Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1535749
40 • THE ARTISAN SUMMER 2025 HAIR How did you first get your start in the world of hair? What was your job in film or television? I graduated in the '80s and was always interested in hair. My older brother was in a punk/new wave band, and he let me have at his hair with an antique razor comb. I was called "The Wiz Kid"—men's hair was fun back then! Then I started doing others' hair and my parents finally let me go to beauty school. I started doing nonunion odd shows—first job was with Barbara Eden on a show called Your Mother Wears Combat Boots. I'm pretty sure it was not a big hit! How did you first hear about Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story? I was recommended for the show by a couple of my peers, Michelle Cigglia and Janine Thompson. A period project is always fun and more interesting to style. I spoke with Louise Shore, the producer who hired me. She was great and walked me through the Ryan Murphy process. What were your early conversations about the project with Ryan Murphy like? My conversations with Ryan were extremely helpful as far as what he was looking for in the look. He didn't want it kitsch or over the top as some '80s hair can be. Ryan has a keen eye, and his input was always spot on. I N T E R V I E W S W I T H KAREN BARTEK | D E P A R T M E N T H E A D H A I R & MIHO SUZUKI | D E P A R T M E N T H E A D M A K E - U P Above: Nicholas Chavez as Lyle Menendez. Opposite page from top: Cooper Koch as Erik Menendez; L-R: Chavez, Chloë Sevigny as Kitty Menendez, Javier Bardem as Jose Menendez, Koch. MAKE-UP What did your preparation and research process look like? Was there anything you discovered that felt super impactful to your view of these characters? Since it's a true crime story, we went through some actual footage of court videos, searching for visual references in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles in the late '80s to early '90s, beyond to 1960s as the story going back to Jose and Kitty's youth years. I read many articles about the characters in the script. I had a great team, not to mention, talented make-up artists, Sabrina Wilson and Michael Ornelaz, were all eager to be part of the research process, finding creative solutions together to bring out actors' likeness to portray real people without losing Ryan Murphy's standard of sophistication. During the character research, one fascinating truth was about Lyle wearing a toupee. His wig was held by glue to his scalp in real life. However, we did the version of the wig which was bolted. Fracture FX made a custom silicone bald cap with screw bolted in. Sabrina Wilson and Michael Ornelaz applied this on Nicholas. One of my favorite episodes, Episode 3, "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" showcases Lyle's struggle to keep his toupee in best condition in early prison life. Here, you will see Sabrina and Michael's beautiful work of his bald cap. Also, collaborating with the hair and Continued on page 42 Continued on page 43 MAKING MENENDEZ PORTRAYING THE REAL PEOPLE BEHIND THE TRIAL