just had to go. I wish her the best. I love her. And that, you know, I love the opportunity, but sometimes you just have to say, goodbye and I wish her only the best, but there was definitely, it just wasn't my scene. That's the answer I imagine. Well, that's very well said by Vic Cohen, but Wendy St. George did not say that. Vic Cohen said that, but Wendy St. George didn't. I was, you're right. Just to make it clear, right. That never came from Wendy. That came from VC. VC said it very well. Right. Thank you. Now you've also worked years. First of all, with Jerry Lewis, 30 years is obviously a long time. So what have you learned about the man? Oh my God. He's an amazing man. He's taught me so many things. He's very intelligent by the way. And did you all know that he invented what you all watch as a video playback? He invented that. So when he was directing, he could see himself in a scene and he's so intelligent. He's amazing, amazing man. And he taught me so many things. Now, for those of you who don't know what video playback is, when a film or as many television shows, it's a video playback. It's a video playback. It's a video playback. It's a video playback. It's a video playback. It's a video playback. It's a video playback. It's a video shot with one camera like a film like film in the past prior to what wendy's saying you wouldn't be able to see what your takes look like the actual scenes that were shot until the film was actually developed but what you're saying wendy is that he developed a system or came up with this idea where they would record in another way the exact scene or at least have an access to it so you could see the work that was just shot and not have to wait a day or two for long for the tape right to be videoed uh the film to be developed right because he's a genius director and he wanted to be able to see himself in the scenes he was you know directing himself okay great now you said that i always get interested in this when someone says that they've learned so much because i want to know what you've learned from him um just give me one thing i have learned that he knows everyone's name on a set to him it's very important not to say makeup but to say wendy he knows a grip craft service electricians he knows everyone's name on a set he feels that everybody is important that they are worth their weight in gold if that 30 seconds they're needed on a set they are worth their weight in gold and i feel that's so important because you know a lot of people on sets they're you know people oh they're craft service oh they're you know they sweep the floor whatever he feels every single person on a crew is important and i feel that's so valuable because everybody is they're worth weight in gold because it takes everybody to make something happen on a set especially you and i both know that working on such big shows as mobbed and things like that where it takes so many people to make something move from point a to point b and make things happen everybody is important from the person who lifts that apple box from the person who you know choreographs right and just for those of you that didn't know what wendy's referring to mobbed the show was on fox and there's a big prime time show with flash mobs where people would make an announcement through song and dance and the great thing about that and not only was i able to produce right on that show but i was a frequent actor and so i've had the good fortune of being a part of that show and i've been a part of that show for a long time and i'm so fortunate to have wendy be my makeup artist yes i have put makeup on vic for many characters on that show yes and and for other things so um yes i'm now going to refer to you as my personal makeup artist yes vc has sat right here numerous times that's right we need to add that to the list you know yes absolutely it's officially added so you say you've been doing this for 30 years over 30 now um i just want to remind everyone uh for those of you know everyone listening i always say for those of you listening they're not listening like who what does that mean to say for those of you listening right makes no sense wendy but it sounds really good i know but it's completely nonsensical the number here is 800-893-9562 that's 800-893-9562 if you'd like to talk to wendy she would love to talk to you she's a great talker but if you're wearing blue eyeshadow don't call why because blue eyeshadow does not belong on people really even if they're calling well you can call if you can't see it can you rub it off a little how'd you get started doing makeup well the truth is i danced on american bandstand in the 70s and came with no makeup and surfer bangs ugly hair makeup what year is this in the 70s like 1974 is when i really started and the older women like took me in that bathroom and went come here girlfriend and put makeup and did my hair and i looked at myself and went oh my god can i say that on radio oh the word oh oh my god we're not christian radio here okay good because anything because i'm with you and i looked in the mirror at myself and went this transformation is unbelievable and i knew exactly then that i wanted to make that transformation on everybody in the world and i knew i wanted to be a makeup artist and a hair person and just that was my goal and i did that at a very young age because how old were you i was barely 18 years old like i finished school and that was my goal it was unbelievable what it did to myself this is american bandstand american this is with dick clark yes and this is where there'd be live performance then everyone would dance with their afros and their 70s clothes yeah you can you can actually see me in the opening of every one of uh vh1's best of american bandstand before they made me over with my surfer bangs and no makeup how is that how we'd recognize you oh yeah what are you wearing in that clip i am wearing overalls and a rugby shirt it's so scary are you a professional dancer well we thought we were but no you were living here in los angeles oh yeah no i was living in orange county the oc how did you even find out about you when watching the show and thought it'd be fun to be on well you can't get on that way like you know somebody has to get you on it was that kind of did you audition oh no no no no another dancer brought