The ‘Ma Rainey’s’ Hair And Makeup Team Is Making Oscars History

It’s onerous to consider that in 2021, we’re nonetheless speaking about leisure “firsts” for Black artists and creatives. But irrespective of how overdue, we’ll proceed to have a good time them proudly, uplifting these of us who’re shifting the needles of the trade. This weekend, the accomplishments of two girls are on the forefront: Mia Neal, hair division lead for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and Jamika Wilson, hairstylist to main star of the movie, Viola Davis. The two are making historical past as the primary Black girls to obtain a nomination for make-up and hairstyling, and tomorrow night we’ll be tuned in for a hopeful victory.

“It was fully unbelievable,” Neal tells ESSENCE about discovering out concerning the nomination. “It had been constructing as much as that at that time, trigger we have been beginning to get nominated in different places, nevertheless it was nonetheless so unreal. I truly nonetheless really feel like I’m having some kind of out-of-body expertise. I’ve not absorbed that that is truly true.”

Mia Neal styling Best Actress nominee Viola Davis on the set of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom Photo courtesy of Netflix

Creating the look was notably difficult, however was a chance for the dynamic duo to actually discover their creativity.

“This mission was distinctive as a result of usually if I’m doing one thing and that individual exists, I can simply analysis pictures of that individual and recreate what I see,” she says. “But there are solely seven pictures that exist of the particular Ma Rainey and thru my very own analysis, I may solely discover two. The remainder of them should not even printed on-line.” Neal says that a number of what you see on that display got here from written descriptions that different individuals gave of Rainey by means of going to see her exhibits.

“I notice now that it actually helped us as a inventive workforce as a result of it made us have a number of conversations with one another to guarantee that we have been all aligned about psychologically the place Ma Rainey was,” she says.

Mia Neal Photo by Hollywood Critics Association/Getty Images for the Hollywood Critics Association

Those conversations introduced the wonder workforce nearer to the real-life character. “As you begin to dive into the psychological a part of Ma Rainey you acquire this excessive respect for her,” Neal says. “It’s the concept she simply didn’t give a rattling about what individuals thought she was. She realized it was her birthright to be blissful.”

Davis made the job even simpler, fully relinquishing management to the professionals. “She gave us permission to take away self-importance, we didn’t need to take her private appears to be like into consideration,” she says.

And now, with Sunday swiftly approaching Neal shares that she’s (safely) surrounded by love. “My women from Gary (Indiana) flew in to have a good time with me,” she shares. “We have lots to have a good time.”

TOPICS:  2021 Oscars black hairstylists ma rainey magnificence Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom Viola Davis