Jodi Mancuso

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The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About
About this interview

In her two-hour interview, Jodi Mancuso talks about her early life, and how she followed her mother into a career as a hair stylist. She describes stepping away from hair to raise a child, and eventually going back to it to work on Saturday Night Live. She chronicles the crazy atmosphere during Saturday Night Live’s live broadcasts, and recounts a typical workweek styling wigs for the cast members and the hosts of the show. She specifically recalls working with several cast members and hosts, including Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Tom Hanks, Melissa McCarthy, Kenan Thompson and Kate McKinnon. Mancuso discusses the difficulties she sometimes encounters with last-minute changes to the show, and details winning six Emmy Awards for her work on Saturday Night Live. She speaks of working as a stylist on other shows, including Baskets, Portlandia, and Miracle Workers. She concludes with advice to aspiring television stylists, and by putting the interviewer in a Donald Trump wig. Dan Pasternack conducted the interview on June 8, 2018 at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York, NY.

"For me, styling hair for Saturday Night Live is creatively the most fulfilling. You’re not here for the hours, you’re not here for money. You’re here because you never know what’s going to happen each week. And, it’s always fun."

Interviewee(s)
Jodi Mancuso
Highlights
Jodi Mancuso on Saturday Night Live cast members needing to wear "self wigs"
Jodi Mancuso on being the inspiration for Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph's "Bronx Beat" sketches on Saturday Night Live
Jodi Mancuso on crafting Tina Fey's "Sarah Palin" wig for Saturday Night Live, and on Palin appearing on the show
Jodi Mancuso on hairstyling for the Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special and on wigs for old characters like "Roseanne Roseannadanna" and "The Church Lady"
Jodi Mancuso on working with Melissa McCarthy as guest host of Saturday Night Live and on making her up as "Sean Spicer"
Jodi Mancuso on what a viewer can learn about a character from the way they are styled
Full Interview

Chapter 1
On her early life and influences; on following her mother into hairstyling and makeup, and on styling hair for Off-Broadway and Broadway shows
On how she started working as a hair stylist on Saturday Night Live; on her memories of first walking into Saturday Night Live, and on her first time "running a track"; on the experience of styling hair for live television
On a typical workweek for her as hairstylist on Saturday Night Live; on dealing with the hosts and their wigs on Saturday Night Live; on collaborating with performers like Fred Armisen and Martin Short
On collaborating with other departments on Saturday Night Live, and on doing hair for pre-taped segments; on doing hair for Digital Shorts like the Lonely Island segments on Saturday Night Live; on her Saturday as a hairstylist on the show, including dealing with last-minute changes
On Saturday Night Live cast members needing to wear "self wigs"; on her interaction with Lorne Michaels on Saturday Night Live; on working with Tina Fey on the show, and on crafting wigs based on real people
On crafting Tina Fey's "Sarah Palin" wig for Saturday Night Live, and on Palin appearing on the show; on being the inspiration for Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph's "Bronx Beat" sketches on Saturday Night Live
On working with Tom Hanks on the "David S. Pumpkins" sketch on Saturday Night Live; on working with Melissa McCarthy as guest host of Saturday Night Live and on making her up as "Sean Spicer"; on working with Kristen Wiig on Saturday Night Live

Chapter 2
On Alec Baldwin's "Donald Trump" wig on Saturday Night Live; on working with Kenan Thompson on Saturday Night Live; on working with Kate McKinnon, and on McKinnon appearing on-air with Hillary Clinton
On her difficulty in dealing with big stars' and newsmakers' cameos on Saturday Night Live; on her collaboration as hairstylist with Saturday Night Live director Don Roy King; on hairstyling for the Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special
On winning six Emmy Awards for her work on Saturday Night Live and on the challenges of doing prosthetics on the show; on being called in last-minute to style hair for Maya & Marty; on going to work styling hair for Portlandia
On doing wigs for the series Baskets; on doing wigs for the series Miracle Workers; on being called on by actors to design wigs for them on various projects
On what a viewer can learn about a character from the way they are styled; on enjoying helping to create a new character; on basing wigs for fictional characters on real people's hair
On advice to an aspiring television hair stylist; on how long she might continue to work; on what has kept her working at Saturday Night Live
Shows

Baskets

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Jodi Mancuso on doing wigs for the series Baskets

Emmy Awards, The (Primetime and Daytime)

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Jodi Mancuso on winning six Emmy Awards for her work on Saturday Night Live and on the challenges of doing prosthetics on the show

Maya & Marty

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Jodi Mancuso on collaborating with Martin Short on Maya & Marty, and on the importance of wigs to a performer
Jodi Mancuso on being called in last-minute to style hair for Maya & Marty

Miracle Workers

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Jodi Mancuso on doing wigs for the series Miracle Workers

