Samantha Bertucci got her start doing winged eyeliner for classmates in a high school bathroom. Today, she works as a makeup artist with 706 Union, creating looks for film and television productions and helping bring characters to life on screen.
Bertucci’s path to Hollywood began with a love of art and encouragement from teachers, her grandmother and her husband. Although she once questioned whether she could make a living as an artist, she eventually decided to take a chance on the career she wanted.
“I was always told I had an artist eye,” Bertucci said. Growing up in a family whose members largely worked in medicine, law enforcement and the fire service, she sometimes felt out of place.
“You could say I felt like, ‘One of these things is not like the other,’” she said.
Bertucci attended Lincoln-Way East High School as a freshman before transferring to Lincoln-Way North High School. Her interest in makeup developed during those years, when she began practicing eyeliner on her classmates.
Her artistic talent also caught the attention of her teachers. While she was in Summit Hill, one teacher told her she was going to do amazing things with art. An English teacher later encouraged her to consider a career that would allow her to use her creativity.
At first, Bertucci had difficulty imagining art as a profession.
“Growing up, I was told art isn’t a job, it’s a hobby,” she said.
Her grandmother helped change that outlook by attending her art shows and supporting her work. Those experiences gradually gave Bertucci the confidence to pursue her interests.
After high school, she studied art at Joliet Junior College for a year before transferring to Moraine Valley Community College, where she continued taking art classes. She eventually stepped away from school to figure out what direction she wanted to take as an artist.
That decision led her to Orlando, Florida, where she enrolled at Joe Blasco School of Beauty and Special Effects. She graduated in 2017 with a diploma in beauty and special effects and a certificate in airbrush makeup.
While she was in Florida, her boyfriend, now her husband, encouraged her to take her passion seriously.
“He brought a whiteboard out and said, ‘Listen, you can do a normal job and I’ll support your decision, but here’s what you love to do, and makeup is a form of art. Why not just give it your all?’” Bertucci said.
His words helped her commit to a career in makeup. Soon after graduating, she landed a job at Universal Studios Orlando.
“Getting a job right out of college for Universal Studios Orlando and the rest just fell into place,” she said.
Bertucci had another major decision to make a few years later. She had always dreamed of moving to California and becoming a union makeup artist, but the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted her plans.
With more time at home, she focused on sculpting masks and drawing makeup concepts for online content. She and her husband also lost their jobs during the pandemic, prompting them to reconsider their next steps.
One day, the couple decided it was time to pursue her dream.
“My amazing husband, who is also a Frankfort, Illinois, born and raised, said, ‘Let’s take this moment to go for your dream. Let’s move to LA,’” Bertucci said.
They packed their belongings into a U-Haul truck, loaded their two dogs and cat, and headed west. The decision came together in just two weeks.
“With only two weeks of packing our entire life in a U-Haul truck and loading up our two pups and cat, we drove across the country for the City of Angels with nothing but a Hollywood dream,” she said.
Since making the move, Bertucci has worked with actors, musicians and content creators. Her credits include Eric Roberts, Danny Trejo, Creed Bratton, Kate Flannery, Brittany Furlan, Elsie Hewitt, David Joyner, We Ani, Justin Williams and Patrick Gorman.
She said she still appreciates the opportunity to work alongside people whose performances audiences see on television and in films.
“It makes me take a pause to answer this question because I must remind myself how lucky I am to get to walk alongside actors, musicians, content creators and just see them behind the lens of a camera or television,” Bertucci said.
The job also gives her the chance to work closely with people in different areas of production. Long hours on set often create a close-knit atmosphere among cast and crew members.
“I love being on set and getting to hang out with different departments, because of how long you film for, it’s like a family feeling when you’re on set,” she said.
The creative side of the work is equally rewarding. Bertucci enjoys developing makeup looks for different characters, whether a production calls for traditional beauty makeup or special effects that make an injury look realistic.
Her experience has taught her that building a career in the arts takes more than talent. Relationships, persistence and the ability to learn from mistakes also matter.
Bertucci has a straightforward message for young people considering a similar path.
“Network, network, network!” she said.
She encourages aspiring artists to treat everyone with respect, whether they are working on a small independent project or a major production.
“Because in this industry, it’s who you know, not what you know,” she said.
She also advises young artists to concentrate on their own progress instead of comparing themselves with others. Rejection is inevitable, she said, and mistakes are part of learning the job.
“Use rejection as reflection and learn from mistakes,” Bertucci said. “Doesn’t matter what level you’re at, you will always make mistakes.”
Her final piece of advice is to appreciate the experience, even when a career does not go as planned.
“You will have amazing moments and then not so great moments in your career,” she said. “Believe me, it’s all part of the process, so enjoy it.”
