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

Former “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” cast member Adrienne Maloof and Beyoncé were unlikely inspirations for “Anora’s” hair and makeup team.

In the Sean Baker film, Anora (aka Ani, played by Mikey Madison) is a young woman who scrapes by stripping and escorting in Brighton Beach, N.Y. After meeting and quickly marrying Ivan (Mark Eidelshtein), the son of a Russian billionaire, Ani finds herself living in a fantasy full of sex, drugs and luxury. However, once news of their marriage gets to Russia, Ivan’s parents stop at nothing to put their relationship to an end.

Hair department head Justine Sierakowski explains that Baker wanted Ani to look natural and shine. “I’m a huge ‘Real Housewives’ fan, and I remember Adrienne had tinsel in her hair. I remember seeing a photo of Beyoncé on the red carpet and looked it up.” Sierakowski sent the photo to makeup department head Annie Johnson and wondered if it was too weird, but Johnson thought it was an amazing addition for the character. “We did the test shoot, and I had done one side of her hair with a bunch of different colors, but he didn’t like it at first,” she says. Sierakowski thought there was too much color going on, so she had Madison choose the colors she wanted — that ended up being used for the entire movie.

Sierakowski and Johnson kept Ani’s looks simple — settling on five subtle looks. False eyelashes were just as important to the character. At one point, Ani is in the bathroom, which turns into a revealing moment for the character. Says Johnson, “She washes her makeup off, takes her lashes off, and it reveals her vulnerability.”

That scene becomes a turning point for the character, as her life starts spiraling out of control and her husband’s family tries to end their marriage. To reflect the change, Johnson kept Ani’s makeup to a bare minimum, relying on Madison’s natural beauty.