Chilling With Tony Stark At Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum In Hollywood #IronMan3Event

5/8/2013

***Disclosure: I received an all expense paid trip from Disney/Marvel to cover the Iron Man 3 Hollywood Premiere. All opinions are 100% honest and have not been influenced in any way.***

When I was in Hollywood for the Iron Man 3 red carpet premiere, I got to hob-nob with celebs like Robert Downey, Jr., Justin Bieber (AKA "the Biebs"), Robert DeNiro, and my favorite actress of all time, Betty White. Forrest Gump also made an appearance, although he did look more than a little bit lost. Maybe he got misdirected on one of his infamous runs across the country.

Before you all get too jealous and excited, I have to make a confession: Yes, I did get to meet a few celebs. Gwyneth Paltrow was amazing, and Ty Simpkins charmed the socks off of the Iron Man 3 bloggers. But the stars listed above? Well...I did hang out with them, but they had no choice in the matter. They were the super-realistic wax figures at Madame Tussaud's in Hollywood!

Our jolly group of 25 bloggers made our way down Hollywood Boulevard to the world famous Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum. Even the outside of the building looked fun, especially since the Iron Man suit could be seen in one of the windows!

Of course one of the first things I wanted to see was the Iron Man Suit, since I had just attended the Iron Man 3 premiere. This suit was VERY tall, very foreboding, and definitely other-wordly looking. It looked like a polished metal suit, so I was absolutely amazed that it was made completely of wax! Seeing this suit, up close and personal, got me wondering how on Earth they can make these wax replicas look so very real.

How Do They DO That?!

Anyone who has been to Madame Tussaud's knows that these wax figures look eerily real... Like you really expect them to blink and if you look at them long enough, your mind plays tricks on you and they almost appear to be breathing.

On the bottom level of the museum, there is a great display showing exactly what goes in to making these eery sculptures. It's narrated by Beyonce, too!

I spent quite a bit of time looking over the different components of the wax figures and reading about how painstaking the process is. Did you know it takes roughly 800 hours to make one wax replica? Over 145 hours of that time is inserting and styling the hair. Isn't that unbelievable?

They even had cases showing some very authentic looking eyeballs and teeth that are used in the making of the wax sculptures. This was admittedly strange to see because they don't look like they're made from synthetic materials.

The Finished Product :

Each wax replica is true to size, and it was interesting to see just how different the stars would look in person rather than on the screen. I guess it's true that the camera does add some weight to a person's appearance, because all of the starlets were so petite! They were teeny-tiny, to be exact! (It made me feel a little guilty about the juicy cheeseburger I ate the night before at Mel's Drive In!) Another odd thing about seeing the stars life-sized is that many of them male stars are much shorter than they look on screen!

I also noticed was that every single detail was spot-on. You could see pores in the "skin", a glisten in the eyes, and even stubble on the faces of many of the male figures. Some of them, particularly the athletes, even appeared to be sweaty.

Check out Brangelina below. Don't they look real?! The funny thing is, about 20 feet away, Jennifer Aniston is watching them. Coincidence? I doubt it. You see, the folks at Madame Tussaud's definitely have a sense of humor, and it shows throughout the many themed rooms.

One display that I found particularly unnerving was this sinister looking rendition of Anthony Hopkins as the refined yet cannibalistic sociopath, Hannibal Lecter. It's almost as if he's beckoning you towards him so he can gobble up your sweetbreads with some fava beans and a nice Chianti. Oooh, I am shivering just thinking about it!

Rubbing Elbows With My Favorite Stars :

Anyone who knows me in real life knows I absolutely adore mob movies. Whether it's Goodfellas, the Godfather Trilogy, Scarface, or Casino, put these movies on and I can recite them word for word. So when I saw Robert DeNiro, I just HAD to get my picture taken with him. He is hands down my favorite actor of all time, because he plays his roles so authentically.

Okay, so I am not really a Justin Bieber fan. At all. But my 3 year old daughter is, and so are half of the little girls in my neighborhood. So of course, I took full advantage of this photo opp. And when I got home, I showed all the kids. I just conveniently left out the fact that this version of "The Biebs" doesn't have a pulse. (Is that wrong of me to fool them like that?)

When I saw Betty White's smiling face, I was giddy with excitement. The woman is a living legend, and probably one of the funniest, sweetest ladies that has ever graced the screen. I am embarrassed to admit this, but I own all 7 seasons of "The Golden Girls" on DVD. Rose Nylund is one of my favorite TV characters of all time because of her small-town mentality and aloof nature. I also adore Ms. White in "Off Their Rockers" and "Hot In Cleveland". (Especially since I am a Cleveland gal, myself!) Don't you think that Betty is radiant, even at the ripe old age of 90? I think she's looking better than ever!

After walking around aimlessly through Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum in Hollywood for what seemed like hours, I have to admit, I got a little tired. We had a very busy schedule in Hollywood during the Iron Man 3 event, and I think we were all more than a little bit exhausted. So I was relieved when Forrest Gump offered me the seat next to him to take a load off and hear his tales about being in the Army, growing up in Bayou La Batre, and of course the love of his life, Jennie.

Overall, I had an amazing time at Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum. Seeing all of my favorite stars in such detail was mind-blowing. The amount of detail that goes into these figures is astonishing, and to be honest, a little bit creepy! It really feels like you're being watched because the replicas look so true to life. I wouldn't want to be locked in the museum alone at night, that's for sure! I don't know what would freak me out more...These eery, life-like figures or the REAL ghosts of Madame Tussaud's? (Yes, this place has plenty of documentation of real-life hauntings!) Regardless, this was definitely an experience I will never forget. If you ever find yourself strolling down sunny Hollywood Blvd., be sure to stop inside and prepare to be wowed!