Kidman’s love of wigs is well-known in the industry. But when the original film debuted, viewers were shocked to learn she wore an auburn-and-copper-colored wig to play Gilly Owens. People largely thought it was her own hair at the time.
To bring Gilly into the 2020s, Kidman’s longtime on-set hairstylist, Kim Santantonio, updated both the cut and color, bringing wigmaker Rob Pickens onboard to help. “He does all of her wigs, and luckily he was able to come to the trailer and show her samples,” says Santantonio.
Despite having the original wig in their possession, Kidman’s new wigs—she had two, one for backup—didn’t match the OG because the team intentionally added layers and texture to give her hair more movement. “The first wig was very straight, like we flatironed it,” says Santantonio. “It felt heavy [and looked] all one length. This time around, [Kidman] was moving her head a lot, wanting a lot of movement, flickering and flying, so when I put [the new wig] on her the first time, we razor-cut into it around her face, creating a lot of layers.” To style the wig, Santantonio first went in with a curling iron to add volume, then used a flatiron to straighten parts of it, creating a “rock and roll” effect. “In the first film, she had that edge to her,” Santantonio explains.
When it came to the color of the original wig, the shade was very flat, according to Santantonio. “There was no color variation. So when Rob made [the wig for the second film], we had highlights and beautiful color through it because natural hair has a highlight in it.”
A major factor in Kidman’s hair-color change is that in the nearly three decades since Practical Magic debuted, filmmaking has come a long way. “When they shot the first one, the camera and the stock were so different than they are today,” says Angela Levin, Kidman’s makeup artist. “Throughout the years, everything changed: the way it’s been lit, the colors, like Kim said, the highlights and the lowlights [in the hair] became crucial because the camera will pick it up.” According to Levin, if you take the wig and the film they used in 1998, it looks amazing. If you put that same wig on camera today, it would look totally different because we’re able to see more of the details, and it would not look as realistic.
Sanda Bullock’s Hair Tells Sally’s Story
In Practical Magic 2 (right), Bullock’s hair is more styled and restricted, versus the original film (left), where it’s more relaxed and free.
Everett Collection / Warner Bros. Pictures
