While in the thick of Los Angeles, with the Total Recall and The Campaign premieres happening within hours of each other, I wedged myself from the throngs of tweens screaming for Colin one night and Zach the next proving once again that indecisiveness is the tweens strongest quality, and slipped into Madame Tussaud’s in Hollywood cashing in my free ticket.
As you walk into the start of the exhibition on the 3rd floor, you get an eyeful of Beyoncé rocking a solid camel toe, Robert Downey Jnr and Justin Timberlake’s sunlit figures overlooking Hollywood Boulevard makes them look like the recipients of facial dermatitis. I am pretty sure they didn’t pose that way. “Oh hey, Tussaud, whad up gurl, I got me some facial dermatitis but I be kickin it.” Dermatitis isn’t bringing sexy anywhere. Jennifer Aniston looks like a secretary on the corner of Vine and Hollywood, Julia Roberts looks like Maria Menounos which is great for Maria but not so much Julia, Madonna looked contractually suspiciously much young and slender than her 50+ years and Cameron Diaz looked so thin Tom Hanks ought to throw over his box of chocolates. Jessica Alba is almost unrecognisable and Justin Bieber looks like a young Huckleberry Finn. The sports section was tiny, with Tiger Woods on the ground in the corner with his hat covering his face. Tiger Wood’s own prodigious offspring – the busiest player on the golfing circuit, his penis – sadly, has no monument. There is a corner dedicated to Sue Sylvester and her scripted sporting achievements on Glee. The space could have been better utilised. Oh and why does Charlie Chaplin look like Hitler in a top hat? Hitler wasn’t funny and as far as I am aware Chaplin wasn’t a mass murderer.
The positives are Tupac is looking fine, Salma Hayek looks amazing, the figure of Lady Gaga photographs well and her hair is intricate and elaborate, the older Hollywood section is both essential and well represented for this site. There are some truly amazing figures, with some specific and unique detailing, and the figures themselves are fairly diverse running across sections such as Superheroes, Old Hollywood, Pop Music and Artists, Sports and Actors. Featured celebs included Betty White, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Dwayne Johnson and his over-arched eyebrow, Elton John, James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, Britney Spears and many others.
It is $30 walk up, $21 online but if you are doing other tours, they sometimes combine Tussaud’s with other attractions for discounted passes, inclusion, or in my case, free! * Tupac is a limited edition at Hollywood and is not normally showcased here. This Tussaud’s has been extremely busy every day I have been in L.A so expect to have to walk around to get a spare moment with the figure you want.
Have you been to Tussaud’s in L.A? What did you think?
