‘Sinners’ makeup dept. head Ken Diaz is a three-time Oscar nominee. His journey merits its own movie
Makeup artist Ken Diaz’s life is worthy of its own Hollywood story — or better yet, a Chicano epic. At 16, Diaz was caught sneaking into the Paramount sound stage, just to see where they shot the “Brady Bunch.” Years later, he swept the floors of Universal Studios before wrangling ostriches and chasing lions on the set of the 1981 film “Roar.” The wild animals mauled and injured multiple cast members; in one instance, Diaz had to stop director Noel Marshall from internally bleeding. This was his first gig as a professional makeup artist. Now, Diaz is nominated for his third Academy Award in makeup and hairstyling for his role as makeup department head in Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners,” alongside Mike Fontaine and Shunika Terry, making him the most nominated Latino in the category since the category’s establishment in 1982. Born in East L.A. and raised in Pico Rivera, Diaz grew up a shy, dyslexic kid with artistic inclination that often didn’t align with traditional schooling, resulting in harsh beatings by his father. At one point …