me and then if they like you you get an invitation it's the whole big deal we invitation you don't want a piece of you know white paper you know but oh my god it's the biggest thing in the world when you get yours And then if they like you, you get an invitation. It's the whole big deal. Invitation, you don't want a piece of, you know, white paper, you know, but oh my God, it's the biggest thing in the world when you get yours, you know, your own. And then you get invited and you come back and you dance for free. It's so fun. And you thought you were the bee's knees, you know, back then. Was this always an interest of yours to be a part of Hollywood? Of course, yeah. The entertainment business? Yeah, my father was, you know, in the business when we, you know, were tiny and it was just how I grew up. What was he doing in the business? He was an actor, writer kind of thing, you know, and we came here from New York, you know, for that when I was young. But he was living in Orange County. Well, we came to LA, you know, and then they moved to Orange County where they can afford to live, you know, how it is, a starving actor kind of thing. And that's, you know, where I grew up. So it truly is, the cliche is true, in your blood. Oh yeah. The business. It was. I grew up around it, you know, on the sets and the studios and the whole thing. What's one of your fondest childhood memories? Of your father in the business? Actually, I just showed that to Howie the other day. Howie Mandel, you're talking about. Howie Mandel, yes. I'm sorry, I'm familiar, so I forget to say the last name. And I showed him the YouTube. My father was Big Boss Man with Elvis Presley. And that was a fond memory, really fond memory. When you say Big Boss Man, what are you referring to exactly? The song, he played Big Boss Man and sang a little bit with him and did that scene with Ann-Margaret and Elvis Presley. And it's on YouTube. Really? Is this part of a, sorry, I don't know. I'm not that familiar. This is part of a film or is this a video? It's Elvis Presley's like part of his comeback special thing. On television? Yeah, it was on television in the 70s. Okay. And it's on YouTube. How can people find it on YouTube? Just go to Big Boss Man, Elvis Presley, Big Boss Man. And your father would be completely recognizable? He's the Big Boss Man, yeah. Was he a big man? Yeah, six foot five and three quarters, tall, big guy. Looks just like me. What is San George? Is that French? Italian. Oh, really? I didn't know you were Italian. I am not. Was it originally something very Jewish? Because we all know that that happened. Names were changed from immigrants. No, that was. I don't know the story. You're looking at me like, have I stepped on something that you don't want to talk about? No, that San George was a married name. San George is, oh, that's your, you're married. I was married. You were married. Yes. Now this is news to me. What do you mean you were married? Well, I was married. I'm in the process of not being married anymore. Oh, I didn't, I did not know that. I mean, I, you had mentioned something briefly in our phone conversation earlier today, but I had zero idea. No question is, what is it? Everything, it is a fair question. Oh, it is a fair question. So let's, I would, let's get into that a little bit then. So you were, when did you meet your husband? Was it on American Bandstand? Oh, no, no, no. I didn't, I didn't meet him until my thirties. Mm-hmm. And you have two, two children, two boys. I have two amazing children. Yeah. The thing about Wendy, which is really amazing, is she is such a great mom. And her husband, she's had to kind of caretake for, for years. And the amount of pressure and the burden that is on you, Wendy, on a day-to-day basis is just incredible. I mean, and to describe it, tell us what happened with, you were married for how long before your husband had an accident? I would, I think that probably would have been six years. Okay. Could you get a little closer to the mic? Yeah, I think that would have been about six years. Okay. And describe to me what happened and how you found out about it. Like, take us back to that moment. It was about four days before Christmas. What year? I can't even remember what year it was, but now it was probably 10 years ago. Your two boys? Yeah, my two boys were very little. Ages? One was about three and one was probably only 16 now, so six. Okay, six and three? And three. Okay. And I got called from a truck driver on the side of the road, he said, because you know, you put in the phone, I put wife, and he was crushed in a car accident. He hit a 18 wheeler on the side of the five freeway. And this wonderful truck driver pulled over and took his phone off the side of the, the five freeway. And he was like, I'm gonna call my mom. I'm like, I'm gonna call my mom. And he was like, I'm gonna call my mom. And he was like, I'm gonna call my mom. And he was like, I'm gonna call my mom. And he called me and said, you better hurry. And like a crazy person, I put my kids in the car and tried to get to them. Well, of course the whole freeway was stopped because you know, everybody was in the midst of this accident. So you were going actually to the accident site. I was. How far from home was this? Not far, only a couple of miles on the freeway. And they took him to trauma and he was completely crushed in this car accident. And you know, those few seconds change your entire life. Entire life. Entire life. So, and from that point on, you know, surgery after surgery, you know, life-threatening infection after infection, you know, it was pretty crazy. Well, describe the injuries. His acetabulum was crushed. His what? Acetabulum, I know what a word, right? Acetabulum. What is that? Well, I now know. And now we're gonna know. I know, you're gonna know. That is the part that, and of course I'm trying to show you and we're on radio. That is the part that, attaches your hip to your part over here, but by your back of your hip and your hip and, you know, your femur, all that part, you know, that's not the acetabulum, but his femur was crushed, his hip bone, his hip, all of that, you know, and without those bones and that part, you can't, your hip cannot stay in place. So even if they tried to put a fake one in, there's no place for it to attach. So, you