The Little-Known Secret Behind Amy Landecker’s ‘Transparent’ Nails

As the eldest daughter of Mort-turned-Maura, the transgendered father (Jeffrey Tambor) in the Amazon Studios series Transparent, Amy Landecker’s onscreen character, Sarah Pfefferman (who leaves her husband for an ex-girlfriend) is no stranger to change. But little did we know that Sarah’s manicures evolved as often as her mood in season one of the Golden Globe-winning show.

On hand to present an award at the annual Make-up and Hair Stylists Guild Awards on Saturday night at the Paramount Theatre in Los Angeles, Landecker explained the reasoning behind Pfefferman’s ever-transforming hands: “My nails were acrylics, and they had a theme and a color code [according] to what my mood was.” 

PHOTOS New York Fashion Week’s Front Row

The driving force behind the polished tips? None other than the show’s creator, Jill Soloway. “Jill is a big nail person — which is surprising to some because she doesn’t seem like a high-maintenance person,” said Landecker. “But she has a thing for arty Echo Park nails. And so I had two-tones and half-moons, and different colored French [manicures].

“It was such a nightmare for my makeup artists that I’m thinking for season two, forget it,” added Landecker.

But for now, she’s still rocking the acrylics — painted-white ones, to be exact — for a Mrs. Robinson-esque role she’s currently playing in a film. “That’s why I appreciate makeup artists’ work so much — I really can’t do certain characters without [a makeup artist’s] help. Me, myself, I am a very casual — I can’t feel like a sexpot or seductress without a spray tan and great eyelashes and some acrylics. I just can’t do it.”