Portlandia

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Jodi Mancuso on collaborating with performers like Fred Armisen on hairstyles for sketches on Saturday Night Live and Portlandia
Jodi Mancuso on going to work styling hair for Portlandia
Jodi Mancuso on the differences between doing hair for Saturday Night Live and for Portlandia
Jodi Mancuso on doing wigs for Portlandia characters "Toni" and "Candace," the bookstore ladies, and gender swap couple "Nina" and "Lance"

Saturday Night Live

View Show Page
Jodi Mancuso on how she started working as a hair stylist on Saturday Night Live
Jodi Mancuso on her memories of first walking into Saturday Night Live, and on her first time "running a track"
Jodi Mancuso on the experience of styling hair for live television on Saturday Night Live
Jodi Mancuso on a typical workweek for her as hairstylist on Saturday Night Live
Jodi Mancuso on dealing with the hosts and their wigs on Saturday Night Live
Jodi Mancuso on collaborating with performers like Fred Armisen on hairstyles for sketches on Saturday Night Live and Portlandia
Jodi Mancuso on collaborating with other departments on Saturday Night Live, and on doing hair for pre-taped segments
Jodi Mancuso on doing hair for Digital Shorts like the Lonely Island segments on Saturday Night Live
Jodi Mancuso on her Saturday as a hairstylist on Saturday Night Live including dealing with last minute changes
Jodi Mancuso on Saturday Night Live cast members needing to wear "self wigs"
Jodi Mancuso on her interaction with Lorne Michaels on Saturday Night Live
Jodi Mancuso on working with Tina Fey on Saturday Night Live
Jodi Mancuso on crafting wigs based on real people for Saturday Night Live
Jodi Mancuso on crafting Tina Fey's "Sarah Palin" wig for Saturday Night Live, and on Palin appearing on the show
Jodi Mancuso on being the inspiration for Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph's "Bronx Beat" sketches on Saturday Night Live
Jodi Mancuso on working with Tom Hanks on the "David S. Pumpkins" sketch on Saturday Night Live
Jodi Mancuso on working with Melissa McCarthy as guest host of Saturday Night Live and on making her up as "Sean Spicer"
Jodi Mancuso on working with Kristen Wiig on Saturday Night Live
Jodi Mancuso on Alec Baldwin's "Donald Trump" wig on Saturday Night Live
Jodi Mancuso on working with Kenan Thompson on Saturday Night Live
Jodi Mancuso on working with Kate McKinnon on Saturday Night Live, and on McKinnon appearing on-air with Hillary Clinton
Jodi Mancuso on her difficulty in dealing with big stars' and newsmakers' cameos on Saturday Night Live
Jodi Mancuso on Robert De Niro doing a cameo as "Robert Mueller" on Saturday Night Live
Jodi Mancuso on her collaboration as hairstylist with Saturday Night Live director Don Roy King
Jodi Mancuso on hairstyling for the Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special and on wigs for old characters like "Roseanne Roseannadanna" and "The Church Lady"
Jodi Mancuso on winning six Emmy Awards for her work on Saturday Night Live and on the challenges of doing prosthetics on the show
Jodi Mancuso on being called in last-minute to style hair for Maya & Marty
Jodi Mancuso on what has kept her working at Saturday Night Live
Topics

Advice

View Topic
Jodi Mancuso on advice to an aspiring television hair stylist

Celebrities in the News

View Topic
Jodi Mancuso on crafting Tina Fey's "Sarah Palin" wig for Saturday Night Live, and on Palin appearing on the show
Jodi Mancuso on her difficulty in dealing with big stars' and newsmakers' cameos on Saturday Night Live

Characters & Catchphrases

View Topic
Jodi Mancuso on being the inspiration for Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph's "Bronx Beat" sketches on Saturday Night Live
Jodi Mancuso on working with Tom Hanks on the "David S. Pumpkins" sketch on Saturday Night Live
Jodi Mancuso on hairstyling for the Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special and on wigs for old characters like "Roseanne Roseannadanna" and "The Church Lady"
Jodi Mancuso on doing wigs for Portlandia characters "Toni" and "Candace," the bookstore ladies, and gender swap couple "Nina" and "Lance"

Donald J. Trump

View Topic
Jodi Mancuso on Alec Baldwin's "Donald Trump" wig on Saturday Night Live

Emmy Awards

View Topic
Jodi Mancuso on winning six Emmy Awards for her work on Saturday Night Live and on the challenges of doing prosthetics on the show

First Big Break

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Jodi Mancuso on how she started working as a hair stylist on Saturday Night Live

Pivotal Career Moments

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Jodi Mancuso on how she started working as a hair stylist on Saturday Night Live

