Martin Samuel

Hair Designer

Martin Samuel’s career in the film industry spans 35 yrs during which time he has department headed and designed countless feature films here in Los Angeles, Canada, London and Europe. Martin started his career in Salons and was the artistic director of Crimpers the first Unisex Salon in London at the end of the swinging sixties. He then moved into print and advertising, and commercials working alongside directors Alan Parker, Michael Apted, Ridley and Tony Scott, Hugh Hudson and Adrian Lynne. and eventually moved into the British film industry working on three films with Lee Remmick "IKE THE WAR YEARS" and "THE MEDUSA TOUCH" and the Merchant Ivory production of 'THE EUROPEANS".
Martin first came to Los Angeles on the film “STARDUST” with David Essex, Adam Faith and Keith Moon, a 60’s cult pop movie directed by Michael Apted. He then joined Director Nicholas Roeg in New Mexico and created the Iconic hair for “THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH” this lead him to join David Bowie for the “STATION TO STATION” European Tour. He continued working on feature films in the UK and then came to LA to reside where he worked again with Apted on his Academy Award film "COAL MINERS DAUGHTER" and then on to the musical ‘XANADU” with Olivia Newton John and 3 films with actress Jill Clayburg.
Martin returned to the UK to work on Alan Parkers “PINK FLOYD,THE WALL” and Nicholas Roeg's ‘EUREKA” He then decided to take a hiatus from the film industry and took up residence in the English Countryside with his family, opening a lucrative hair and beauty salon, and an exclusive clothes boutique with his wife Mary. He returned to the film industry in ‘92 with “A KISS BEFORE DYING” starring Sean Young and Matt Dillon, Bernardo Bertolucci’s “LITTLE BUDDHA” and FRANCO ZEFFIRELLI'S "JANE EYRE" and many other films culminating in “EVITA” for director Sir Alan Parker. Creating over 42 hairstyles for Madonna depicting Eva Peron for which he received a BAFTA nomination. He returned to Los Angeles where he resumed his career working with Steven Zaillian on "A CIVIL ACTION", "WILD WILD WEST" with Barry Sonnenfield, "HOLLOW MAN" for Paul Verhoeven and "BLOW" with Penelope Cruz and Johnny Depp. In 2003 he designed the hair and department headed ‘PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL” he continued to work with Johnny on ‘SECRET WINDOW”, Penelope Cruz on “NOEL”, ‘SAHARA”, “CHROMOPHOBIA”, and “ELEGY” and Keira Knightley and Mickey Rourke on Tony Scotts ‘”DOMINO”.
He then completed the "PIRATE'S" Trilogy with “DEAD MANS CHEST” and "AT WORLDS END" for which he received both Oscar and Bafta Nominations and the Saturn Award. This was followed by Tracey Ullman’s 3 seasons of the Showtime series “STATE OF THE UNION” where he designed 50 character wigs and was nominated for 3 Emmys. This was followed by "BURLESQUE" the Hollywood Musical, and then designed the hair for "HITCHCOCK" with Helen Mirren, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Scarlett Johansson and Jessica Biel for which he again received Bafta and Oscar nominations next came "LOVE AND MERCY THE LIFE AND TIMES OF BRIAN WILSON" with Paul Dano and Elizabeth Banks. He continues to work and reside in Los Angeles with his wife and family.