By RODNEY HO/ rho@ajc.com, originally filed Wednesday, January 13, 2016
Roy Wooley has been the most successful Atlanta designer to date over the first nine seasons of "Face Off," appearing twice and making it to the finals season five.
Now 49-year-old Njoroge Karumba, who worked this past fall at Netherworld with Wooley, is competing on the 10th season of the show, which specializes in seeking the best prosthetic makeup artists. The show debuts Wednesday night at 9 p.m. on Syfy.
"I'm still trying to get in the business,' said Karumba, the oldest person on the cast. He has never done this work full time, more in a "hobby capacity." He has worked retail most of his life.
On the show, he said, "I'm a 15 year old kid trapped in a 49 year old body. I love video games. I love horror movies."
Indeed, he told me: "This is something I love to do so much. I was so excited to be there. I was so happy, I could have done it for another six months!"
He grew up in New England, moving to Atlanta in 2014. He has done some work for Fox's "Sleepy Hollow" on top of Netherworld, one of the biggest haunted houses in Atlanta. His specialty is sculpting and prosthetic application. His aesthetic is hyper fantasy realism.
Karumba found competing with so many younger artists (half the cast is in their 20s) invigorating. "I'm young at heart so it helped me get along with them. I never really felt any great difference." Then again, many were amazed when he said he saw "Star Wars" when it first came out in the theaters in 1977.
TV PREVIEW
"Face Off," Wednesdays, 9 p.m. season 10 begins January 13, 2016, Syfy
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Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
On Friday's 'Say Yes to the Dress Atlanta," the show will feature a trans bride for the first time.
Precious Davis, who lives in Chicago and is a trans-activist, was invited to seek a dress at Bridals by Lori in Atlanta.
She was given the option to go to New York or Atlanta. She chose the South. "The South is more regal," Davis said. "There's a history with the Southern bride. I think it better fits my taste in terms of grandeur and extravagance."
Davis said she had been approached to do other reality shows but this one fit her perfectly. And a wedding dress to her is a major symbol of love.
"I'm looking for something that was a summation of all my dreams," she said, "something to convey the meaning of this moment... I want it to stand the test of time. It's the story."
She said she is thrilled with what she found there after six hours of hunting. Owner Lori Allen and fashion director Monte Durham were her "fairy grandmothers just in terms of the direction they were steering me. They actually knew what I wanted even when I wasn't totally clear about it. It was such a gift."
She is marrying Myles Brady this summer.
Davis said she is aware that "Say Yes" is jumping on the trans-bandwagon but welcomes the landmark moment.
"I'm a black woman. I'm a woman from Nebraska. I'm a woman who is adopted. I'm marrying another trans person. I think there are many intersectional factors that make me extremely unique. While we are at the height of transvisibility and equality in our country, that's another narrative. It's one piece of me."
TV PREVIEW
"Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta," 9 p.m. Fridays, TLC
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