JULIA ROBERTS AND ME
Without question one of the most famous people I have had the pleasure to spend time with is Julia Roberts. Surely one of the most beautiful women in the world, with that magical smile that once ignited, spreads seemingly unnaturally from one side of her face across to the other. It's fair to say that when that smile is launched just for you it seems without question a life-affirming sense of joy that you feel.
How did I meet her? Well one day about a year after my split with John Frieda I was sitting at home when the phone rang. It was my good friend Rebekah Forecast from NYC. We had worked together at the John Freida salon in New York. She was calling to give me the heads up that she had, when asked by Miss Roberts if she knew anybody in London who could blow out her hair as well as her, recommended me.
I was flattered that Rebekah would think of me and thanked her for it. I then pointed out the obvious, that not being a photo session stylist, and therefore without the proof of a photographic portfolio to share my work, I thought it was unlikely they would actually consider using me.
Imagine my surprise when a couple of hours later when as I sat playing with my three-year-old son Redford the phone rang again. It was an American voice, hello is that Ian? The female voice said yes, I replied who's calling, this is Julia Roberts, I got your number from Rebekah did she say that I might call?
I literally felt my jaw drop! Julia Roberts was on the phone, I tried to remain calm and relaxed to mask my excitement. Even though I'd had the chat with Rebekah, I hadn't for one second thought that Julia Roberts would actually call me herself. I had assumed that if contacted, it would be by one of her ‘people’, but no, here it was Julia Roberts, arguably the biggest female Movie Star in the world, one of the planets most famous women was on the phone speaking to me! I told her that I had chatted to Rebekah and asked how I could help.
Julia explained that she was in the UK to shoot a movie but there was a problem with the hair and would it be possible to come by and give her a blowout. I casually replied that it was of course possible, but when and where? She asked if the next day was possible and I heard the shuffling of paperwork. She informed me that Elstree Studios was the location. I confirmed that was fine but asked how would I get access without specific pass to enter the studio complex and get on to the movie set. Julia said it would be no problem and asked if I could write down her cell phone number! I couldn't believe it, I was speaking to Julia Roberts and she had just given me her phone number.
To say I was excited was an understatement. On the way around the M25 the next morning however I really began to doubt whether any of this was in fact real. Perhaps it was just a prank call, a joke at my expense! I arrived at Elstree early and found the café close by. I sat with a cup of tea waiting to call the number at the agreed time. My phone rang 10 minutes before the time I had planned to call and it was a production assistant calling on behalf of Ms. Roberts and the movie. My entry was organised 20 minutes later I was walking into a large it fairly dowdy dressing room to meet Julia Roberts!
I was quite nervous as I had heard anecdotally that Julia was potentially a difficult person and not necessarily what that smile might suggest. However, all I can say was from that first moment and for the next few months I found her to be everything I might have hoped she would be. From the first smile as she greeted me I found her to be kind, warm and giving to all who came into contact with her in my presence.
That day I blew out her hair in a loose and relaxed style which we casually pinned up in a couple of places, I say we because it was of course very much collaboration between her and I.
The day was in fact a rehearsal for what would become the movie's opening shot.
I couldn't believe that on that day I got to meet the director Mike Nichols (The Graduate) as well as her co stars Clive Owen, Jude Law and Natalie Portman. I had such an incredible day I forgot to provide my invoice info to the production team. I kicked myself but then decided the day itself and the story provided were probably worth more than the money anyway.
It was about a week later when the phone rang again. Another American female voice but not Julia Roberts. Hey Ian, it's Carol from the movie, do you remember me? I did indeed we had walked and talked to the canteen at lunchtime the previous week. She asked what I was up to today, I said I had a meeting with the bank. She then asked if it could be rearranged and could I come and work on the movie for the day? Sure, I responded what time would they need me? How quickly can you get here? The whole shoot is ready to roll but we have a problem with the hair she replied. I said said I could be there in an hour and hot footed it around the M25. If I'd have had a flashing light I would've stuck it on the roof of the car.
Imagine a whole movie set waiting for the hairdresser! Well once there we got straight on and the results are the opening shot of the movie 'Closer'. You know what they say teamwork makes the dream work.
At the end of the day the producer that had called me asked me if I would like to work on the movie as Ms. Roberts personal hairdresser. Obviously I accepted. The good thing was that I was managed by Julia, she decided what days she would need me based on her shooting schedule.
It was amazing to be the 'personal' for a big star as it really gained you access to all areas. It was another of those occasions where I was granted a front row seat to watch some of the world's greatest actors at work.
One day I remember we were in Julia's dressing room when the director Mike Nichols visited. He wanted to talk to Julia about her upcoming scene. He explained how he perceived the said scene. Then what took place was actually a negotiation. Julia explained from her side how she saw the scene. They then had a very respectful conversation and came to an amicable agreement with which they both seemed happy. It was incredible to witness the process that both of these very talented stars went through. There is clearly a lot more than acting the star has to negotiate.
One day Julia asked if she could get some breakfast she chose to have some scrambled eggs on toast. When it arrived I was shocked as it was almost as grey as a battleship. Julia didn't bat an eyelid. She graciously thanked the person for delivering it and then definitely made an attempt to eat it. While she didn't finish it, I really admired her professional approach. Genuine stars are clearly under immense pressure. Everybody that comes into contact with them wants to have a positive interaction, regardless of what they are bringing to the party themselves. Working with Julia for a couple of months gave me tremendous respect and admiration for this woman that I already regarded as a true superstar.