know, they do bone graftings, but if infections take the bone grafting, you know, you're gonna have to do it again. And then they do bone graftings, you know, out so it doesn't work. And, you know, it was pretty crazy. His lungs, you know, what is this part? You know, this was crushed. His chest cavity. Yeah, all that was crushed, you know, everything. What happened? Was the truck just went out of control or do they know? They think he had a small heart attack. They weren't a hundred percent sure, but it showed that he had one, but they can't tell, you know, when exactly it happened, if it happened after or before, you know, but they think he had a small heart attack and he hit the end of, the truck was parked, it was parked. The 18 wheeler was parked on the freeway. On the side of the road. On the side of the road. And he hit it, spun around and hit it again. And they just, thank God our kids weren't in the car cause you know, it was the holiday vacation. So. I hate to ask this question, but I have a feeling one of you listening is probably wondering what kind of car was it? A PT Cruiser. Do you look at that car as having saved his life or causing more damage? I think saving his life cause it, you know, collapsed the way it was supposed to and it probably saved him. I think. Did you make it to the scene to see him or did you actually have to get to the hospital? I made it to the scene with all the traffic to see the car, you know, crunched and the whole thing, which was horrifying that I did that cause my children saw it too. You know, I wasn't really thinking. And then of course, you know, I pulled over and the police were screaming at me, you can't pull over. And I'm like, that's, you know, my husband's car, the whole thing. And then the, they said, oh, you know, you gotta go to, you know, the hospital. And I'm like, I'm driving to trauma and I went to trauma and why I'm driving to trauma, I'm calling, you know, for somebody to come get my kids. I mean, it was just horrifying. The whole thing was horrifying. And in the meantime, we were, you know, I was working, I was trying to work to pay for everything and do everything. Did you guys have insurance? We had insurance, yes, but I still had to pay for nurses, you know, to come to the house. So let's describe, so you said that things change in a second. That's what you said a little earlier. Right. And so how did things change? How did things change in a second? Well, you no longer have a normal life, you know, no longer have a normal life. I mean, for months in the hospital, then months in rehab and coming home and then infections back in the hospital, surgery after surgery, after surgery, to try to put it back together, because, you know, at first they thought, you know, a few little pins and bone grafting, and then that failed. Then the whole hip had to come out, then replacement hips, then that wouldn't take. And then another hip and then another this and another bone grafting. How long ago did, when was this again? 10 years, 13 surgeries. So he obviously, I would guess, has been unable to work since then. Yeah, he, well, we tried to keep insurance for him through, you know, he was a teacher. And so we would put him out on sick leave and bring him in a wheelchair to work two days to get the sick leave again and to, you know, to keep going and stuff, but, you know, no longer. So you've held on for 10 years, and now I've learned that this marriage is ending. Yeah. And what are your feelings about that? Silence on radio. You're tough. You know, Mick, we're friends and, you know, I've taken care of him for a really long time, but, you know, it's hard, you know, so. You love him, it seems. Well, as a dear friend, yeah. Do you think, had the accident not happened, that you're, I mean, no, I didn't really know, but do you think the marriage would have survived? No, because it really wasn't there before. Okay. You know. So that's a lot of, that's a big burden to hang on for 10 years. Well, because I do care about him as a friend and as a person, I took care of him throughout that as well. Yeah. You know. So when you, was this kind of something you both saw coming, do you think? Oh yeah. I mean, when you had it, when you came to that place, where you felt that you were, I assume it was being true to yourself, that you needed to let him know your feelings and that you needed to end the marriage, was there a, was it a surprise to him or? I don't think so. I don't think so, no. And I'll, you know, I'll continue to take care of him and be his friend and whatever he needs, of course. That's what good people do. Yeah. Well, I, you know, it's gotta be like this challenge of, there's this idea in life of what's the right thing to do. Have you struggled with that ever? Well, for 10 years. Yeah. And what was the right thing to do during those 10 years? I think take care of him. You know, who, who let somebody, who let somebody that you, you know, care about, not be there for that person? I mean, he almost lost his both legs and you know what I mean? That's the father to my children. And you know, you take care of the person you're supposed to take care of. Right. So there's, is there some, I would imagine, I mean, cause you're such a sensitive person and loving. There's gotta be some inner conflict, right? I mean. Always, constantly. Yeah. Did you, did you come to this decision with some help from like a therapist or something? I mean, or was this on your own, just gut knowing what's right for you? Well, on my own and you know, my sister's a therapist. Oh, okay. So, you know, it's something that I knew honestly before the accident. So you have, you can take salsa knowing that, that this wasn't a result of, oh, my husband's gotten in a bad accident. I'm out of here. No, it wasn't like that. No, it was before the accident and the accident happened. And I said to myself, well, now you're, you cannot do that. Now you are stuck in this situation because how do you leave somebody who's need you? And so I stayed, you know. Right. And then what do your boys feel about the situation? Are they understanding? Do they get what? Well, they understand. They're old enough now to know that I've taken care of their dad. And they, you know, they're not dumb when their dad's in another room for 10 years. Does he sleep in another room? Oh