As the credits roll at the end of the season two premiere of “Bridgerton,” you may notice a card dedicating the episode to the memory of Marc Pilcher. While you might not recognize his name right off the bat, Pilcher was instrumental in creating the vibrant visual world of “Bridgerton” and setting the tone we all know and love.
Pilcher was the hair and makeup designer for the first season of the Netflix series, creating distinctive looks for the characters and for the entire heightened, Regency-romance world. In fact, he and the rest of the “Bridgerton” hair and makeup team won the Emmy for outstanding period and/or character hairstyling at the 2021 Creative Arts Emmys. His résumé extended over two decades and included work on many notable projects, from “Downton Abbey” (both the TV series and the first movie) and the live-action “Beauty and the Beast” to multiple Star Wars movies and much more. In 2019, he was nominated for an Oscar for best makeup and hairstyling for his work on “Mary Queen of Scots.”
Tragically, Pilcher died from COVID-19 in October 2021, just weeks after accepting his Emmy for his work on “Bridgerton.”
“It is with the deepest of hearts we confirm that Marc Elliot Pilcher, Academy Award nominee and Emmy Award-winning hair and makeup designer/stylist, passed away after a battle with COVID-19,” his family and friends said in a statement to Variety. “Glamorous and extravagant, he brought his flair and style to every design. Never limited in his thought process for his creations, he pushed boundaries and created work never realised before.”
Season two of “Bridgerton” pays tribute to its visionary designer, and many of the cast and crew took to social media to honour their late friend and colleague when the news broke as well.
“So heartbroken by the loss of Marc Pilcher, the brilliant and visionary Hair and Makeup designer for Bridgerton Season One,” Nicola Coughlan wrote on Instagram alongside a selfie of Pilcher and a collage of his designs from season one. “Marc was so passionate about his work and so tremendously talented. Not even a month ago he won his first Emmy award. It’s a tragedy that he’s been taken so young when he had so much yet to do.”
Pilcher’s immense contributions to cinema and television will not be forgotten.
