Davie Makeup Artist Recalls Whitney Houston's Final Film
MIAMI (CBS4) - Whitney Houston never made it to the premiere of her new movie "Sparkle." It was slated for release in August. Davie resident Marietta Carter-Narcisse knows how much Houston was looking forward to the accomplishment. Carter-Narcisse worked as the make-up artist on the films set in Detroit back in November.
"I was so nervous, not even star struck, per say but just nervous because I was going into doing 1960's makeup with like Whitney Houston," she recalled.
But Carter-Narcisse said Houston didn't turn out to be the overly demanding diva that she expected.
"She greeted me with open arms the first day I met her," remembered Carter-Narcisse. "Hugged and kissed me like I had known her for years."
Houston not only starred in the movie but also served as the film's Executive Producer. Dual roles she easily took over despite her long break from the industry.
"You don't expect to see that caliber when there's been such a huge break, that caliber performance and I'm telling you it was mind boggling," she said. "She sang in the church, one of the scenes in the church, oh there was not a dry eye left in that church when we were finished filming."
News of Houston's death hit Carter-Narcisse hard after spending more than 80 hours a week on the set with the pop icon.
"Knowing the person from a distance is one thing," she said. "But when you actually touch them and work with them you know and so many hours of the day its just a whole different feeling it feels like a part of you is gone too."
Details emerging suggest Houston was found dead in the bathtub of her hotel room with prescription drugs also found in the room. Yet Carter-Narcisse said she doubts the singer would have harmed herself.
"Maybe she was just trying to relax because tonight and last night were huge pressure nights," she said. "I mean but I i find it.. I dont sense drugs in the sense of you know recreational drugs or anything like that I don't see that... just not from the person that I met and saw."
Nearly 20 years before "Sparkle", Whitney Houston was making her first movie, "The Bodyguard." Some of the most famous scenes were filmed at the Fountainbleau in Miami Beach. At the time Lisa Cole was a publicist there.
"It was Whitney's first film and she was a little nervous and a little tired," remembered Cole. "But she was very nice and very gracious."
Parts of the movie made were made in a penthouse room upstairs, but it was downstairs that she belted out the famous song I Will Always Love You in the ballroom.
"I'm standing next to Kevin Costner and David Foster and she starts singing and we all just looked at each other and went oh my God, I mean wow," said Cole. "She was remarkable. She finishes the song we're all with goose bumps and just with our jaws dropping."
Cole says they made Houston do it five times just because the crew was so mesmerized.
