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Mark Wahlberg, Channing Tatum and More Stars’ NSFW Secrets About Wearing Prosthetic Penises
Based on Hollywood movies, it seems like every man in the world is incredibly well-endowed — and bizarrely shameless. But we’re going to let you in on a little behind-the-scenes secret: These guys have a little help from “movie magic.”
Enter, the best supporting actor; the unsung hero; the prosthetic penis.
According to special makeup effects designer Jason Collins, 2021 was “the year of the penis,” he told Thrillist. The California native explained, “I would say that it did start with Euphoria, probably about two years ago.” For the first season of the HBO drama, his team created three different penises, which included the prosthetic worn by Eric Dane in the pilot.
However, not all prosthetics are made equal. When it comes to the technical aspect, makeup department head Doniella Davy said there’s a lot of time and effort put into the fake. For example, is the penis erect or flaccid? Will it require liquid? If so, “It’s a tube running through the [prosthetic] penis itself, and it’s being pumped out,” she shared. “If a person just needs to stand naked in a room, or walk naked through a room, his real penis will be filmed as long as the actor is comfortable with it. We only use penis prosthetics when penises need to do specific things other than just make an appearance.”
That being said, prosthetic body parts are nothing new. Boogie Nights, Paul Thomas Anderson‘s flick about a 1970s porn star, received three Academy Award nominations. The filmmakers confessed they watched a lot of porn for “research” when it came time to make the prosthetic. Special makeup effects coordinator Howard Berger said, “We sculpted a version that was 12-inches long, and we tested it, and it was just way too big.”
The team also made a custom merkin (a.k.a. a wig for your nether regions) that matched the actor’s hair color and a bulge — made of “a woman’s stocking knee filled with birdseed” — to stuff his pants.
Several actors have left fans guessing if they were enhanced for their nude scenes on popular TV series. In 2021, actor Adam Demos made viewers jaws drop on Netflix’s Sex/Life when he emerged naked from a locker room shower with an incredibly impressive manhood. It left fans debating if it was the actor’s real penis or if a prosthetic was used.
“I can tell you what Adam Demos says about it which is, a gentleman never tells. So, we are leaving that up to the viewer’s imagination,” showrunner Stacy Rukeyser told Collider, while confirming a body double was not used. However, a member of the show’s prosthetics team confirmed to Newsweek in July 2021 that the scene did feature a prosthesis.
The latest actor who has fans questioning “is it real?” is Theo James. The White Lotus: Sicily star bared his penis in an October 30, 2022, scene while changing into swim trunks in front of his character’s friend’s wife, leaving her speechless and aghast.
While Theo is no stranger to nude scenes, having done several in HBO’s The Time Traveler’s Wife. But the length of his member had fans wondering if he was using a prosthetic penis. While Theo hasn’t revealed if his manhood was the real deal yet, he did tell Entertainment Tonight that his penis-flashing had a purpose. “It’s interesting, [because] at first we don’t know whether it’s deliberate or [if] it’s accidental. But it reveals itself,” he said. Hopefully whether or not he used a prosthetic penis will also reveal itself!
Keep scrolling for everything you’ve wanted to know about the world’s most mysterious prop but were too afraid to ask.
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