Another example of her good grace came a few months later when we were doing some re-shoots. A wig had been prepared at enormous expense at very short notice (probably £3000/3500). It had been cut and I can only describe it as a dog's dinner, a real atrocity. I couldn't wait to see Julie's reaction when she put on the wig. It transformed one of the world's most beautiful women into somebody less than ordinary! I don't think I hid my shock at how awful it was, and had to force myself to change my shocked facial expression that I caught sight of in the mirror across the room. Once again Julia didn't flinch she pulled it and moved it, then requested a triangular bandanna from her best friend who was also her personal wardrobe assistant. After using the accessory she declared all would be well. She then made an aside to me telling me it really would be fine as the shot was in bed waking from sleep and nobody would be scrutinising the hair. Once again Julie left everybody feeling great.
It was incredible to see her onset too. In one scene she offered the director two versions of her piece and if it wasn't for the steady cam operator hitting the doorway on the second of three takes it would've been in the can in two!
As I said earlier, being on the inner track with the star allows one to really see inside the system. Interestingly Julia did not have a huge entourage. In fact it was smaller than probably the least well-known of the cast. She had her friend, who was also her wardrobe assistant, a professional makeup artist, Richard Stein ( a genuine movie make up legend) and a surprisingly small and ordinary looking security person. He was no taller than 5'8" and a fairly unremarkable build. He was a lovely chap and as we chatted he assured me of his credentials for the necessary violence if required as an ex-military man. He was constantly on his laptop I never saw or inquired what he was researching. The key thing that he told me was that if any undesired person got close enough to pose Julia a distress or harm, he would've already failed in his job. He explained that the supersized heavies so often seen with the pop stars were really just an accessory and probably not very effective if a well-organised assailant was planning to cause mischief.
The people that gravitated around Julia were also a very interesting group. Another 15 years later my children were mightily impressed when I told them one day that while working at Elstree Liam Neeson and Ewan McGregor sought her out. They were both in full Star Wars costume and were working on another stage of the studio. I got to observe as a part of this small group. I thought it was quite hysterical that this meeting took place in a fairly dilapidated corridor. A working meeting, all three stars aligning for a just a few short minutes.
In fact it was during this movie shoot that Julia shared with us that she and her partner Danny Moder had fallen pregnant with twins. I think she was suffering some morning sickness but amazingly she managed to get through her scenes without people becoming aware.
The other celebrity encounter aside from Julia's costars happened in the oddest of circumstances. We were shooting a scene set in the gallery. An unused space not accessible to the public on the top floor of Whiteleys shopping centre in Queensway West London was being used. Our hair and makeup trucks and talent trailers were situated in the Bus Park on the Bayswater Road, in between Marble Arch and Notting Hill. Once all was sorted with the hair and makeup etc. Julia was taken the 500m or so in the a car, I decided to wander down. As I left the bus park and walked along the Bayswater road towards Queensway I spotted someone with a very ill fitting bicycle helmet sitting far back on their head. That is what made me look. I couldn't believe it, it was Ralph Fiennes! He was certainly nowhere near as menacing as he had appeared in Schindler's list.
But that's not even the story I set out to tell here. No this is the one.
While on the gallery set at Whiteley's I was approached by the legendary Costume designer Anne Heche. While revered by all, she and I seemed to get along pretty well. Hey Ian (although with the New York twang it sounded like she was calling me Anne!).Do you know where I get a hamburger? She drawled in her gruff Rasping American accent. I had a think and told her that there was a McDonald's on the floor below in the shopping centre. Yeah that's great you want to come with me? She said. It was a quiet moment so I let people know where and with whom I was going, Anne and I set off. We chatted casually until we arrived at Mackey D's. So what would you like? I asked. I want a hamburger she drawled, I explained it's a little different here and the hamburger here is tiny, the big hamburger here is called a quarter pounder or a quarter pounder with cheese.
Okay I want a quarter pounder she said. Any cheese? I offered. No, just a quarter pounder. She responded in exactly the tone she had used throughout the exchange. We got our food. Anne paid which I thought was very kind. We just sat outside the doorway on the tables the restaurant had there. We chatted and ate, the next thing I remember was the figure of a tall well-dressed woman looming over us. She was greeting Anne enthusiastically, obviously a friend. Imagine my surprise when I looked up to see it was Sigourney Weaver. Here I am sitting at McDonald's in Whiteleys shopping centre and an A-list Hollywood movie star has turned up to say hi to her friend. I really giggled to myself, within a couple of hours I've been working with movie stars and spotted one randomly randomly riding past on a bike and was now being introduced to one at McDonalds. You couldn't write it.
At the end of the shoot it was time for us all to say our goodbyes. We had a fun day shooting stills that were to be used for the movie poster. I picked up my bags to leave and turned around and Julia stood before me. She launched that smile at me and pulled me towards her in a friendly embrace. I had my bags in my hands so couldn't really reciprocate. It was so funny when she then said, you know what it's a pretty wild thing when you're giving so much and getting absolutely nothing back. I was of course really embarrassed and apologised but we laughed.