Katharine McPhee on Transforming Into a Real-Life Vaudeville Star, Her LED Device Obsession and More
NewBeauty Facebook Pinterest Instagram Youtube find a doctor Face Adult Acne Antioxidants Anti-Aging Celebrity Chronic Skin Conditions Eye Hydration Hyperpigmentation Makeup View All Eyebrows Eye Color Foundation Fragrance Lip Color Makeovers Male Skin Care Peels Pre-Event Prep Sensitive Skin Skin Care Skin Health Smile Sun Care Treatments Fillers Microneedling Post-Procedure Skin Care Neurotoxins Regenerative Aesthetics Skin Lifting Body Body Sculpting Breasts Butts Cellulite Hair Removal Hands + Nails Legs Pregnancy Find a Doctor Hair Bond Repair Celebrity Dry Hair Frizzy Hair Gray Hair Hair Color Hair Growth Hair Repair Scalp Health Styling + Tips Awards NB100 Awards 15th Annual Beauty Awards 2025 NewBeauty Readers’ Choice Awards Shopping Gift Guides Product Reviews NewBeauty Storefront Wellness Fitness GLP-1s Health Menopause About Us TESTTUBE Search for: Search HomeCelebrities Katharine McPhee on Transforming Into a Real-Life Vaudeville Star, Her LED Device Obsession and More Inside her period role and pared-back approach to beauty. Liz Ritter Published: Dec 15, 2025 We may earn commission from links on this page. Each product featured has been vetted and chosen by our editors. Jason Kempin/Getty Images When Katharine McPhee stepped onto the set of The Artist, she didn’t have the luxury of months of prep. In fact, she wasn’t even sure a role would materialize at all. “I was thrown into this project really last minute,” she tells us about her work on the historical-fiction thriller that premiered November 6 and boasts an award-winning cast consisting of Mandy Patinkin, Janet McTeer, Patti LuPone, Zachary Quinto, Clark Gregg, Hank Azaria, Danny Huston and Ever Anderson. “I just showed up and let the experts do their thing.” Making her debut a little later in the season, McPhee plays real-life entertainer Norah Bayes (a singer and vaudeville performer born in 1880), and for the actress, the transformation began the moment wardrobe stepped in. “The…