Hair on TV/in movies

[Nenwing]

Lots of times I find myself really admiring actresses' hair, whether it be on TV shows or in movies, and I find myself wishing that my hair would do what theirs is doing (curling a certain way, staying nice looking, whatever it may be). I didn't think though until my husband reminded me, that they are getting their hair touched up after every clip, and have a team of stylists/makeup artists at their disposal constantly keeping them looking nice and fresh. It is so unrealistic, no wonder I couldn't look like that.

[redneckprincess]

Ive seen it first hand while filming Trivial Pursuits (*in the process of being renamed) last summer. after every take they would take the girl and put her hair in a curler or sometimes and if the break was to short a curling iron, and hairspray..and then comes the make-up crew, its deffinetly a site to see!!
and on one of the other actors, I was amazed at one of the crew guys...his ONLY job was to make sure that the necklace clasp stayed in the back and the pendant stayed outside of the shirt, another guys job involved making sure the shirt was tucked in just so...

[Topaz]

Plus remember that a lot of times their hair isn't even their own! What with wigs and extensions, etc. adding length and volume, and all those hair stylers and make-up artists, what you see on the screen is just pure fantasy. I gaurantee you that those actresses in real life look no better than the average woman.

[SimplyViki]

Lots of times I find myself really admiring actresses' hair, whether it be on TV shows or in movies, and I find myself wishing that my hair would do what theirs is doing (curling a certain way, staying nice looking, whatever it may be). I didn't think though until my husband reminded me, that they are getting their hair touched up after every clip, and have a team of stylists/makeup artists at their disposal constantly keeping them looking nice and fresh. It is so unrealistic, no wonder I couldn't look like that.
Me, too, especially Christine, from your avatar photo. :) Her hair is so gorgeous, isn't it? It's so thick and curly and lush... but probably fake, I guess. Or heavily touched up between scenes. Or both.

[Katurday]

I gaurantee you that those actresses in real life look no better than the average woman.
Chances are, they look worse. Any photo of an actress in casual wear reveals their hair for what it actually is - fried, short, faded and crispy. Most actresses change styles, cuts, colors and lengths between movies, and that takes such a toll on their hair. I gurantee you, the hair you see on this website is the most beautiful real hair youll ever see.

[Themyst]

Yep, same with the makeup. Gee, I never woke up once in my entire life with my lips all red and glossy, my blush still perfectly placed, and a matte complexion.

Movies do give a very false sense of being.

And Katurday, you're right. My husband saw a very popular actress at a horse race once and he couldn't take his eyes off of her ... because she looked so horrid. He couldn't believe it.

[Hiriel]

I gaurantee you that those actresses in real life look no better than the average woman.
Except for the ones like Natalie Portman who looks unimaginably beautiful even with a shaved head.

[Hiriel]

Yep, same with the makeup. Gee, I never woke up once in my entire life with my lips all red and glossy, my blush still perfectly placed, and a matte complexion.
If you did, I'd be scared if I were you, that's some serious sleepwalking ;)

[Themyst]

If you did, I'd be scared if I were you, that's some serious sleepwalking ;)

Ha ha, even if I did manage that, my drool would wash it off anyway ... :o

[Elenna]

Plus remember that a lot of times their hair isn't even their own! What with wigs and extensions, etc. adding length and volume, and all those hair stylers and make-up artists, what you see on the screen is just pure fantasy. I gaurantee you that those actresses in real life look no better than the average woman.

Nah, they do look prettier in real life. I used to work backstage at a TV studio. They are hired for their looks, but then there are departments (hair, wardrobe, makeup, etc) solely dedicated to making them look super great. And there is professional photography with touch ups, etc. Even the way they appear on camera can be touched up digitally.

We are only talking about hair here. Well, just about everyone here has lovely hair that is so much prettier than that fakery, overprocessed hair seen on actresses.

[JamieLeigh]

I always admired the hair in the Lord of the Rings movies, even though I know it was wigs and extensions. *cries into her coffee* :( I would always wish my hair was that long again...and now it's longer, so I'm ok with it. ;)

[Nenwing]

Ooo Lord of the Rings hair is the best! I know its just wigs *cries*, ah well.

Elenna and redneckprincess, that is neat that you have seen first hand what goes into making them look just about perfect.

Its kind of sad that its so fake, and that though people may know its fake, still want to be like that.

[Belisarius]

Ooo Lord of the Rings hair is the best! I know its just wigs *cries*, ah well.

mysts of avalon is good too.

[heidi w.]

Oprah Winfrey once commented on her magazine covers to the effect that there's a team of something like 38 people in the room for the photo shoot of her cover--lighting a certain way, fans blowing hair and fabric, a team of people ensuring the background is just so, a team doing her hair and makeup and perhaps yet another touching up hair and makeup as needed, even touching up clothing -- one shoot might involve several outfits. Then there's the editing process where this or that might be 'touched up' in the final selected photo, airbrushing perhaps, photoshopping maybe......then printed.

She said essentially with all those people she better look good!

As a person who has spent some time on rather low-budget video and productions, not a lot by any means and no I'm not nor ever have been a model -- but I've been exposed enough to attest to the business of lighting. Even in a soap opera lighting is a particular setup to create shadow this way and that. Makeup is part of character as is hair. In fact many hairstyles you might see on TV may well involve a wig or a fall or a piece. Men too. Not just women. Clothing is carefully selected, backdrop stuff is carefully organized. I promise, it's a lot of work to create what you see on TV, in the movies, in print media.

For example, when an actor or actress comes on the Tonight Show, that kind of thing, even though they may come on the show a little more dressed down (as in not in character on set) -- or up as the case may be -- the actor brings in a little supply of clothing, and probably some about hair and makeup, yet there's still a team that looks after all of that. Example, Jay Leno, they do his makeup and hair and pick his suit and tie. When an actor tells you they were on set 13 hours a day, I promise you, they aren't kidding. To set up for a shot, or a scene, can take a good hour or more, depending on complexity, if it's indoors or outdoors (harder to control daylight light, especially if there are clouds -- and the reason a place like Hollywood exists is because outdoor shots can be done most of the year round).

And the business of hair is a long business of pieces, falls and complete wigs is long and historied. I have some ads to prove it.

Yeah, no one follows me around touching me up and blowing a fan on me so I look great!

Instead I put it up, go to work in my golashes, plop my butt down and just try to get through the day.

I stopped around age 25 buying into the image that's created in the various media of what's fashionable and instead went nice but more practical, and mostly economical.

These magazines tout a cheap blouse at $100. Not in my book. Cheap is it WAS $25, and now it's $5.

heidi w.

[heidi w.]

And dreaming is free.

There's always Halloween!

And Ren Faires.


heidi w.

[pelicano]

I'm always hair-watching. In fact, I actually find myself getting distracted from films by the hair envy!! :o:D Kate Winslet in Titanic was definitely one.

[Arriens]

These magazines tout a cheap blouse at $100. Not in my book. Cheap is it WAS $25, and now it's $5.$100 Is cheap if you make 100k + a year, like the editor and the top actors do. ;)

/me also wears 20 euro pants and shirts.