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72 | BEAUTY LAUNCHPAD | MAY 2016 Trendsetters/ A-List Big Time Kim M. Ferry, Department Head of Hair for Pretty Little Liars, shares how two conversations guided her career into the entertainment industry. —AMY DODDS T wenty-fi ve years ago, all Kim M. Ferry knew was that she wanted to do hair and was happily plying her trade, fi rst at a Fantastic Sams, then later at a salon in her hometown of Gurnee, Illinois. But a chance visit to her local mall changed everything. "I saw all these lights and cameras and chaos, and I thought, 'Yeah, that looks like fun,'" relates Ferry. That fun was the fi lming of the 1991 comedy Curly Sue with Jim Belushi. So although Ferry says she was shy at the time, curiosity got the best of her. She approached one of the crew and innocently said, "I'm with the people who do hair and stuff." To her astonishment, she was led back to the makeup department and was introduced to Susan "Sam" Mayer. Ferry asked Mayer how she got into the industry and, again to her astonishment, ended up having an hour-long conversation with the legendary makeup artist. "She said to me, 'When you make it, you have to promise me that you'll sit down with anyone who asks you for advice, because someone did it for me and now I'm doing it for you,'" Ferry remembers. She was also introduced to Ve Neill, an Academy Award-winning makeup industry icon who has worked with Johnny Depp for decades, among others. Neill was more tepid toward the budding stylist. "You probably won't make it," Ferry recalls her saying. "But good luck to you." Those two conversations fueled the young stylist's dream of making it big in Hollywood. She worked for another year in her hometown salon, scrimping and saving so she could move to Los Angeles. "I was 24, and moved to L.A. right after the riots broke out—my parents thought I was crazy," Ferry laughs. She was a shampoo girl, worked with photographers, cut hair for free at a local comedy club ("They sometimes even fed me, which I really needed!" she says) and eventually found her way onto the set of the TV show Babylon 5. From there, numerous movies and TV shows followed: The X-Files, Rush Hour 2, ER, Bruce Almighty, Veronica Mars and The Offi ce, just to name a few. And now, of course, she's the driving force behind the trendy and fun looks on the teen thriller Pretty Little Liars. A few years ago, Ferry had the opportunity to see Neill again at the IMATS tradeshow in Pasadena, California. The show featured a tribute to Jack Pierce, who was a pioneer in cinematic makeup and helped create the union for makeup artists. For a special stage presentation, Ferry styled a Bride of Frankenstein wig for a model upon whom Neill would do makeup. "I really wanted to tell her how much she motivated me, to show her I did make it," Ferry says. "But when Ve saw me, she said, 'I hope I can live up to your wig.' I just smiled and said thank you. That meant the world to me." Ferry poses with B.J. Novak from The Offi ce, who just launched his own app, The List App. Ferry shares a moment with The Offi ce's Creed Bratton during a Halloween episode. Ferry touches up Pretty Little Liars cast member Sasha Pieterse. "Keegan Allen always likes taking pictures when I least expect it," Ferry laughs. Å Try to get connected to someone who is in the business. b k t t th ht I KIM M. FERRY'S STEPS FOR SUCCESS Å Don't take no for an answer. Å Be bold and take risks. Å Get in touch with anyone you know in the entertainment business. You can follow Ferry on Instagram @hairferry. "I will keep it going," Ferry says. "I made that promise and I will keep it going. I will share what I know and I will do what I can." KIM M. FERRY COURTESY OF KIM M. FERRY