yeah, of course. So they're not, you know, they're not dumb, you know, but they also, you know, whoever wants to see their parents, you know, not in a together, you know. Right. So, yeah. But the love seems very strong. Well, because I love him as a person and as a friend and we'll always be friends. And I'll always take care of him. I'll always be taking care of him because I'll have to, he'll need me, you know. So you don't have, I mean, that's nice of you to say, but that is a choice. Yeah, but I'm not, I could never do that to, you know, I can never say, well, now go collect change on the corner. No, but, right. But I'm saying that speaks to your character. Yeah, I mean. To say you don't have a choice. I would never, I mean, how could I do that? You know. I would never do that. I would never do that to my kids and let them see their father. Like I would never do that. So, you know, I'll just be doing VCs makeup for the rest of his life. Well, you are an incredibly hard worker. I mean, there's no doubt about that. Anyone who's seen you and is that the, is that what keeps you going? Knowing that you got the boys and the husband and. Of course. There's no one to rely on. Of course. Oh, I haven't, there is nobody to rely on. It's just me. So how do you, who's taking care of you? Nobody. Nobody. And that's hard, right? I mean, how could it not be? Are you gonna pay for my therapy after this? Well, I'm just, you know, I know you and you're such a giver. It's probably, it's gotta be challenging to always be giving and not, I get the getting is from the giving, but we're only human. Oh, totally. You know, it's been a long. Obviously you're crying. I mean, this is emotional. I can see you getting emotional. Those, I'm only pointing it out to people listening, not to be rude to you, but obviously they wanna describe what's going on here. He's making me cry. Well, I'm not trying to make you cry. I am interested in what makes you. But the makeup looks amazing. It does. I find it. We know how to put it on so the crying doesn't make it look awful. That's right. It looks great. And I always, you know, I think that, you know, I'm like, I think that it's when I see someone strong, I think I wonder where they do get the support, you know? And I think there's gotta be, you don't have to fix your makeup. Just let it go. I'm a makeup artist. You can fix it later. I think I find that a distraction, honestly. I feel it's like you're not able to focus and it's becomes, I can't connect with you. Okay. It's a makeup girl thing. That's okay. I'm not trying to be rude. I'm just saying, you know, you look great. You don't have to fix your makeup. I was saying, I find that when people are such givers and they're in such a difficult challenge, like, you know, where does the me, where do I get taken care of? You know, how do I get taken care of, right? Just haven't. I mean, you just don't. That's why it's time for that to happen for me. It just doesn't. You just work and you take care of everybody. And you know, as long as we're getting into that, I'll tell you on top of it, during this whole thing, I lost both parents. So that was even a bigger struggle. During this 10 years? Mm-hmm. Both parents got ill and I was taking care of my mother too and working and taking care of everybody and doing everything. So what is it that got you through all that just because you had to? Yeah. You just have to. You just keep going. Going, going, going, going. And you just keep going and you just pretend it's not happening when you're at work because you don't bring that to work. Right. Especially what we do, because in our business, it's about making your talent okay and happy and, you know, making everyone okay, because that's what you do as a makeup artist. You're 33 and a third percent artist, 33 and a third percent scientist, and 33 and a third percent psychologist. So it's not about you at all, ever. Have there been days you were working and someone in the makeup chair and inside you felt like you were dying inside? Oh, always. You know, every day. Really? Oh yeah. Especially when we were doing Deal or No Deal, because that was when my mom was dying of cancer. And those days were horrible. Now, for those of you who've never watched Deal or No Deal, it was hosted by Holly Mandel, had briefcase models, 26 of them plus alternates. And what was the next step? It was the next step. It was the next step. It was the next step. It was the next step. And baker bodyguards. Right. And then we had, there was a banker character on the show. He had his model bodyguards. And Wendy orchestrated that. It was quite a parade of women. How many makeup artists did you have in that show? We had a total, including myself, 15 makeup and hair artists. So you have this going on. At the time, it's the biggest primetime game show on television. Financially, I'm sure it was very lucrative and a great job. Oh, amazing job. Thank God for that job. Yeah. And then you've got this stuff going on with your husband, which is ongoing. And then both your parents, your mother has cancer. How close were you to your parents? Were they like your rock? Oh, my mom, very close. Very, very, very, very close. And she was in hospice at her home, you know, dying. Where was that? In Orange County. Okay. Yeah, so I would, it was crazy. I would like leave the show, go to her house, meet, and take care of her. I was like, I'm gonna go to the hospital. I'm gonna go to the hospital. I'm gonna go to the hospital. I'm gonna go to the hospital. I'm gonna go to the hospital. I'm gonna go to the hospital. And then go back home. Sometimes Sam was in the hospital. Sometimes he was at home. It just depended what was going on. Sam was her husband. Right. Then go back to the show. Like I was getting an hour of sleep, an hour and a half sleep a night. It was crazy. Yeah. And for a six week period, she died in six weeks. But it was just correct. You mean from knowing that she had cancer to dying? Yeah. It was six weeks. What kind of cancer was that? She had originally, she had breast cancer, but it went into her bones. How old? Seven. And at 71. God. It's still, I mean, people are living a lot older. I mean, it still feels young. That was way too young. Way, way, way too young. Is that where you get your nurturing from? That idea of taking care of others? I