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66 | BEAUTY LAUNCHPAD | APRIL 2016 COURTESY OF LINDA FLOWERS Trendsetters/ A-List Who's The Boss? When it comes to tending her tresses on set, Melissa McCarthy turns to hairstylist Linda Flowers. —ALYSON OSTERMAN-KERR T here is nary another contemporary actress who transforms for her fi lm roles quite as much as Melissa McCarthy. Every character she plays—from a hot- tempered cop to a domineering titan of industry (in The Boss, out this month!)—sports a completely different look from her last. This of course is partly due to the actress herself, who approaches each role she takes with a particular style and beauty vision, but also because of her on-set hairstylist Linda Flowers, who fi rst met McCarthy back in 2007 when she was working on TV series Samantha Who?. Yet it was a fateful opportunity on the set of Identity Thief a few years ago that ultimately paved the relationship between McCarthy and Flowers into what it is today. "The studio had hired me to be the Department Head on Identity Thief, and when Melissa's personal hairstylist had to back out at the last minute, I stepped in—we've been inseparable ever since," says Flowers, who shares McCarthy's go-big-or-go-home mentality when creating her characters. "Melissa and I are perfect for each other because we both love wigs and we both love characters. Typically, the majority of movies and shows call for everyday 'contemporary hairstyling'—that can be so boring! With Melissa, each individual character is so vivid and so realized." When conceiving a look, Flowers fi rst turns to McCarthy for input, rather than the other way around. "Melissa really visualizes how her characters' hair looks, how their makeup looks, how they dress," Flowers explains. "She's very smart and very involved. She has a specifi c idea on the statements that each of her characters should make. That's why Spy was so terrifi c; she got to embody so many different character roles in that movie, and I loved helping her create them." The discussions on possible hairstyles for a role typically begin over the phone—McCarthy explains the character she's portraying to Flowers, and both women pitch ideas. Days later, McCarthy and Flowers meet at a local wig shop. "She'll try on about twenty wigs on average, until we get a real feel for the type of style we want the character to have," says Flowers, who then orders a custom-made hairpiece through her supplier. Flowers then cuts and dresses the wig to suit the character, with McCarthy reviewing the piece for approval and offering suggestions. "On most sets the hair needs to meet fi nal approval from the studio, but at this point in her career, the executives trust Melissa to make the right decision," remarks Flowers. One of Flowers' favorite experiences on any fi lm set with McCarthy? That fi rst moment she tries on her wig in full character costume and makeup. "The minute Melissa puts her wig on, she becomes that character," Flowers smiles. "Melissa can own any wig—and that's a rare ability. Not everyone can pull off all these different haircolors and styles while exuding confi dence and talent. Melissa, though…she can do anything." Linda Flowers (pictured right) and Melissa McCarthy pal around on the set of Identity Thief. "That character look was a fi ght," recalls Flowers. "Melissa wanted to be a redhead for the fi lm, and the studio originally wanted her natural hair. But she had such strong conviction in terms of how she saw her character that the studio eventually let her be a redhead. Now, the studios trust Melissa to do what she wants. And when the executives ask me my opinion, I'm always 'Team Melissa.' On a side note: I love her as a redhead." Å A few facts about Melissa McCarthy's hair (according to her on-set hairstylist, Linda Flowers): • Her natural texture is straight and fi ne • She likes a lot of volume, and often opts for hairpieces by HALOCOUTURE • Favorite liquid lines include I.C.O.N. and Oribe