Marc Pilcher, the popular make-up artist known for his work in Bridgerton, passed away on Sunday, October 3, 2021 at the age of 53. He reportedly died after a battle with COVID despite being vaccinated against the virus.
The news of his demise was confirmed by his team at Curtis Brown Agency to Variety:
“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 on Sunday 3rd October 2021.”
The tragic news arrived just a few weeks after the acclaimed stylist received a Creative Emmy Award in Los Angeles for his work on the Netflix period drama. As per his agency, he took multiple COVID tests during his recent trip across the Atlantic but tested negative for the virus every time.
Unfortunately, he fell ill following his return home and succumbed to coronavirus-related health complications over the weekend. His family also confirmed that he was double-vaccinated and had no underlying health issues.
Twitter mourns the loss of stylist Marc Pilcher
Marc Pilcher was a prominent hair and make-up artist based in the UK. He began his career in the industry in 1988 and worked in theater shows like Company, Sunset Boulevard and Aspects of Love.
He was associated with London’s West End theater community for 15 years before joining the film and TV scene in early 2000s. Known for noteworthy make-up and styling skills, Marc went on to work with actors like Michael Gambon, Ralph Fiennes, Dame Judi Dench, Dame Maggie Smith, Emily Blunt, Madonna, Helena Bonham Carter, Michelle Williams and Sir Ian McKellen, among many others.
The creative artist received three Hollywood Makeup Artist & Hairstyling Guild Awards for his contribution to Bridgerton, Downtown Abbey and Mary Queen of Scots. The latter also earned him an Academy Award nomination for hairstyling in 2019. Last month, he won the 2021 Emmy Award for Outstanding Period and/or Character Hairstyling for Bridgerton.
His unfortunate and sudden demise has left the industry in complete shock. Several colleagues took to social media to pay tribute to the make-up artist:
Meanwhile, the online community also took to Twitter to mourn the loss of the award-winning stylist:
Marc Pilcher is survived by his family, friends and his beloved pet Yuri. He will certainly be missed by his contemporaries, co-workers and well-wishers but his contribution to theater, films and television will always be remembered.