Hair and make up designer Cynthia De La Rosa.
Cynthia first studied for a BFA in costume design in the US. She later she interned with the V&A in London and loved the city so much that, after graduation in 2005, she moved to the UK’s capital, landing a job with the English National Opera.
Her screen work many of it uncredited, includes Mary Queen of Scots (2018), The Crown (2019), The Windsors (2016-2020) and Killing Eve (2020). More recently, she’s stepped into a senior role in the hair and make up department for sitcom Everyone Else Burns and comedy-drama Dreaming Whilst Black (both 2023).
We spoke to Cynthia about being part of the BAFTA Cohort 2023 …
Please introduce yourself …
Hi my name is Cynthia De La Rosa, I am a Wigs, Hair and Makeup Designer for Theatre, Film and TV. I am originally from the Dominican Republic and came to London by way of Slidell, Louisiana! I have been living in the UK for over 16 years and have been working in the performing arts for nearly 19 years. I have worked on over 90 opera and theatre productions, and am currently working on Season 2 of Channel 4’s We Are Lady Parts as a Hair and Makeup Designer.
What’s been the most significant project of your career to date?
I would say that it is a tie between Everyone Else Burns and Dreaming Whilst Black. I worked on both projects (which are aesthetically very different) from their pilot stages, which was such amazing process for me as they were my first series jobs in the industry. Both pilots were filmed one month apart in 2021 and then the series were filmed 3 months apart in 2022. I could say that they were both life changing. Both Dreaming Whilst Black and Everyone Else Burns really needed two very different techniques in design.
Dreaming Whilst Black is a contemporary piece which allowed me to show my Afro and textured hair skills and skills in makeup for multi ethnic skin.. I led a team that was about 90% from the global majority (some of whom I have mentored into the industry) and really had to research different cultural norms within the black community and understand how they translated into how a character would or wouldn’t wear their hair or makeup. It was a real lesson in cultural intelligence.
Whilst Everyone Else Burns is a modern sitcom, it was a very character led design which meant I had to lean on my wig skills to really transform well known actors so that they were almost unrecognisable. We had to make a couple of actors in their late 20’s look believably like teenagers, whilst also aging and outdating well known comedy actors. The wigs and makeup were integral in helping to create these characters but also needed to be subtle enough that an audience wasn’t focused on the actors having wigs on. Both productions, whilst being comedies, needed to feel character led, without feeling like we were creating caricatures.
You’re a Hair and Makeup Artist because … ?
I am a Hair and Makeup designer because I think that it is one of the most important forms of storytelling- and one of the most underrated as well. I am a true believer that whatever is going on on the inside of a person/character, projects itself on their outsides. Our craft is often so subtle but often immediately informs the audience about how a character is feeling, how they are living, and what a character’s socioeconomic status is. Not only does our work influence an audience’s perception of a character, but it is an important tool for the actor, and can have a profound effect on how well an actor feels in order to do their role.
And is everything going to plan …?
Yes and no. I always thought I would always be a West End Wendy and design just for the stage. Theatre is definitely my first love and was the gateway to me being mentored by so many skilled individuals- it definitely set me up for working in TV and film. I wouldn’t have imagined 5 years ago that I would be designing Hair and Makeup for some amazing writers and producers. It’s been such an amazing journey and I am very excited to see what is to come, and I am also excited about being in a position to help others make their way in!
Why was now the right time to apply / be submitted for BAFTA Breakthrough?
In all honesty I didn’t know about the program but was very fortunate to be submitted by a production company I had designed a show for. They encouraged me to apply and they felt that in the last year I was creating work that merited a bigger platform that would showcase my abilities. I feel really fortunate to have had that level of support and guidance in the application process and it really helped me reflect on how far I had come. In one year I had gone from designing shorts to working on 3 network TV shows (one of which won a BAFTA as a pilot), and winning a Los Angeles Short Film Award for Best Hair and Makeup Design.
What was the first thing you did when you found out you are part of this year’s BAFTA Breakthrough Cohort?
