Words Kelly Finerty
Photo Wind Gypsy Photography
Sitting down for coffee with Carmel Graham, a Sidney woman who has risen to the top of key hairstyling for film and TV over the past decade, felt like winning a movie lover’s lottery.
Carmel’s Internet Movie Database (IMDb) outlines her impressive work on 30+ professional film productions since 2016, so you can imagine the hours we could have gushed about her love for film and the exuberance she feels collaborating with creatives to bring scripted visions to life on big and small screens around the globe. How Carmel reached this act in her film career is a movie I’d love to see, but for now, dear reader, an ink-on-paper version will have to do.
As a creative child, Carmel always knew she wanted to be a hairstylist. Growing up in Sidney, a popular filming location for several national and international productions, it was always her dream to be part of the make-believe. This dream would come true in 2016, when Carmel jumped on an opportunity to fly to Los Angeles for a three-day new product line course, learning how to train stylists. “Surprisingly, there were very few Canadians at the event,” recalls Carmel. “The attendance was massive, with stylists from all across North America.” A surprising takeaway from Carmel’s L.A. experience was her rank as a top-tier stylist; her skill in colour, cut and styling was quite notable within a large sample size of her peers. On the plane ride home, Carmel remembers gazing out the window, thinking: “I’m ready to pursue hairstyling for film,” and that she needed a plan to access the industry. Enter the universe.
By happenstance, or fate, upon Carmel’s return from L.A. a colleague in Comox posted on Facebook that a large television production filming on the Island needed a Hairstylist Assistant. After stating her enthusiastic interest in lending a hand, Carmel was swept off to Parksville for her first crew position on a major production: Chesapeake Shores. She gelled instantly with the Head of Department for the show’s creative vision, and when relationships among film folks are the popcorn and butter of future work in the industry, it’s no wonder Carmel’s talent and iconic energy have kept her working in key hairstyling ever since. Most recently, Carmel was an integral head of the styling team for Crave’s Yaga, a supernatural TV series filmed in Victoria, starring Canadian actors Carrie-Anne Moss (The Matrix) and Hudson Williams (Heated Rivalry) that landed Carmel at the Toronto International Film Festival in September for its world premiere. “Witchy dark fantasy and psychological thriller characters are my favourite looks to build. Creating wigs that transform actors is a rewarding part of the job. I love seeing that work on screen,” she says.
Even over one decade, Carmel is no stranger to the rollercoaster of the film industry. “Covid was an interesting time,” reflected Carmel as we sipped our lattes and recalled how scary everything felt back then. “Unfortunately, a job to finish a show in L.A. was cancelled, but film was still very busy on the Island, and I only briefly went to Vancouver for one production. During American Dreamer, the crew were head-to-toe in PPE and swab-tested twice per week before arriving on set. Even so, some great creative work came out of that time.” For Carmel and many others, film work on the Island ground to a halt during the Writers’ Guild of America (WGA) Strike in 2023. Carmel is a union member with IATSE and ACFC, film unions in full solidarity with the WGA, and with negotiations eventually successful after 148 long days, but filming delays as a result, Carmel’s Sidney community came to her aid. “During the strike, Will + Wheel Hair Lounge were so flexible, allowing me to try new cut and colour techniques for clients when I was between film jobs,” recalls Carmel. “I always want to work close to home, and stay on the Island. Productions that film in our beautiful part of the world bring money to the local economy, and I hope people who live here can see how much the industry grows our local businesses. There are a lot of people working on set, and when we have those delayed hours for setup and downtime, we go shopping!”
Film nerds generally like to ask two things in the presence of cool filmy folks like Carmel, and I’m no exception: What is your favourite movie and TV show, and if there was another job for you on set, what would it be? “Napoleon Dynamite for favourite movie, and The White Lotus for TV show. I love an indie film, and a series you can really sink into,” says Carmel as I’m nodding away, jotting notes, sporting an oat milk moustache. For another job on set, Carmel would like to be a Producer. “I like being busy, solving problems, pitching ideas, planning and designing. That’s probably why I love indie films so much – getting creative with a small budget is fun!”
Inspiration and hope for the film industry on the Island with successful professionals like Carmel at the helm is closer to home than we might think. You never know where confidence and responding to a Facebook post will lead you. In Carmel’s case, sharing her skills led to her dream career in film and TV, and she didn’t even have to move to Hollywood, because film is already right here, as a truly Island industry.
