Can We Get a "Hell Yes" For All the TV Shows and Movies With Black Hair and Makeup Teams?

Published on Feb 17, 2021 at 6:15 PM

Merie W. Wallace/HBO

The late Cicely Tyson had so many poor experiences with white makeup artists early in her acting career that she vowed to not watch herself on screen. "By the time we were finished, we looked gray rather than Black," she said in an interview. "It was very uncomfortable to look at yourself because it didn't look like me."

Unfortunately for actors of color, the diversity hasn't always extended to the crew behind the scenes, especially in the hair and makeup departments. For years, Black actors have had to get their hair cut or styled outside of the set, pay out of pocket, and pray the finished look wasn't ruined by white crews. Failure to have artists who can accurately service Black talent hinders Black authenticity.

Although there is still a lot of education that needs to happen, a handful of television shows and films have worked hard to change the narrative by hiring Black hair and makeup teams to move the industry in the right direction. These talented people of color are responsible for the iconic looks we see on Insecure, Black-ish, and more. By curating a team of Black professionals, these series and movies respect the Black actors by showing up for them and providing the tools for them to thrive.

With Hollywood now taking inventory of its history of systemic racism, we hope the TV shows and films ahead will help to normalize and celebrate Black hairstylists and makeup artists on screen.

The Chi

Emmy Award-winning hairstylist Daria V. Wright and Denise Baker hold it down for the hair department, while makeup artist J. St. Jaimes delivers fresh faces and bold looks on this coming-of-age drama, created by Lena Waithe.

Insecure

Issa Rae's longtime hairstylists Felicia Leatherwood, department head of hair Yvette Shelton (also known for her work in Malcom & Marie), and key hairstylist Nikki Wright join forces with celebrity makeup artist Natalie MacGowan Spencer to create showstopping looks for Issa, Molly, and the rest of the cast.

Black-ish

Makeup artists Araxi Lindsey and Angie Wells created the looks on Black-ish for 140 episodes.

Grown-ish

Power team of makeup artists Tinisha Meeks, Malika James, and Golden Sun Shyne come together to bring powerful meaning to Yara Shahidi and Trevor Jackson's characters on Grown-ish.

Bad Trip

Golden Sun Shyne, Eric André's personal makeup artist, headed the makeup department for Bad Trip. Shyne is also known for her innovative creations in Beyonce's Lemonade TV special and the other A-listers in this 2020 film.

Empire

Hairstylists Nolan Kutz and Melissa Forney and makeup artist Beverly Jo Pryor came together to create the opulent looks we saw on the six-season series Empire.

Fatal Affair

Seasoned actress Nia Long was transformed into Ellie in this 2020 film by hairstylist Paula Ashby and makeup artist Sam Fine.

Girlfriends

Makeup artists Stephanie Cozart Burton, known for her work on Girlfriends and In Living Color, and Carla Farmer both played vital roles on the early-2000s series with Tracee Ellis Ross, Golden Brooks, Persia White, and Jill Marie Jones.

Dear White People

Celebrity hairstylist Dontay Savoy and makeup department heads Geno Freeman and Stacye P. Branche created the looks for this college drama series.

Queen Sugar

Barber Wayne Jolla Jr. and makeup artist LaLette Littlejohn designed the looks shown on the Louisiana series Queen Sugar, created by Ava DuVernay.

Being Mary Jane

Celebrity makeup artists Ciara Coleman and Phyllis Williams and hairstylist Caprice Green transformed Gabrielle Union into an onscreen talk-show host during this show's four-year tenure.