On August 13, 2007 I received my first call from ESPN about working all Monday Night Football in New Orleans Superdome. This is the beginning to me working in the sports industry. Once I accepted the offer my first day started on September 24, 2007. I had no clue to what I was getting myself into because I’m not a sports fan. I was told to bring a variety of makeup including airbrush makeup and a grooming kit.
I’m all set up in my trailer parked behind the Superdome. Now my trailer was a very large one that included a makeup room, and other rooms filled with ESPN staffers working so I wasn’t alone. Soon after all of my talents were arriving and I never seen any of them before. Each one had a special request about their hair & makeup. Each one of the talent asked if Stu has been in my chair yet and I replied no, they each had a story about him so I couldn’t wait to meet Stu. Emmit Smith had me in tears telling his story about Stu so now I was ready to see what Stu was all about. Finally one of the runners from the other room came in and informed me that Stu was in route. Before Stu finally enter my room I could hear him before seeing him. All I remember breathing under my breathe was “Yes In Deed”. I was now standing so when he comes in he didn’t find me sitting. With a very strong tone he says Hello young lady! Stuart Scott in he reach out his hands giving me a very strong handshake. Someone was carrying his suit bag asked where they could place his personal items. I direct them where the other guys items was. Stu told me he needed 5 mins with the ESPN staff to go over his itinerary. Upon returning to the room he sat in the director chair and I draped him as he shared with me what type of grooming he preferred. Stu wanted to be airbrushed and his only direction was not to get makeup on his diamond earring. He shared with me that a makeup artist got makeup in his earrings before. By now Stu was getting comfortable with me. He asked if the guys was talking smack about him and I laughed. He had his own language when he spoke half the time I was like what are you talking about. By the end of this long day I knew a little more about who Stuart Scott was. On each game night I got front row seats to the Stu show and I was enjoying every bit of it.
Stuart Scott is definitely a legacy in the sports world. His confidence can sometimes come aross as cocky but I enjoyed his energy. I like how he can click from being this frat boy to a man who took his work serious. His was very passionate about his job and it showed in his work ethics when the camera was rolling. He made sure that dates in names were always correct before he read anything. When Stu walked out on that sideline it was like he was a rock star. Both men and women would lose their mind when he enter the dome. He appreciated his fans and his friendship with his friends and co-workers. Whenever he had a visit from a friend he made sure that I met them. In the makeup room I always enjoyed my talks with him from being a parent, to my career, to something silly as how to tie a tie or what suit should he wear. You know he was into dressing always had on his Sunday best and polished silver tie clip. I remember teasing him comparing him to comedian Steve Harvey another sharp dresser. He appreciated that I wasn’t a sports fan because he enjoyed our non sports conversations. He always treated me kind, he was a gentlemen, a man’s man. He would get on me because I didn’t eat healthy, I would sit on the sidelines eating junk food or at their work desk in drink lots of soft drinks. When he didn’t want food from craft service he would have them grab him something from one of his favorite restaurants he always checked in to see if I wanted something. When the cart would sometimes come to pick him up if we had to get to the field quickly he always made sure that I rode with them. Small details things he cared about and so today as I remember about all the years of working Monday Night Football in grooming this amazing man, Stuart Scott my heart is fulled.
When I moved from New Orleans to Connecticut I stopped working with ESPN but they would call me for other assignments. Just recently I was asked to work a game on November 24th in New Orleans and I pass the assignment to a friend because I wasn’t able to work due to complications I was having with lupus. If Stu knew that I was battling this disease he would have whipped me in shape. What a great guy he is definitely going to be missed… BOO-YAH
ABOUT BRANDY GOMEZ-DUPLESSIS
Connecticut Makeup Artist & Beauty Expert Brandy Gomez-Duplessis works in New Orleans & New York City. Brandy is a hidden gem makeup artist in living in Connecticut with her husband and 2 kids. She was recently diagnosed with SLE Lupus but she keeps her lupus maintain while still doing what she loves and that’s makeup. Brandy resume is like the who’s who, she has done makeup on and for; Hillary Clinton, Ralph Lauren Fragrances for Esquire Mexico Magazine, Polo Player Nacho Figueras, Golden Globe & Oscar winner Melissa Leo, Kerry Washington, Jennifer Aniston, Lauren Hutton, Queen Latifah, Kim & Khloe Kardashian, Kris Jenner, 2x Olympic champion Gymnst Aly Raisman, Jordin Sparks, Ellie Goulding, Angela Bassett, Barbara Walters, Edie Falco, Alysia Reiner, Chiqui Delgado, Robert Redford, Brad Goreski, Usher, Ne-Yo, Fall Out Boy, Pete Wentz, Phillip Phillips, 2 Chainz. Brandy also created looks for Theodora & Callum summer & fall makeup look for their upcoming video shoot, and created makeup looks for Donna Karan 2015 Holiday campaign, and Donna Karan Resort 2014 Collection during market week. Brandy recently worked on The View, MTV 10 On Top, Miss USA, Miss Teen USA, Mob Wives Ramona Rizzo, Project Runway, Project Runway All-Stars Season 2, Lifetime “Project Runway” Promo Photo shoot, E News, MTV TV Show Hip Hop Pov, Ralph Lauren, Ebony Magazine, Real Simple Magazine, Stila Beauty Event, Fox and Friends Saturday, NBA All-Star Weekend, Donna Karan Fashion Show, DKNY Fashion Show, Mercedes Benz Fashion Show in New York & Miami, New York Fashion Week, Sundance Film Festival, VH-1 Divas, Real Simple Magazine Holiday Pop Up Store in Bryant Park, GLAMOUR Magazine #WOTY, OPRAH O YOU, L’OREAL Paris, Project Runway Finale, VOGUE TV, Sperry Top-Sider, Burberry Beauty, International Latino Film Festival, Essence Music Festival, New York Post and more. Brandy is a L’OREAL Paris Makeup Artist and the Beauty Editor for Caribbean Posh magazine. Brandy is also a high demand bridal makeup artist in Connecticut, bridal makeup artist in New York, and a bridal makeup artist in New Orleans. She had been hire to do bridal makeup at many destinations weddings in Jamaica at Half Moon resort.