think so. Yeah, definitely, definitely. Definitely. That was quite an ordeal. Definitely quite an ordeal. And you worked with me during that time. You probably had no idea. No, I had no idea. Yeah. I tried not for people to know. Because like I said, you can't go to work like that. And believe me, I had enough going on trying to keep all the girls happy and going through those long days and looking good and all my staff happy. And that was hard enough. This one didn't like this one. And that one was worried about that one. And this one, I just wanted that. It was hard enough. Then people needed to know my problems. Right. Well, I think also what I find, what I find really fascinating about the whole thing is that we work in the entertainment business and there are parts of it that are really exciting and glamorous and fun, right? Oh yeah, definitely. And I know you love that. Oh yeah, I love it. And despite that, real life is happening. It's no different than anyone else in any kind of job. Exactly. And you gotta keep it together. Exactly. But it sounds like you're saying in the entertainment business, you felt even more of a pressure to be on maybe? Yes, oh, absolutely. Absolutely, especially behind the scenes when you're, with the talent, absolutely. You have to be, you cannot come in there and it be about you or be depressed or sad or tearful, or you have got to be up and happy and things okay. You can't have that. They can, they could come in and not feel well or be grumpy or upset, but it's your job to be upbeat and okay for them. Were there times where you were literally going into another room and crying and then returning completely like normal? Mm-hmm. During the workday? Mm-hmm, absolutely, absolutely. I'm sure there were a couple of days that I might've been grouchy and my staff might've felt that. And I apologize for that now, if any of you are listening. But I don't think there were many. There might've been one or two that our personalities clashed that, or somebody in the office thought I might've been offbeat and they have no idea why. Now they might, but that's life. You can't keep it 100% perfect, but that would be why that was all going on. Then you really, other than the crying, which is obviously very helpful, you've never had an opportunity to talk to a therapist or anyone to kind of get the feelings out about all this, what was going on, what currently is going on? Who has the time or the money? It's gotta go other places. So, when you're in charge of, you know, paying for everybody's everything and doing everything, and you're a freelance artist, there's other, you know, money has to go other places. And people think we make so much money. We don't always, you know what I mean? You don't always. When you have two kids and sick people, sometimes you come last, you know? Right, well, I guess the question is, when do you not come last? I'll answer that the next time you invite me over and we'll figure that out. Is that what part of, getting divorced is about? Yeah, you know, definitely. Because how long do you live in that situation? You know what I mean? How long do you live in that situation? So, you have to sometimes reach a point where you take care of yourself. Right, I'm astonished that you haven't had anyone to talk to really about this other, you know, maybe a close friend. You know, I would think that you, internally, You know, I would think that you, internally, just emotionally, would be ready to explode. Yeah, yeah. Yes. But I also think that, from my experience, that the idea of getting help can often make me more productive. Right. So, this idea that you're presenting that who has time or the money because you need to do all this other stuff, perhaps investing in that part of you would make you more productive, even monetarily, but even more so spiritually, emotionally. And is there a dollar value to that? No, you're right. You're definitely right. But part of, also, the healing process is actually coming out, and I've told people, and people know that I'm moving on, like that coming out with that, you know, has been part of that healing process for me. So, this is part of it. Yeah, this is part of it, too. Thank you. It's interesting. You know? You know, and it's helpful for me because I get to know you better, and you listening get to know Wendy better. Yeah. And this is real. Definitely. Oh, definitely. Because, you know, makeup and hair isn't real. No, it's all smoke and mirrors. Yeah. Yeah. So, it's interesting that perhaps, oh, during that period of your life, those 10 years, emotionally, you were makeup and hair. Yeah, definitely. There was no getting real. Right. Oh, no, it was definitely living in a, just a fog of getting it done, and definitely. Yeah. Definitely. And I gained a ton of weight, you know, during that time, and, you know, put a big fog around myself, too. Now, you're, let's say, a big, beautiful woman. I am. How would you describe yourself? As a big, beautiful woman? Is that, I mean, how do you describe your physicality? Oh, yeah. Your physical appearance. I would say I'm a BBW, absolutely. I mean, you're very pretty. Thank you. And what happened with the weight? I mean, were you, like, in a good shape? Were you, like, rake thin at one point? Oh, never. I've never been a thin girl. I came out of the womb a chubby girl, you know? I've always been a bigger girl, but I was thinner, you know, than this. But, yeah, I've always been a bigger girl. That's just who I am, but I was definitely thinner, you know? But you don't, do you emotionally eat? I don't think so. I mean, then I did, you know, during that time period when we were doing Deal. You lost some weight. Oh, yeah, I've lost, like, 65 pounds over the last couple of years. Yeah. By no, by not trying, just changing. Mm-hmm. You know, like, actually, it was the Fourth of July party that Howie had a few years ago, and your friend took pictures and posted some pictures, and I looked at myself and went, what the hell happened? Like, I didn't even realize, you know? And I looked at that picture, and I, like, I almost had a heart attack. And I went, okay, we better make some changes here. So how did you do it? Just changed, like, I just decided I was gonna change, and I just started changing. And I just, literally, not on any diet, not on anything. I