Sources |
- [S74] Atchley Funeral Home Records, Volume IV, 1987-1999, Larry D. Fox, (Smoky Mountain Historical Society), 1 Sep 1999.
James Gregory Ivey obituary
- [S27] The Daily Times, http://www.thedailytimes.com/, (Blount County, Tennessee), 24 Dec 2006.
'Marshall' style: Seymour resident stylist on movie
Photo courtesy of Phil Ivey
Hollywood hairstylist Phil Ivey, of Seymour, works on the period hairstyle of actress January Jones on the set of “We Are Marshall.”
By Patricia Grames Pollock
Daily Times Correspondent
Hair designer Phil Ivey almost turned down the offer to work on the newly released movie, "We Are Marshall," when he got the job offer.
The Seymour resident was grieving over the death of his youngest son, Damon, who took his own life at age 22 on Jan. 4, 2005.
He was glad he overcame his hesitancy and accepted the job.
As it turned out, the movie, which he described as a story about survival and loss, was a healing event for him.
"Doing 'We Are Marshall' really helped me deal with healing and pain," said Ivey, whose title is department head Hair Design with Key Hair Design or listed as additional hair.
Although Ivey is sometimes referred to as a makeup artist, he says such isn't the case.
"I can paint a really pretty face, but that's about it," he said. "I love being a hair designer."
Ivey graduated from the Tennessee School of Beauty in 1971 and was the first of 20,000 students to be inducted into that school's hall of fame in 2003.
He was formerly based in Atlanta and New York but recently returned to this area to be with his parents.
He has worked with numerous movie stars such as Jessica Tandy ("Driving Miss Daisy") and Morgan Freeman ("The Resting Place," "Driving Miss Daisy" and "The Shawshank Redemption").
As so-called "additional hair," he works on extras in movies, something he thoroughly enjoys doing.
"I spent four great weeks in Kentucky as a stylist working on 'Seabiscuit'" — the movie, not the horse, he recalled.
His team of 15 hairstylists worked on about 800 extras a day.
"We were doing period 1930s hairstyles, which included finger waves," he said.
He had a lot of fun doing Native American hairstyles in "New World," which was filmed in Jamestown, Va., on land where descendants of Pocahontas still live.
"I met Pocahontas' 16th great-granddaughter, and she was just wonderful," he said. "That was a very educational experience for me."
Photo Courtesy of Phil Ivey
Hairstylist Phil Ivey, flanked by actresses January Jones (left) and Kimberly Williams-Paisley, have fun blending in with fake football fans in the movie, “We Are Marshall.”
Ivey remembers tragedy
He said he was just graduating from beauty school when the chartered plane carrying the Marshall University, of Huntington, W. Va., Thundering Herd football team as well the head coach and other staff crashed during descent. There were no survivors of the Nov. 14, 1970, crash.
Filming of the movie took place for three weeks in Huntington; the remainder was done in and around Atlanta.
Ivey said that for the hairstyles in the movie, they used authentic period products, including hairspray.
"I had a wonderful staff," he said. "Joni Yarbrough was department head. We're like brother and sister."
He went on to say that Yarbrough does such famous heads as Billy Bob Thornton and Tim McGraw on a regular basis.
"I only do Randy Travis," he joked.
A part-time actor
He has had some bit parts in a few movies.
In "The Adventure of Ociee Nash," which was shot in Atlanta, he played a man asleep on a train.
In "We Are Marshall," where vehicles from the 1970s were used, he played a driver of a pickup truck with Tennessee orange and white colors. He joked that the transportation coordinator knew he was a University of Tennessee Vols fan.
"Every time the producers or directors need a big ugly biker or a sleeping man on the train, they always pick me," he said with a laugh.
He was noncommittal about which celebrities were the most difficult to work with.
"All of us have a little snit in them," he said.
He just returned from Los Angeles where he worked on the movie "The Wager," with Randy Travis. Next week he'll go to Santa Fe for a photo shoot for Travis' new album that will be out Christmas 2007.
Foundation for support
One of his special interests now is the foundation he and David Gildries, of Leaping Waters Productions, are forming. Gildries' wife, Stella, committed suicide two days prior to Ivey's son.
It has been named the Damon and Stella Foundation for Mental Health, and Randy Travis is the national spokesman. He expects to hold a fund-raiser for the foundation in Maryville this March.
"We hope to raise $10 million by the year 2010," he said.
Last modified: December 24. 2006 1:41AM
- [S84] E-Mail, Vanna I. Holbert [NurseVanna@aol.com], 9 Sep 2008.
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