Spider-Man: No Way Home is nearing its third anniversary, which is wild. It feels like yesterday that fans were over analyzing trailers and listening to Andrew Garfield denying his involvement. While many of us surely have fond memories from seeing the massive threequel in theaters, others who were involved with the project surely have sweet anecdotes. Makeup artist Vasilios Tanis does, as he spoke to CinemaBlend about hanging out with the three Peter Parker actors and enjoying Jamie Foxx’s party vibes. (Oh, to have been a fly on the wall.)
Vasilios Tanis took some time to speak with me in promotion of his latest Marvel Cinematic Universe endeavor – the well-reviewed Agatha All Along. Considering his work within the massive franchise, I couldn’t help but ask about his time on the set of the box office hit No Way Home. Tanis was very enthusiastic when recalling his experiences with director Jon Watts’ third Spidey film. Given his personal fandom, the experience was truly unforgettable for him:
Spider Man: No Way Home … It was just the most amazing experience. I think I've yet, no, I think they're all amazing experiences, because I'm a big Marvel fan. I'm a huge comic book fanatic ever since I was a little kid. So, for me, this is ultra special, to be able to have my livelihood be part of my interest and my passion, you know? Being able to bring these mythologies to life and visually appease my and satisfy my creativity through these characters. It's a huge, huge, huge honor.
The Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania artist is certainly living out fans’ dreams, in that he’s now able to contribute to comic book-related productions as a longtime superhero devotee. It’s tempting to merely feel jealous, but I’m happy for the seasoned makeup artist. Also, I totally understand just how he’d be so overwhelmed while on the set, as I’d probably be the same way. He did, after all, get to rub shoulders with various actors like Tom Holland, Tobey Maguire and Alfred Molina. Mr. Tanis went on to gush about being in their presence:
To be on that project as a department head, and working with Tobey Maguire and just all of these – Willem Dafoe, I mean, all of them, everybody. It was amazing. And having all three [Spider-Men] just all in one area all at once, hanging out at the trailer and getting them ready, it was magical. It was truly magical. And some of those scenes were completely iconic and gobsmacked everybody on that set, including myself. It was definitely a special experience.
All of that sounds cool enough, but then you have to consider that the enthusiastic Jamie Foxx was also in the mix. The actor reprised his role as Max Dillon/Electro in the film and was quite enthusiastic about that in the lead-up to its release (so much so that he spoiled his involvement early on). When it comes to Foxx’s on-set energy, Vasilios Tanis suggested that the Oscar winner helped cultivate a party-like atmosphere, and his account of events sounds awesome:
It was amazing. It really, really was. Everybody was always elated. And, when Jamie Foxx came in, it was like a party on set. He's such an amazing person. He’s so uplifting and so gracious and so fun. He's fun, he's just fun. He brought a big, giant boom box and just blasted music, and everybody was dancing, producers – everybody was just having a good time on set in between takes. It was truly a special experience.
Seriously, is anyone surprised to hear that Jamie Foxx knows how to have a good time? I tell you, I would’ve been downright elated to have been on set and taking all of that in. Alas, I’ll just have to live vicariously through the memories shared by the WandaVision makeup artist. Spider-Man: No Way Home is truly a special film, and I love hearing that the cast and crew had as much fun making it as many of us had watching it.
You can buy or rent Spider-Man: No Way Home’s Extended Version on Amazon Prime Video now. Also, be sure to stream Agatha All Along as well as the Marvel movies in order using a Disney+ subscription.
