Actors, whether in film, television or on the stage, are admired for their performances, but often the hours and labor that go into preparing their hair and makeup go largely unnoticed. For one Long Island resident, the lack of recognition pales in comparison to the admiration she has for her job.
“I love what I do, I really do. It’s a little psychology, a little art and a little bit of magic,” said Wendy Parson, a hair and makeup artist and Long Island native.
When your job is to work side by side with actors and actresses and transform them into their roles, what’s not to love? Parson’s work spans an array of entertainment platforms from television, to major motion pictures, to Broadway shows, bringing her in contact with some of today’s most well-known celebrities. Over her years in the business, she has worked closely with stars such as Al Pacino, Tony Randall, John Goodman, Paul Giamatti, Steve Buscemi, Beyoncé, Woody Allen, and more recently, Liev Schreiber, Phylicia Rashad and Titus Welliver.
According to Parson, television, movies and live performances each present their own unique rewards and difficulties. Film tests one’s level of skill, as every little detail is evident in high definition productions, while Broadway shows and live performances present challenges in terms of time and scale. Among her impressive portfolio of projects, her favorites include a video she worked on for Goldmember with Beyoncé, and the musical Finian’s Rainbow, a 2009 revival of the 1968 film directed by Francis Ford Coppola.
“I have nerves of steel. I don’t panic,” said Parson. “I’ve got a very laid back attitude and I just keep working.”
Her motivation in her profession has landed her a gig fitting and constructing wigs on an upcoming Netflix original series titled The Get Down, a musical drama directed by Baz Luhrmann. The show highlights the history of hip hop in New York, demonstrating how rap began, the influence of punk rock on the genre and how the movement evolved. The show aims to achieve a level of authenticity by filming in locations across Manhattan, Queens and the Bronx. Netflix subscribers can look forward to the premier of the show, currently set for Friday, Aug. 12.
Parson’s knack for hair and makeup styling began at an early age. Much of her creative abilities can be attributed to the way in which she and her sisters were raised. Her mother, a hairdresser and avid fan of the fine arts, exposed Parson and
her sisters to creative activities early on, encouraging painting, singing and dancing over playing video games. She would demonstrate how to style hair on the girls’ Barbies and foster an environment in the home where the girls could express themselves in imaginative ways.
Despite her exposure to the world of art in her formative years, Parson did not initially follow a career path in that direction. Prior to forming her hair and makeup business, Smoke and Mirrors Productions, she worked as a psychotherapist and was on her way to earning her PhD. During her time as a student, she took up wig making as a hobby and earned an apprenticeship. Little did she know that out of that group of apprentices, she would soon be the only one selected to assist on a show starring Al Pacino.
When she began getting a higher volume of work, she realized it was necessary that she form her own business, acquire a larger studio, and hire more employees. At one point, the small starter company grew to a staff of about 20 people. The staff, coming from all parts of New York including Manhattan, would commute to Parson’s first studio in Plainview.
“Being a Long Islander, I knew I had a lot of space out here,” said Parson. “I’d rather build something out here than in an apartment or small rented space in the city.”
Today, Parson works mostly on her own in a space in Westbury that she shares with her sister. There, in addition to utilizing the space as her studio, she and her sister engage in different art forms such as painting and jewelry making. Parson is a major advocate of the idea of Long Island as an art hub, opposing the traditional notion that such an environment could only exist in Manhattan or Brooklyn.
“Being on Long Island doesn’t separate you from the arts, it can encourage it,” she said. “It’s important that people recognize that entertainment is in our own backyard.”
Parson is more than familiar with the art scene on Long Island, residing in her fair share of Long Island neighborhoods. She has spanned Massapequa, Merrick, Freeport and most recently Westbury. Though she has spent years living in the Middle East and Manhattan, she speaks about Long Island with a special degree of appreciation and fondness.
“People shouldn’t feel excluded just because we’re on the island. It’s not all happening in Williamsburg, Brooklyn,” she said.