just changed, you know? Now, can we talk about your hair? Yeah, sure. Okay, because you've made it clear that you wear a wig. Yeah. Okay. And- Many. Many wigs, or many times, or both. Many times, many wigs, yeah. So tell me about the wig and why you wear a wig and what that's about. When I was 20, I lost my hair. And I started, I had the best comb over you ever saw. I used to, I was, speaking of being makeup artist to famous people, I don't know who's listening, but for those of you who know who Juliette Prost was, she was a very famous dancer. She was engaged to Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra at one time. And I was her makeup artist, and I was in her closet doing her makeup. And I said, oh my God, look at my hair. And I had this comb over and all the curls, like Bernadette Peters in the front, from the back. She said, wigs, wigs, wigs. And I said, wigs. She goes, come on, girl. I'm your girlfriend and she taught me all about wigs. She taught me about wigs. And you know- I'm not familiar with her. So how would anyone- Oh, Juliette Prost, she was such a famous dancer. A huge famous dancer. How do you spell her name if anyone wants to look her up? I think it's P-R-O-U-S-E, Prost. And she was hugely famous back in the day. She's passed away now from cancer, but she was very, very- But she was buried in a beautiful wig. I'm sure she was. But she was a very, very famous dancer. And like I said, engaged to Frank Sinatra. The story she told me. Oh my God. I heard such great stories. What's the craziest story you've ever heard in the makeup room? Oh, I've heard some amazing stories, but then again, I wouldn't be around 30 years if I told them. Right. Okay, so let's talk about your hair. So there's a name for what you have, right? No, no, no, no. I lost my hair- Besides baldness. Besides having a baby butt on my head. No, I was ill and I lost my hair from being ill. It wasn't from alopecia. Oh, I had no idea that. What was the illness? I had a diseased gallbladder and didn't know it. And so all the poor people, all the poisons made me lose my hair. Oh, wow. And it never grew back. Can I see you without your wig? Vic, we have to be very intimate for that. Really? And I am not your type. Is that right? Oh yeah. So only men who are making love to you get to see you with your- That is right, Victor. Really? So I have to really want to see you. I am so not your type, Vic. But my hair looks amazing, right? Like, don't you love my hair? I do, and I think it's part of your persona. It is so part of my persona. But I didn't realize you'd change up the wigs like frequently. I do, like this one's light. When you saw me last week, when we were working on that show, it was dark. And I have worn straight hair before too. I like also your professionalism in not naming the show, because Wendy and I were working on a, it's called like a, the way TV works often is the network will order a presentation, and not even just a, not a tape of the show, what they want is kind of, like there'll be a pilot, which is a video presentation. It could be actually an airable pilot that could actually go on the air. And then what the networks sometimes do is they ask for a live presentation. It's kind of like a live stage show. And they make a decision whether to order that show for a series based on that one hour live presentation in an actual theater, stage production. So that's what Wendy and I were doing last week. And it was great fun. Yeah, we had a great time. But then again, we don't say what it is yet. No, we keep things, because we have to, it's part of the business. Right. Someday we'll be talking about it when it's bought. This is, does it ever strike you that how, okay, you're in hair and makeup, but you have no hair. Right, and that's why I have a great tax write off on all my wigs. But I love that, I love the kind of the dichotomy. You know, there's- Right, isn't it great? Yeah. I love it too. Yeah. Because I get to wear all the fabulous wigs and I can be who I wanna be whenever I wanna be, in any color too. And I know how to, that's why it's amazing. Because when I was first starting out and I was wearing all the wigs and doing all this stuff, like I did Dragnet and Adam 12, the first remake, it was amazing. And I used to do all the wigs for, you know, all the stunt doubles and all the things. And they used to go, God, you do the best stunt double wigs for so cheap. And I used to say, because I know how to do my own. Like, you know, I know how to do my own wigs. So I have the experience with it too. So you could look at it that way, or I have such experience with hair, you know? Knowing how to do it. You worked with the models of Deal or No Deal. Yeah. Designed all the hair. For four years. You designed the hair too. Right. All those hairstyles. It was great. And I love Scott St. John because one of the best executive producers I've ever worked with such detail. Like one hair out of place, he would know it. Like we would pick a hairstyle, we design a look and I'd bring it to him and he'd say, that's it, okay. And then we'd keep that look for the entire show. Yes. The girls had a look and that was their look. That is a brilliant executive. I'm actually working with him on something right now. Oh yeah, see, he's very brilliant. He's very into, you know, the detail, you know, a lot of execs are like, okay, whatever, but he knows what he wants. He knows what he likes. He trusted me and together, you know, he'd say, I'm not sure I feel that. And I'd come back with another look. Or if he loved it, he'd go, great. You know, and he was very, very, had a big sense of detail. Did you ever feel that you were kind of a den mom? Oh yeah, I was definitely, definitely the makeup and hair traffic controller for sure. You know? Absolutely. And the mom, you know, and I still, the girls still were Facebook friends. They, you know, talked to me. I've had them here on the show. Yeah, see? And we still talk and chit chat and, you know, we're still close to some of them and it's great, but definitely the mom, you know, definitely. And it takes someone with experience. You'd think they'd have a really young kind of sex kitten girl to do that, but it really takes someone with experience to do that with that many girls and get a look because it's not about, you know, high fashion