‘Anora’: Beyoncé and ‘Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ Cast Member Adrienne Maloof Inspired Ani’s Hair Tinsel Look

As a cinephile with a penchant for the unusual and a lifelong obsession with reality TV, I found myself captivated by the hair and makeup choices in Sean Baker’s film “Anora.” The team’s inspiration drawn from Adrienne Maloof of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and Beyoncé might seem like an odd pairing, but in the context of Ani’s character, it worked wonders.


The creative team behind “Anora’s” hair and makeup drew unanticipated inspiration from Adrienne Maloof, a previous cast member on “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” as well as Beyoncé.

In Sean Baker’s movie, the character Anora (also known as Ani, portrayed by Mikey Madison) is a young woman struggling financially in Brighton Beach, N.Y., through jobs like stripping and escorting. Following her rapid marriage to Ivan (Mark Eidelshtein), the son of a wealthy Russian businessman, Ani experiences a whirlwind life filled with sex, drugs, and extravagance. Yet, once word of their union reaches Russia, Ivan’s parents take drastic measures to dismantle their relationship.

Justine Sierakowski, who oversees the hair department, describes how Baker envisioned Ani’s appearance as being natural yet radiant. “Being a big fan of ‘Real Housewives,’ I recall Adrienne’s use of tinsel in her hair and even found a picture of Beyoncé sporting something similar on the red carpet,” Sierakowski shared. She sent this image to head of makeup, Annie Johnson, expressing doubts about its appropriateness, but Johnson thought it was an excellent idea for the character. “During our test shoot, I experimented with various colors on one side of her hair, but he wasn’t fond of it initially,” Sierakowski recounts. She felt there was too much color clashing, so she asked Madison to select the hues that would ultimately be used throughout the entire film.

As a movie reviewer, I found myself captivated by the understated elegance of Ani’s on-screen appearance, crafted meticulously by directors Sierakowski and Johnson. Five subtle looks were chosen to encapsulate Ani’s essence, with false eyelashes playing a pivotal role in her characterization.

In that pivotal moment, Ani’s life takes a dramatic turn for the worse as her marriage faces dissolution due to her husband’s family’s intervention. To underscore this transformation, Johnson chose to accentuate Madison’s inherent attractiveness rather than using heavy makeup on Ani.

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2024-11-09 20:17