We may not pay a whole lot of attention to hairstyles when watching shows such as Yellowstone, but boy does it take a lot of work to get them just right.
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I spoke to the talented and handsome (see above) Tim Muir, who's been working with Taylor Sheridan as the Hair Department Head for 10 years. And yes, that includes his indie films such as Wind River. After cutting Sheridan's hair (and after an illustrious career in celebrity hair styling), he became wrapped in the movie industry as a hairstylist.
Tim Muir faces challenges every day he's on set. From dealing with the extreme Texas weather to progressing and regressing hair growth and changes depending on which episode was being filmed, he has a lot on his plate.
He's always on his feet and solving problems to make sure everyone's hair is just right for each take. But that's enough paraphrasing, I'll let him take it from here.
Tim Muir On The Challenges He Faced Hairstyling For Taylor Sheridan
"We try to bring realism to everything... we are in the elements, and I would say elements plays a huge part, and a huge hardship in what we do," was the first thing Tim Muir said when I asked him on the challenges he faced.
"The elements of the weather can make or break your hairstyles quickly. That's probably the hardest part," he continued. "We go from hot to humid to dry to very cold, and all of those play a part in how we style, and how we keep up those styles for each production we work on."
What many forget is that shows and films aren't always shot in order. And this can prove a huge obstacle for the stylists. "Continuity is huge for me, and we don't shoot in order," he laughed.
"One day we could have had rain, torrential rains, or a windstorm or whatever... I have to do my best to try and keep [the hairstyles] up."
Although he can't control the weather, he can adapt around it, however. "If there's wind in one scene," he explained, "I can try and recreate it for the second scene." No harm, no foul.
It's not just styling the hair Muir has to worry about, however. He's also got to make sure the color and health of the cast's hair is perfect, too.
"I am constantly on their colors, and I have to do it in a way that's both healthy for the hair and keeps the integrity but also keeps the continuity of the show."
However, "in times of desperate need," he'll use a wig. But that is a last resort for him.
"It's not easy."
I have now a new-found respect for hairstylists in film in general. It's a detail that's so easy to absorb and not think about. Well, no longer.
