Interview with Mary Ann Valdes

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Interview with Mary Ann Valdes
Celebrity Stylist for American TV & Film,
including Ugly Betty, Blades of Glory, Miami Vice, Spider Man 2

By Heather Bell, Hairdressersus.com

Mary Ann Valdes

Mary Ann Valdes hairdressing skills have made her as famous behind the cameras of Tinseltown as the actresses she creates glamorous styles for. She has received much acclaim as the department head hair stylist for the current hit American show Ugly Betty. It has already won 2 Golden Globes, plus 11 other wins and 13 nominations. Mary Ann has just been nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Hairstyling for a TV Series - we wish her success on the Awards night in September.

Ugly Betty

With a tagline: Ugly is the new beautiful – it must have seemed quite an odd styling request, to make actress America Ferrera who plays Betty Suarez, look ‘homely’ instead of drop dead gorgeous! The plot summary runs: Betty Suarez is smart, sweet and hard working. The only problem is that she’s not thin and beautiful like all her co-workers at Mode.

Styling the Stars Mary Ann says “It takes an hour to get Betty ‘homely’ looking, because America’s so pretty. Make-up does her eyebrows, then I provide the wigs to give her bangs and make it look frizzy. The other day she found a gray hair in the wig and said ‘I’m working so hard, even my wig’s getting gray hairs!’ “Characters in the show, each have their own style, Amanda (Becki Newton) has wonderful thick hair, we give her fun, quirky styles. Alexis (Rebecca Romijin) has gorgeous, sexy styles. David Meade (Eric Mabius) started off as a Playboy going on JFK, now it’s spiky and blow dried with lots of gel. Cast members are wonderful – a dream to work with.”	Left: Lovely America Ferrera, the actress who makes Betty Suarez, Ugly Betty come to life (right)

Outstanding Achievements
"As a Miami native, I grew up in a multicultural city allowing me to experience all types of hair, which was indeed a blessing considering what direction my career would take." Mary Ann explains, "Prior to becoming a hairstylist for Film and Television, I owned two salons in the Miami area and worked on stage as a platform artist, later becoming an educator and owner of a Cosmetology Institute. I continue to attend hair seminars in order to stay current with all the new products and hair trends."

Mary Ann has been the hairstylist for many other TV and film productions, here are just a few: Blades of Glory (2007), Miami Vice (2006), American Dreams 2004, Ally McBeal (2001-2002), Spider-Man 2 (2004), The Birdcage (1996), Doc Hollywood (1991). She has also received nominations for her work: 2005 Nominated Emmy Outstanding Hairstyling for a Series for: "American Dreams" (2002). 1996 Nominated Emmy Outstanding Individual Achievement in Hairstyling for a Series for: "Chicago Hope" (1994).

Mary Ann on the set of "Miami Vive" the TV series with Philip Michael Thomas.

Professional Hair Secrets

Mary Ann and her team on the Ugly Betty set, use Farouk Systems CHI and Biosilk products when working on the stars' hair. Hair care isn't all about knowing what products are right for your hair; it's also about how you use them and some basic tricks of the trade. Here are a few tips from the lady herself:

Want to change your hairstyle? Get a hairstyle especially designed for you!

Find a hairstylist who will have a consultation with you, especially if this is a first visit. Someone who will check your hair density and texture, your bone structure, face shape, lifestyle and personality before determining a style. Be vocal, tell the hairstylist a wish list of what you would like and together you can come up with a look that is perfect for YOU.

Don't be afraid of hair color

Whether you would like to accent your natural color, cover gray, or go with a bright color. If you are new to color remember you can take it slow, that way you give yourself a chance to adjust. You can always add or intensify the color.

Mary Ann and her husband Don Poole.

Add shine to your hair

When blow drying your hair the flow of air should be directed from roots to ends, this keeps the cuticle of the hair smooth. Also be gentle when shampooing your hair, and don't scrub when shampooing (especially damaged hair), it ruffles up the cuticle as well as tangling the hair. Light reflects better when the cuticle is smooth. A final rinse with cold water after shampooing hair closes the cuticle. Try it if you can bear it. Products like Serum, smooth and fill the hair cuticle, making hair look super glossy in seconds, however don't overload your hair or it will look greasy.

Temporarily add volume, length and color to your hair

Clip-in hair extensions are a fun accessory to have, for that special occasion or just because you want a change. You can add length, volume or both. Make sure you get human hair extensions so you have the versatility of curling or straightening them. They come in all colors so you can highlight to brighten, or low-light to add dramatic dimension, or match your color to blend in. They also come in bright colors (pink, purple, blue, red, orange, green and yellow just to name a few). Clip them in to add a splash of color, and its temporary! HAVE FUN!

Here at HairdressersUs.com we are delighted that Mary Ann has found time in her busy schedule to answer some questions from our web visitors, here’s what she had to say:

Mary Ann with guest star Rita Moreno, in the "Ugly Betty" hair and make-up trailer.

