As expected, “The Little Mermaid” live-action remake has hit big. The film and the cast and crew involved haven’t left the news cycle since plans of the remake were announced.

One topic consistently making headlines is Halle Bailey’s hair in the film. Now, the woman behind it is coming into focus. Camille Friend was the head of the hair department for “The Little Mermaid” movie. Friend recently revealed in an interview with Variety that achieving and maintaining Bailey’s signature red locs cost at least $150,000.

Sticking to Natural Roots

Friend had to ensure she maintained Bailey natural locs. This was a challenge as Friend also needed to achieve the fiery red color associated with the cartoon character Bailey was playing. According to Friend, it was important to incorporate Bailey’s natural hair rather than cut it or cover it.

“I knew a wig just wasn’t going to work,” Friend told Variety.

The solution was to wrap Halle’s locs in custom-coloured hair.

“If we take hair and wrap it around her locs, we don’t have to cut them and we don’t have to color them,” Friend explained in her Variety interview. “We can change her color without changing her internal hair structure. Her structure and her hair are her.”

Friend’s decision to maintain Halle’s locs sets a positive example for how Hollywood should treat the hair of Black female characters in TV and film.

An Illustrious Background

While Friend’s work has been a point of conversation due to the new film, she is not a new name in the entertainment industry.

Friend has been working as a celebrity hairstylist in the film industry for over 20 years. She has worked on numerous projects. Those include Hunger Games, Pirates of the Caribbean, Captain Marvel and most notably, the Black Panther franchise. Friend’s work in Black Panther has been highly lauded. The work has earned her Oscar and Emmy nominations. 

The Future of Black Hair in Hollywood

Hollywood has historically struggled with how it approaches the hair of Black actresses. The struggle in the entertainment industry further perpetuates the narrative around Black hair in real life. In 2021 for instance, Monique Colman who played Taylor McKessie in High School Musical, had to suggest headbands to her hair department. The suggestion came after the department, seemingly unfamiliar with Black hair, had done her’s poorly. Camille Friend’s growing popularity could potentially help studios understand the importance of accommodating Black hair and hiring those skilled in working with it.