I said some things that probably can’t be written in this interview!! I said a lot of expletives on the makeup truck and then finished my work day and celebrated with some bubbly when I got home!
What does it mean to be recognised by BAFTA, and what are you hoping to gain from the experience?
I am still just in real disbelief that i, and my craft in general, were being recognised by such a prestigious institution. I am only one of 3 Hair and Makeup Designers to be recognised for my work in the 10 years of the program. I am the first woman of colour to be recognised by Bafta Breakthrough in the Hair and Makeup field, so its quite momentous. Hair and Makeup isn’t always a craft that is recognised for its important contribution to story telling so if feels like a pretty big deal to be receiving this accolade as I have been in the performing arts for over 18-years and film and tv for over 6 years. I am hoping that having this opportunity will allow me to meet amazing Hair and Makeup Designers that i have looked up to and also will create opportunities for me to network with directors and producers who would like nurture and collaborate with new talent. I also want to use this platform to create opportunities for other working mothers, and women of the global majority who want to join the industry or progress in their craft.
Who of your peers would you recommend for next year’s BAFTA Breakthrough cohort?
Jody-Simone Howe (a brilliant costume designer and did Dreaming Whilst Black) is brilliant – she’s going to be doing an interesting project this year which I think will really show her chops. Marie Deehan who has just won a BIFA for her breakthrough hair and makeup design for Femme, and Tamara Ramsey-Crocket who designed the hair and makeup for Grime Kids. All 3 of these women I have had the pleasure of working with and learning from. They all have completely different artistic processes but have a great eye for detail and use their craft to amplify their story telling.
Tell us about a challenging moment during your career that you had to dig deep to get through?
Being a working parent in this industry is a tough gig, and has definitely been one of my greatest hurdles. My greatest challenge has been progressing in an industry when courses are so expensive and it’s important that we retrain and keep our skills up to date. A Hair and Makeup Artist’s normal working day is a 12-14 hour day that starts before any nursery opens (normally any where between 4:30 and 6am). I can honestly say that I have been incredibly privileged in that I have a working partner, have had family that have been really invested in my success, and also have had the luck of having the same child minders for over a decade. It’s definitely been a pay to play situation where I had to bring home less money but keep my one foot in the door. In order for this industry to make a real change towards inclusivity, and I don’t just mean it in terms of ethnicity, they need to invest in onsite affordable childcare options for freelancers in the industry, as well as childcare vouchers schemes, and also grants for working parents to move from the different departmental positions.
What’s next?
Well, I am currently working on Season 2 of We Are Lady Parts for Chanel 4 but in the new year I will be designing the Hair and Makeup for Lena Dunham’s next project for Netflix, and my theatre production of Standing at the Sky’s Edge, which won an Olivier for Best Musical is moving to the Gillian Lynne Theatre in Feb of 2024. Also, the not for profit that I co-founded in 2020, Levelling Up, will be expanding its mentorship program to help bring more people of the global majority into the performing arts. So some big and exciting things are coming.
How do we keep up to date with you and your work?
So you can follow me on instagram on @cynthiahairandmakeup and also for the not for profit that I co-founded, Levelling Up which is tackling Textured hair discrimination in the performing arts, its @levelingup_Uk
What are you reading, watching, listening to right now, and what’s the last thing you saw on stage?
- I am currently reading the script to my next project for Netflix. I don’t really have much time to read for pleasure. It’s either children’s stories at bedtime, plays, or tv/ movie scripts.
- I am watching Season 2 of The Bear, and was also peer pressured by my team into watching Coleen Rooney: The Real Wagatha Story, don’t judge, but it was so fascinating!
- The last thing I saw onstage was Clyde’s at the Donmar Warehouse which was such a brilliant show and it’s still on for a couple of weeks. However, full disclosure, I am biased as I designed the wigs and makeup for it.
- I have been listening to SAULT a lot and am obsessed with Monica Martin and James Blakes rendition of “Go Easy, Kid“. I am also really enjoying the industry podcast, “The Last Looks“