The Man Behind the Makeup

This behind-the-scenes photo gives us a rare glimpse into circus performers’ quiet, private moments before a show. This portrait shows Emmett Kelly putting the final touches on his “Weary Willie” clown makeup. While Kelly was a trained trapeze artist, he gained the most fame playing his “Weary Willie” character during the Great Depression.

“Weary Willie” was a sad clown character. Kelly’s original concept took off during the 1920s and ‘30s, when many people were without homes and money was tight. “Willie” was a play on the hobo stereotype at the time. This portrait of Kelly is from 1945 in Florida. By that time in his career, Kelly was performing for the Ringling Brothers Circus. He then went on to have a pretty successful media career in movies. It’s not every day a sad clown hits it big.