Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1486000
74 • THE ARTISAN WINTER 2023 After reading the script and talking with director Chinonye Chukwu, I realized that the director's vision for the film was to portray a mother's love and her quest for justice for her son. I was inspired. As department head hair, my job was to make the actors resemble the historical figures they played. We did this by creating custom-made lace wigs and hair styles of the 1950s. A key challenge was to make the hair of Jalyn Hall, who played Emmett Till, look like that of Till. Jalyn had long, thick hair, which we were not authorized to cut. So, we braided his hair down tightly, and placed a quarter-inch-length lace wig on top of it. The final look was realistic. Danielle Deadwyler, who played Emmett's mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, wore a custom lace wig also. We cut and styled the wig to look like the historical photos of her. Creating the hair styles that would transform Danielle for this heartfelt performance was so gratifying. The other 20 actors, including Top, L-R: Sean Patrick Thomas as Gene Mobley and Danielle Deadwyler. Below: Deadwyler.