Q. "Apart from making Ugly Betty look as 'homely' as possible - what are the strangest requests you've had while working on a TV series or film?"

I was working on a film and the Producer came to me and said that we needed to match the hair on a bear suit (which a stunt man would be wearing), to the real bear. The real bear's hair was lighter than the bear suit so I had to lighten the bear suit. We were shooting out of the country in a remote location; the nearest town was 1 hour away. You can imagine the surprise at the Beauty Supply when I ordered 6 large tubs of high-lift frosting bleach and a couple of gallons of peroxide.

Q. "Do the Ugly Betty cast ask you to style their hair for them personally, away from the cameras?"
They have on occasion, there are times when they leave set to go to an event or interviews are done on set. We also cut and shape their hair during the course of the season.
	America Ferrera with her Golden Globe Award for her role in the popular "Ugly Betty" series

Mary Ann on the set of "Squanto - A Warrior's Tale" (circa 1615), filmed in Nova Scotia with John Saint Ryan.

Q. "Tell us about some of the other stars you have styled for?"

The Cast of Ugly Betty of course. Thomas Gibson & Mandy Patinkin in "Criminal Minds." Jon Heder, Amy Poehler and Will Arnett in "Blades of Glory." Molly Shannon in "Year of the Dog." Calista Flockhart in "The Bird Cage." Michael Gambon, Nathanial Parker in "Squanto - A Warriors Tale." Plus: Tim Curry, Rita Moreno, Kevin Spacey, Kevin Kline, John Travolta, John Ritter, Samuel Jackson, Kim Cattrall, Hector Elizondo, Jonathan Banks, Jon Bon Jovi, Kelly Clarkson and Paris Hilton - just to name a few.

Q. "Do you find it difficult to let someone style your own hair or are you happy to leave them to it?"

I am the worst at letting someone cut my hair into a hairstyle, I usually do it myself.

Q. "Do you still have salons in Miami and own a Cosmetology Institute?"

No, I no longer have either. I sold my salons when I got involved in the Cosmetology Institute, soon after I started working in film and TV production. I sold the Cosmetology Institute because I could not dedicate the time needed to run it. But I am working on an idea for a salon in the future.

Q. "If you had chosen a different career path, what would it have been?"

I can't imagine doing anything else.

Q. "What made you decide to become a stylist and where/how did you learn to be one?"

I decided to become a hairstylist when I was 13 years old. I used to style my cousin's hair all the time. I told my father that I wanted to go to the best Cosmetology Institute in Miami, and we found The Original La France Cosmetology Institute. I'm still in contact with one of my instructors, who was also the owner, he's very proud of my success.

Q. "For our many web visitors who want to become hairdressers, could you give them a couple of special tips to help them on the road to success?"

Find the best school you can, pay attention, listen and ask questions. Hairdressing is a continual learning medium, there are always new styles, hair products, cutting methods, hair coloring, etc. For that reason I continue to attend seminars and classes.
"Ugly Betty" hair and make-up trailer. Vanessa Williams (front), Mary Ann (back row) and the hair and make-up team after Vanessa won the Image Award for Supporting Actress.

Q. "There have been many changes in hairdressing over the years. What in your opinion were the best innovation and the worst?"

All aspects of hairdressing are important especially in film and TV production where it might be necessary do create period and fantasy hairstyles. I think the best are blowdryers, flat irons and curling irons, because with the proper knowledge of how to use these tools many different hairstyles can be created, even period hairstyles. The use of extensions has also revolutionized hairstyling both in my end of the business and for salons. I think the worst is the Flowbee*.

Q. "If you had a choice, which celebrity would you like to create a new style for?"

I can't think of anyone that doesn't usually look good.

Q. "What is your favorite hairstyle of all time?"

Layered haircuts, because they are so versatile, but then I also like long one- length hair to design with braids and twists to create fantasy hairstyles. I guess what this answer really means is that I don't have a favorite, I just love doing hair!

	Q. "What scissors do you use to cut and create your styles?"
	I use a Japanese 5 1/2" shear most of the time, I also use texturizing shears, and razors. It all depends on the texture and density of the hair and desired style.
	Mary Ann styling hair for Kathy Ireland in the hair and make-up trailer for the movie "Necessary Roughness."

Our thanks again to Mary Ann for finding the time to answer all our questions, while she’s in the middle of the busy “Ugly Betty” season. It’s been great having such an interesting insight into the world behind the cameras. We wish her all the best for her Emmy Awards night and hope she wins the award.

Footnote: * In case you’re wondering what a Flowbee is? It’s a home haircutting kit designed to be attached to your vacuum cleaner (I kid you not!) It was invented by San Diego carpenter Rick Hunts in the 1980’s. Described as providing precision layered, clean haircuts. The device adds a whole new meaning to the words “Who cut your hair?!”