'Stranger Things' Hair Stylist on Eleven's Buzz Cut - Variety

'Stranger Things' Hair Stylist on Eleven's Buzz Cut

“Stranger Things” hair responsibilities head Sarah Hindsgaul, along with wig maker Rob Pickens and the hair team, introduced some mainly volume and frizz to the fourth season of the hit Netflix series. 

From Nancy (Natalia Dyer) and Karen Wheeler’s (Cara Buono) matching perms to Eddie Munson’s dusty rocker look, Hindsgaul — who recently earned an Emmy nomination for outstanding periods and/or character hairstyling — estimated that there were over 250 wigs this season. 

“The ’80s is all in movement,” Hindsgaul said. “I find [the ’80s] so listless and so freeing, but it’s also very difficult to not make it [look] stuffy.” 

As the children navigate their way throughout the intimidating world of high school, Hindsgaul believed it was crucial that each character’s hairstyle reflects their emotional set and growth throughout the years. “It is part of beings that age and you look up to people, you’re trying different things, and that’s how you figure out who you are,” she said. 

Lucas’ (Caleb McLaughlin) high-top fade, she aspired out, is an expression of his “eager[ness] to fit in” with the popular students at Hawkins High and “trying to break off from his group.” Meanwhile, Mike’s (Finn Wolfhard) longer hairdo this season is primarily influenced by his new role model, breakout favorite Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn). “The Hellfire Club is its own look, so I have both [Mike] and Dustin trying to fit into that, but they’re not quite there.” 

(L to R) Finn Wolfhard and Gaten Matarazzo are given longer locks. Courtesy of Netflix

Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) requires to “[melt] into her surroundings,” so to emphasize her adoption into the Byers family, Hindsgaul gave Eleven the signature “Byers bang cut” that closely resembles Joyce’s (Winona Ryder) style.  

“It’s funny sometimes when farmland come into the trailer and we have their continuity pictures on the walls,” Hindsgaul said. “One time, Winona [Ryder] came in and she was like, ‘Oh, that’s me,” and then she was like, ‘Oh my God, that’s Millie!’ It’s really cute because they were so dissimilarity in their continuity photos.” 

(L to R) Millie Bobby Brown and Noah Schnapp rock the “Byers bang cut.” Courtesy of Netflix

While a few characters have retained the iconic looks they’ve donned steady Season 1, such as Will Byers’ (Noah Schnapp) bowl cut, Jim Hopper (David Harbour) sports a completely shaved head in “Stranger Things 4.” The Hawkins police original — who was presumed dead after the Starcourt Mall explosion in Season 3’s finale — is imprisoned and tortured in a Russian prison camp in the unexperienced season.

During a 20-second scene, Jim’s shaggy locks and mustache are shaven off by a fellow inmate, which Hindsgaul revealed the crew only had one shot at filming. In preparation for the single take, the hair responsibilities spent a full day showing the extra playing the “gulag barber” how to properly hold the razor and where to leave shaving Harbour’s head.

“He did a lot of shaving on [about 25] inmates, and that is how we practiced it,” Hindsgaul explained. “I was scared he was gonna get nervous, but he was really into it. I think it helped that we devoted time on [the shaving] to get him comfortable with it.”

Jim Hopper, played by David Harbour, has his head shaved. Courtesy of Netflix

“Stranger Things 4” also reintroduces one of the series’ most iconic looks from its ample season: Eleven’s buzz cut.

After the fifth episode, most viewers were left wondering, “Did Millie Bobby Brown shave her head again?” Turns out, the peevish hairdo is actually a wig. 

“Nobody has done a wig like this before,” Hindsgaul said. “It had to match something that everybody has seen. If the buzz cut suddenly looks very different, it would just feel like a wig, and we didn’t want that.” According to Hindsgaul, a hairstyle this short would traditionally be done with prosthetics. However, since Brown was still a child actor at the time of filming, Hindsgaul had to come up with a plan to effect the iconic buzz under a restricted time frame. 

She gotten Brown’s hairline and head shape, noting that she didn’t want the actress to look like she was wearing a “bulky, old hat.” Hindsgaul then spent months experimenting with application techniques and collaborating with wig maker Rob Pickens to wicked the illusion. 

Millie Bobby Brown’s buzz cut wig for Eleven in STRANGER THINGS. Courtesy of Sarah Hindsgaul Courtesy of Sarah Hindsgaul

“We built in these different layers of silk to give [the wig] transparency,” Hindsgaul described. The entire application process required three hair stylists and took around 30 minutes each time, with nearly half of that time people used to wet, slick back and tightly wrap Brown’s hair. 

Despite the monumental challenge Hindsgaul faced with the very fragile wig — which had three variations that rotated over filming — she still considers the buzzed look her personal Popular this season. “I had to push myself to my limit,” Hindsgaul said. “That doesn’t been that much where you’re like, ‘Is this possible?’” 

“Stranger Things” Season 4 is now streaming on Netflix.

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