MARBLEHEAD – Multimedia makeup artist and Marblehead merchant Rose Lucas Haninger was called on to style Vice President Mike Pence’s hair and makeup during his Sept. 16 visit to Zanesville.
Lucas Haninger said she walked away from the experience having learned this: Pence is truly the kind, considerate man he appears to be in public.
Lucas Haninger owns Madame Rosie’s Boutique and Painted Rose Gallery in Marblehead, and she has worked as a professional celebrity stylist for decades doing makeup and hair in television, theater, film, and photography.
Her experience with Pence was not the first time she worked with high profile politicians. She worked regularly with former Gov. John Kasich and once did styling for then-President Bill Clinton.
“I’m on call with Washington in Ohio. If someone is coming, I might get a call for them,” she said.
Calls can come at any time, and Lucas Haninger must be prepared for the busy process that precedes her work, especially now with COVID-19 regulations in place.
“I might get a call at 3:30 in the afternoon, and I’ll have to get COVID testing and give the FBI my Social Security number for another background check,” she said. “Then I travel to wherever in the state they tell me. I think it’s an honor that they trust me enough with their people.”
Lucas Haninger is on call with Fox, ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS, BBC, and the History Channel.
“Those are stations that travel to wherever the news is,” she said. “In each state, they look for someone they’ve worked with and trust.”
On Sept. 16, that person was Lucas Haninger. She did Pence’s makeup prior to his interview with Martha MacCallum of Fox News.
“He was in Zanesville to talk to the working community specifically, and he also talked about the jobs the Trump administration has promoted in Ohio over the last four years,” Lucas Haninger said. “He stressed that jobs will increase after the pandemic just like they did before the pandemic when Trump was in office.”
But even more impressive than Pence’s words in front of the camera was his demeaner behind it.
“The man I met in person is the same vice president he is on TV, so it was wonderful working with him,” Lucas Haninger said. “He was so kind and warm.”
After a few minutes of addressing him as “Mr. Vice President,” Pence told Lucas Haninger to just call him Mike. She was impressed with that show of humility.
“But I would never call him anything but Mr. Vice President,” she said.
Pence showed the same kindness to the constant stream of workers who approached the vice president with questions and information while Lucas Haninger styled his hair and makeup, she noted.
“He kept asking people, ‘What is your position?’ and, ‘What do you do here?’” she said. “He was very gracious. He’s from a small town, and he treated everyone with that small-town attitude. I think he’s such a good, good man.”
Although many of those people felt honored to work so closely with the vice president, he made sure to express his appreciation for them as well.
“He kept telling them he was grateful they were there,” Lucas Haninger said. “And that was behind the scenes. That’s the real vice president.”
Contact correspondent Sheri Trusty at [email protected]
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