for that show. If you notice when those girls walked over the temple, you look- The temple is what we internally called the staircase. Yes, exactly. That's what we call the staircase. People at home know this was not a synagogue. No, it's not. We just called it the temple. When they walked over that, you just looked at beautiful women. You weren't looking at just their makeup, just their hair, just their clothes, just their like, you just looked at beautiful women and that was the goal. And we didn't want just, you know, oh, look at that shadow, look at that lips. We just wanted beautiful women. And it took someone who can, you know, make that happen and you needed experience for that. I remember there being a couple emergency situations, the nipple slip, right? Or nipple patrol, you also did nipple patrol. Well, that was more Dina. Okay, that was wardrobe. That was nipples fell under Dina's category. No pun intended, but yes, they were falling everywhere from what I remember. We did body makeup and things like that, but you know, that was Dina's control. Right, and the reason the heroism is so important to the show is not only because we want them to look beautiful, but because there were different themes and there could be a 50s theme or there could be, right? Or Star Wars theme. We did, oh yeah, we did some amazing Star Wars stuff. And I had some amazing hairstylists working for me and were three days of prepping and making ponytails and braids for that. I mean, we did some amazing stuff, absolutely. It is interesting as we're talking to think about how your whole life has been committed to making others look good and feel good. Yeah. And with your marriage, ending and you taking a new start, getting a new start, it sounds like that's a big step in you finally really taking care of you. Yeah. And that's probably what's been hard, I would think. Cause you're not used to it. No, not at all. And I don't ever wanna hurt anybody. You know, I'm always about pleasing others. My whole life is about pleasing others, you know? So you never wanna hurt anybody or upset anybody or, you know, you know, you're not gonna hurt anybody. You're not gonna hurt anybody. And that's what it's about. Yeah. I do that for a living. I make sure everybody's happy. Everybody looks good. Everybody's okay. And it's hard to make that decision to make sure I wanna be okay. Do you feel selfish? I do. I do. It's funny you asked that. Cause I do. I'm like, this is so selfish. I do. And explain more about that. Because I'm doing something for me. I don't want to upset somebody else's apple cart. And I never upset anyone else's apple cart. I'm always an hour early to work. So nobody's waiting. I'm always on time. I always have everything perfect and clean and amazing. And I'm always right there. I'm, you know, I will go without eating lunch so that I'm there for when they're back. You know, I'm always that person. What are you afraid of? I don't wanna hurt anyone. I'm that's my job, caretaking. The irony is also, you probably don't know how to take care of yourself. Yeah, probably not. That's why it feels probably selfish or uncomfortable. Right. And then you're a mother and you caretake, you caretake for your sick parents, you know, it's caretaking. One of the things that helped me with this kind of idea is the idea that I'm not responsible for other people's feelings, as long as I'm being truthful and in a kind way. Right. And also sharing things that need to be said that aren't just being said gratuitously that could be hurtful. Right. And as long as I remind myself of that, I'm a lot healthier. Right. The other thing is, there's another thing that works for me, maybe it'll hit me, I can't remember, but someone once said, if you wanna know what kind of friend you have, say no. And it sounds, to me, Wendy, like you say yes. Oh yeah, I'm a total yes person. Saying no is very difficult. Right. But I thought that idea was really special and so real. Because think about it, I'll think about it for me, you don't have to think about anything. But when I say to someone no, as long as I say yes, they love me. Everyone loves someone who says yes. Right. But what kind of friend is that person when I'm being true to myself and say no? Right. Are they okay with it? Are they respecting it? Because that's true friendship. Right. Is their response to no. So it sounds like perhaps in that idea of thinking, that's kind of where you're going, right? Right, right. No, you're right. Because when you're afraid to say no, because you're afraid what the reaction's gonna be. Yeah. I get it. Yeah. Because again, of what you do, you've been doing it for so long, what is your definition? What is your definition of beauty? Well, first of all, you can be beautiful on the outside and ugly on the inside and it makes you ugly on the outside. So you gotta have some beauty coming from within. You know, it also will make your skin glow, all of that. So I don't care how beautiful you are on the outside. If you're ugly on the inside, it shows. It comes from your eyes, your skin, everything. So my definition of beauty, and also here's an interesting thing that I really feel. You're, every decade has its own beauty. You know, every decade. So women go, oh, you know, I'm 50, I'm turning gray, I'm this. Every decade has its own beauty. So being 20 doesn't just make you beautiful. You can be 50 and be beautiful and 60 and be beautiful and 70. Every decade has its own beauty. But I wanna leave your audience with that for sure. Every decade has its own beauty. And what, do you have a specific idea of the type of beauty that each decade leaves behind or? No, every, everyone has their own beauty. And that's from within. And you can be 80 and be beautiful. You know, there's that viral video that's out about that grandma who dances. She is so beautiful. She's so cute. I don't know that viral video. What, do you know the name of it? I don't know the name of it, but she's like 80 something years old and she's dancing, coming down the steps of her house. And she puts her purse down and she just dances, this cute little dance. And she's just so beautiful because she's living life and she's full of it and she's beautiful. So every decade has its own beauty. Beauty is just not your eyelashes and your lip gloss. It's from, it comes from