Retiring Y&R Makeup Artist Patti Denney Recalls Jeanne Cooper & More

The Young and the Restless has actors who’ve been on the show for decades and the same goes for behind-the-scenes personnel. Patti Denney, a beloved makeup artist, goes back with the CBS soap to 1980. Now, after an illustrious, award-winning career, Denney is retiring. She chatted with Soap Hub about her years in Genoa City.

Patti Denney — Award-Winning Make-Up Artist

Patti Denney has seen it all in her over four decades on Y&R. As she departs her position, she sat down with Soap Hub to reflect on her early days on the show, her favorite storylines, and much more. Find out more as the five-time Daytime Emmy-winner walks down Memory Lane.

Soap Hub: This is the end of an era! How do you feel?
Patti Denney: Yes. It’s bittersweet. It’s a relief in one respect, but Y&R has been my life for so long. I started on the show in 1980. I became a cosmetologist, and I was fortunate enough to meet the department head Harry Maret. He asked if I was interested in working at CBS Television City [home to Y&R]. Originally, I was a body makeup artist, and I did that for 10 years. I’d make sure body makeup was flawless like when Nikki [Melody Thomas Scott] and Paul [Doug Davidson] jumped into a pool. Then, I became a full-time makeup artist.

Soap Hub: Do you remember your first day as a full-timer?
Patti Denney: Yes. Talk about jumping into the deep end of the pool. My first day was the Masquerade Ball. That was a big event and there were long days. I had been a huge fan of Y&R since [its debut in] 1973. Walking into the studio was like walking into Disneyland.

Soap Hub: The show going to an hour must have heightened everything.
Patti Denney: Yes. There was an explosion of energy. I remember the show going to an hour. It was like a family had invited all their extended family members to a reunion. Melody [Nikki Newman] was already with the show. We formed a long-lasting relationship. Jaime Lyn Bauer [Lorie Brooks] and Victoria Mallory [Leslie Brooks] were still there when I joined. And, of course, the “Duchess” — Jeanne Cooper [Katherine Chancellor]. The more people that were added to the cast added to the excitement and energy of getting everyone ready. That’s the part I’m going to miss.

Soap Hub: What are your memories of Jeanne?
Patti Denney: I had the best relationship with her. At one point, I started going to her dressing room to make her up. She deserved that respect. She loved the crew. She had the best relationship with her teammates. She’d say, ‘Hey, I’m getting lunch, everybody.’ And then, she’d throw down money. We’d say, ‘No, Jeanne. You don’t have to do that.’ She’d say, ‘Just get me a sandwich.’

Soap Hub: Did you have any favorite storylines?
Patti Denney: I loved Victor [Newman, Eric Braeden] meeting Nikki. I was there for the strip club — the Bayou. I remember Sharon [Collins, Sharon Case] being stalked by Cameron Kirsten [Linden Ashby]. I called him ‘Frozen Dead Guy.’ I found a photo of it, and Susan Walters [Diane Jenkins, Ashby’s wife] took a picture of it and showed it to him. I remember Kay and Jill [Foster Abbott, Jess Walton] fighting in the attic at the Chancellor mansion, and there were rats!

Soap Hub: Did you make up Kevin Fisher (Greg Rikaart) after he’d been beaten up in jail?
Patti Denney: Yes. Kevin had been the victim of a…what was called a ‘blanket party’ when he was in jail. The other prisoners kicked Kevin in the head. Greg and I just clicked. We had so much fun during that time. I did his makeup in a separate area. It was hard to do certain details when the makeup room is abuzz with activity. Greg and I came in a little earlier and got that done. It was quite a bit of work. That was one of my favorite ‘victim’ makeups.

Soap Hub: Did you make up Cassie Newman (Camryn Grimes) when she was dying?
Patti Denney: Yes. That was difficult. Poor Camryn was crying in real-life, which was understandable, and I had to whisper in her ear, ‘Please stop crying’ because her tears were affecting the makeup.

Soap Hub: How did you see your job change over the years as the industry changed?
Patti Denney: The challenge was to speed it up. Don’t hang onto what your needs were. We had to work at a faster speed. You learned how to gauge your time and work around other team members. We learned that you better give respect to your fellow workers.

Soap Hub: Are there other memorable makeup moments?
Patti Denney: Phyllis [Summers, Michelle Stafford] had two disguises — one a less than desirable man. She was also supposed to be drunk and get thrown in jail. She was pretending. There were other disguises for her. We won the [Daytime] Emmy for that.

Soap Hub: You have five Daytime Emmys for doing makeup on Y&R. Did your reels ever include just regular days or were they always special events?
Patti Denney: Fortunately, and I can’t recall if this was always the case, we could submit five episodes. Early on that might not have been the case. This might sound terrible to say, but I think you have to give them the ‘wow’ factor at the top in case they don’t watch all the way through. We would submit ‘glamour’ scenes.

Soap Hub: How do you make someone look like they don’t have makeup on?
Patti Denney: The best way to make a woman look not rested is to leave off the eye makeup. You’re still going to wear foundation, but you’d use a light amount and maybe a tiny bit of definition in the eyes not much. Add a tinted lip balm. [Smiling] I’m not going to say we’re not ‘guilty’ of having a woman wake up in the middle of the night and not be in full makeup.

The friendships I developed with cast members are something I’m not giving up. I met my husband, Mel Stetson, at Y&R. He was a hairstylist there in the 1990s. I became friends with [makeup artist] George Guzman there. He’s gone on to primetime. I call Y&R ‘boot camp.’ I say this in a loving way. If you can work on this show, you can work anywhere. A lot of makeup artists in the industry started in soaps. Also, [I’m also keeping in touch with] Matt Kane, Y&R’s publicist. He’s the backbone of the show.

Soap Hub: Did you think about sticking around to the 50th next year?
Patti Denney: That crossed my mind. Other friends were retiring. I kept putting it off. I just realized that the timing is now. I will come back for any event that they have for the 50th — as long as I’m invited. I’ve been asked about coming back freelancing. But I don’t think I could do it anytime soon.

Soap Hub: What are your plans now that you’re leaving Y&R?
Patti Denney: I have my art pages on Instagram at @patcampy and @myartbypatti and I have a few creative irons in the fire. I’ve been thinking I can do this, this, or that. So far, though, we’ve just been going out to eat and to the movies.

Soap Hub: Any final thoughts and shout-outs for now?
Patti Denney: I’m very blessed to have had my career. I couldn’t be prouder of it. I’ll be bragging about it forever. I’m very fortunate. I’m looking at moving forward as a positive. I want to travel, and we want to have a honeymoon. I want to give a shout out to [Y&R creators] William and Lee Bell — they created a legacy that we all are grateful for. Lauralee [Bell, Christine Williams] is someone I stay in touch with. She and her brothers [Brad Bell, executive producer/head writer, The Bold and the Beautiful, and Bill Bell] still have a heart for the quality of that show. I also am going to miss my entire crew. But I plan on staying in touch with them and meeting them for lunch.

Check out the Instagram posts below, which includes tributes to Patti Denney from her Y&R pals. The Young and the Restless (YR) airs weekdays on CBS. Check your local listings for airtimes. For more about what’s coming up in Genoa City, check out all the latest that’s been posted on Y&R spoilers, and for an in-depth look at the show’s history, click here.