Pop Culture

View Topic
Jodi Mancuso on being the inspiration for Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph's "Bronx Beat" sketches on Saturday Night Live
Jodi Mancuso on crafting Tina Fey's "Sarah Palin" wig for Saturday Night Live, and on Palin appearing on the show
Jodi Mancuso on working with Tom Hanks on the "David S. Pumpkins" sketch on Saturday Night Live
Jodi Mancuso on hairstyling for the Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special and on wigs for old characters like "Roseanne Roseannadanna" and "The Church Lady"
Jodi Mancuso on doing wigs for Portlandia characters "Toni" and "Candace," the bookstore ladies, and gender swap couple "Nina" and "Lance"
Jodi Mancuso on her difficulty in dealing with big stars' and newsmakers' cameos on Saturday Night Live

Television Industry

View Topic
Jodi Mancuso on advice to an aspiring television hair stylist

Television and the Presidency

View Topic
Jodi Mancuso on crafting Tina Fey's "Sarah Palin" wig for Saturday Night Live, and on Palin appearing on the show
Jodi Mancuso on Alec Baldwin's "Donald Trump" wig on Saturday Night Live
Jodi Mancuso on working with Kate McKinnon on Saturday Night Live and on McKinnon appearing on-air with Hillary Clinton
Professions

Hair Stylist

View Profession
Jodi Mancuso on a typical workweek for her as hairstylist on Saturday Night Live
Jodi Mancuso on collaborating with other departments on Saturday Night Live, and on doing hair for pre-taped segments
Jodi Mancuso on crafting wigs based on real people for Saturday Night Live
Jodi Mancuso on being called on by actors to design wigs for them on various projects
Jodi Mancuso on what a viewer can learn about a character from the way they are styled
Jodi Mancuso on enjoying helping to create a new character
Jodi Mancuso on basing wigs for fictional characters on real people's hair
Jodi Mancuso on advice to an aspiring television hair stylist
Jodi Mancuso puts the interviewer in a Donald Trump wig

Stylists

View Profession
Jodi Mancuso on a typical workweek for her as hairstylist on Saturday Night Live
Jodi Mancuso on collaborating with other departments on Saturday Night Live, and on doing hair for pre-taped segments
Jodi Mancuso on crafting wigs based on real people for Saturday Night Live
Jodi Mancuso on being called on by actors to design wigs for them on various projects
Jodi Mancuso on what a viewer can learn about a character from the way they are styled
Jodi Mancuso on enjoying helping to create a new character
Jodi Mancuso on basing wigs for fictional characters on real people's hair
Jodi Mancuso on advice to an aspiring television hair stylist
Jodi Mancuso puts the interviewer in a Donald Trump wig
Genres

Comedy Series

View Genre
Jodi Mancuso on styling hair for Portlandia
Jodi Mancuso on doing wigs for the series Baskets
Jodi Mancuso on doing wigs for the series Miracle Workers

Music Shows & Variety Shows/Specials

View Genre
Jodi Mancuso on styling hair for Saturday Night Live
Jodi Mancuso on styling hair for Saturday Night Live
Jodi Mancuso on being called in last-minute to style hair for Maya & Marty
People

Alec Baldwin

View Person Page
Jodi Mancuso on Alec Baldwin's "Donald Trump" wig on Saturday Night Live

Tina Fey

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Jodi Mancuso on working with Tina Fey on Saturday Night Live
Jodi Mancuso on crafting Tina Fey's "Sarah Palin" wig for Saturday Night Live, and on Palin appearing on the show

Tom Hanks

View Person Page
Jodi Mancuso on working with Tom Hanks on the "David S. Pumpkins" sketch on Saturday Night Live

Melissa McCarthy

View Person Page
Jodi Mancuso on working with Melissa McCarthy as guest host of Saturday Night Live and on making her up as "Sean Spicer"

Kate McKinnon

View Person Page
Jodi Mancuso on working with Kate McKinnon on Saturday Night Live, and on McKinnon appearing on-air with Hillary Clinton

Lorne Michaels

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Jodi Mancuso on her interaction with Lorne Michaels on Saturday Night Live

Robert De Niro

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Jodi Mancuso on Robert De Niro doing a cameo as "Robert Mueller" on Saturday Night Live

Sarah Palin

View Person Page
Jodi Mancuso on crafting Tina Fey's "Sarah Palin" wig for Saturday Night Live, and on Palin appearing on the show

Martin Short

View Person Page
Jodi Mancuso on collaborating with Martin Short on Maya & Marty, and on the importance of wigs to a performer

Kenan Thompson

View Person Page
Jodi Mancuso on working with Kenan Thompson on Saturday Night Live

Kristen Wiig

View Person Page
Jodi Mancuso on working with Kristen Wiig on Saturday Night Live

All Interviews

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