Today we’d like to introduce you to Emanuel Millar.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
At the age of eight I started cutting hair. While still in school I used to cut family, friends and neighbors hair. After graduation from high school I enrolled in Marrinello beauty college in Whittier Ca. At the age of 19 I opened my own salon in Whittier. At the age of 24 I closed Mannys Hairstyling and moved to Hollywood to get in the film industry doing hair. Within a few years of knocking on doors and sneaking onto film sets my first paid job was working with Tina Turner on her What’s Love got to do with it music video. The jobs kept coming after that.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Because I knew no one in the film business I thought the best way to get in it was ask everyone I met if they knew anyone in the film business and if so could they help me get in. I also got married during this time and shortly afterwards became a stay at home dad with three kids under the age of 4 while my wife worked. With the help of my mother and friends taking care of my children when needed I was able to work on a lot of non paying film’s projects in the hopes of someday doing it full time.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
The more film work that came the better I seemed to get. Always being hired as the key hairdresser or a personal hair stylist to actors like Johnny Depp, Tom Hanks, Brad Pitt and actresses like Angelina Jolie, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway and Jane Fonda. I most became known as the hairdresser who created characters on film like Kill Bill and Inglourious Basterds. I saw myself more of a creative artist. Being as fortunate as I was to work with other artists like Judi Dench, Cate Blanchett on eight films and Angelina Jolie, how could I not.
I’m most proud of the career I built by the grace of God without never having to chase after anyone for work or feeling the need to party with anyone. I never drank, smoked or did any kind of drugs. To me it was always about the work and not trying to fit in or belong.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
No matter who I was working with or how big the film was, to stay true to myself. For me that meant never giving in to an actors ego. Trying to become their bestie or think I’m important because of the people I was working with. I was there to do hair. Not to kiss butt. Which is one of the main reasons after retiring from doing hair in June of 2021 I decided to write my book, The Kindest Cut: Intuitive Life Lessons Learned by a Hollywood Hairstylist. I felt it was important to share with anyone interested the life lessons I learned along the way. And not feel scared about mentioning names.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: emanuel_millar6