within. And if you're an ugly person inside, you're not gonna be beautiful no matter how much lip gloss you have. You know, lip gloss, eyelashes, that does not make you beautiful. What makes you beautiful comes from within. The makeup and what we do enhances your beauty. That's all it does. How do you see the beauty in you? Describe it. Oh, I think I'm beautiful. I think I'm a beautiful person. I think, you know, and here's the thing, not everybody is gonna think that. People don't see everybody the same way. The same people that you and I both know, some of them are gonna say, nuh-uh, you know, we don't even like that girl. Some of them are gonna say, oh, she's amazing. Everybody sees people in different manners. So I think what we are as adults and how we grow up and how we just learn to go, okay, well, that's how you think, this is how I think, makes other people beautiful. But I think I'm a beautiful person. I do. And I think that inside and out, you know. If God forbid, Wendy S Well, the most important message would be, I think that I'm a good mom. That would be the most, you know, first and foremost. I mean, my career doesn't make who I am. I mean, I love my career and I love, you know, what I do and who I am with and all of you and that kind of thing. But first and foremost is that I'm a mom. And my message would be that I've been a good mom and hopefully that I raised two great boys. Number one. Right. Well, that's good that you have that. I mean, that's a quick answer. That would be the priority. I mean, that's what I work for and everything. I mean, what I'm working for now is to send my son to college. Well, both sons, but number one is on his way next year, you know, so that would be my most priority, you know. What kind of mother are you? I'm a great one. Are you a strict disciplinarian? I am strict in some ways and some not. But every time I let go, it kills me. You know, I'm a Yiddish mom. You know, I'm like, oh my God. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. But you gotta let him spread his wings. You know, I did. Are they mama's boys? Not at all. They're like, leave me alone. But I hope that as they get older, they are, you know, I hope. Are you an overbearing Jewish mother, that stereotype? Um, to some point, you know, I try to let go a little bit, you know, I try to give him a little, let him go a little bit, you know, every time my 13 year old goes to the mall with his friends, I'm like, I really let him do that, but I know I have to. Right. So in some ways I think I am, you know, I get involved a little and they're like, stop, let me do it myself, you know. My mom is very much like you. She just loves to give and she gets the pleasure in the giving. Yeah, you do. I am the same way. And I've inherited that from my mother. Yeah, it's not a bad trait. It's not a bad trait. Well, your son's probably very likely, hopefully will take that from you. I hope so. And I hope when they're older, they call me at night and say goodnight or call me a couple of times a week. You don't want them calling you every night when they're 40. No, not every night, but I hope they call me once in a while, you know. I hope they take care of me. I hope, you know, I hope they do, you know, what you're supposed to do as adult children. Well, it sounds like they're giving you what you need today. I hope so. That's probably what's most important, right? I love them. So you're at a fork in the road. You're about to get divorced. When is that official? Maybe six months. So, you know, that kind of thing. And that means you're dating. Yeah. Are you dating now? Yeah. You are? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I had no idea. Is there someone in the picture? Yeah. Really? Is it me? It's a fair question. No, Victor. No, VC. So you're actually, is it a serious relationship? No, I mean, it's not serious. I mean, what's serious? What do you consider serious? Are you guys making love? Victor. It's a fair question. Victor. It's a fair question. I'll take that as a yes. Victor. Okay. Is this relationship the impetus for you deciding it was time to leave the marriage? No. No, no, no. That marriage. The marriage has been over forever. So the divorce was already in the process and then you met this other guy. Yeah. Okay. You never know. I mean, it is a fair question. No, no. The marriage was over before the accident. Right. But officially, you and your husband had started the official end of the marriage before you started dating. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. because you guys had an agreement. That's part of what, and that can happen. Couples make agreements like that. No, the marriage was over. The marriage was over before the accident. And then I stayed to take care of it. Did he know it though? Yes, he knew it. Oh, okay. So you guys were talking about breaking up even before, like literally talking about divorce. Yeah. Oh, okay. That wasn't clear to me earlier. Okay. Yeah. So is this particular guy that you're with now someone, this is probably for fun, right? Or is this a serious thing? No, I mean, hopefully. I had no idea. So for the last, since that accident, you've been dating? No, not since the accident, no, no. When did the dating start? Victor, VC, the dating started a while ago. What's a while ago? Maybe, oh my God, my whole personal life is out. I'm just curious, if this is too uncomfortable, you still need to answer. No, I'm kidding, I'm kidding. I'm kidding. A while ago, I mean, probably, you know, a couple of years now. Okay, well, congratulations. You deserve happiness. I'm so happy for you. I want to thank you for being here on the show. It's been amazing to get to know you better, you know, when we're not running around. So, and I want to thank you for listening here to Vic Cohen's It's a Fair Question. Just want to remind you, we've been talking, I've been talking with Wendy San George. Wendy doesn't even have a Facebook page, but she does have a Twitter account. You can follow her on Twitter. What is it? Makeup TV Stars. Makeup TV Stars. And good luck to you again, Wendy. Love you. And thanks again for listening. Hopefully, we'll hear you again soon. Here, see you soon. It's a fair, it's a fair, it's a fair question. I'm Vic Cohen. And it's a fair, it's a fair, it's a fair, it's a fair question. Thank you.