Striepeke found his calling at Santa Rosa High

While a student at Santa Rosa High School in the late 1940s, Hollywood makeup artist Dan Striepeke acted in several plays but discovered his true calling was making other student-actors look their parts.

"I played the father in 'Dear Ruth' at Santa Rosa High School and did my own makeup," recalled Striepeke, a Sonoma County native. "I realized I wasn't a good actor but I loved doing makeup."

He left Santa Rosa in 1949 and never looked back as he became makeup man to the stars.

Striepeke and his three brothers, Don, Edward and Gilbert, were raised in Santa Rosa, the sons of Marie and Edward Striepeke. The Striepeke brothers attended Monroe Elementary School, Santa Rosa Junior High and Santa Rosa High School before embarking on very different career paths.

Oldest brother Don Striepeke, who died in 1988, was Sonoma County sheriff from 1970 until 1978. Edward Striepeke, who worked in lumber and hardware for many years, is a computer consultant in Santa Rosa. Gilbert Striepeke is a retired physician living in Martinez.

Dan Striepeke, the second of the four brothers, graduated from Santa Rosa High in 1948 and the next year moved to Hollywood, determined to become a movie makeup artist. Talented and determined, he immediately broke into the movie business, launching a distinguished career that spanned 56 years. For the past 19 years, Striepeke has been the makeup man for Tom Hanks, transforming the actor's face in movies ranging from "Cast Away" to "Forrest Gump."

Striepeke turned 75 on Oct. 8 when filming wrapped on Hanks' "The Da Vinci Code," the eagerly-awaited movie based on Dan Brown's blockbuster book. The movie opens May 19.

Earlier this year, Striepeke decided that after 56 years he'd had enough of sculpting Roman noses and making early-morning calls to the movie set. He let Hanks know he was retiring.

"Done, done, done," Striepeke told Hanks, who replied, "Bastard, bastard, bastard. Come in tomorrow and I'll buy you lunch."

The lunch turned into a marathon gab fest, providing the material for the memoir that Hanks wrote about his trusted cosmetic consigliere. Actor and makeup artist became close friends during the two decades they worked together, face-to-face.

"Tom is a phenomenal person, a great actor and devoted family man. It's just been sublime working with him," Striepeke said during a telephone interview from his Los Angeles home where he lives with his second wife, Sherry.

Striepeke's first wife, Carol, died in 1996 of brain cancer while he was working on the movie, "That Thing You Do." He has two sons, Dean, 52, and Christopher, 50, who both work in the film industry.

Striepeke said he plans to visit Sonoma County soon. He's also considering a book about his adventures, mishaps and Hollywood favorites. Hanks is at the top of his list but other favorites include Elvis, Peter O'Toole, Tony Curtis and Bernadette Peters.

Striepeke is too much of a gentleman to reveal the prima donnas and scoundrels among those who come under his magical touch.

The legendary makeup man from Santa Rosa already has a title for his book: "Keep Your Powder Dry."

You can reach Staff Writer Tim Tesconi at 521-5289 or ttesconi@pressdemocrat.com.