Abbott Elementary lead hairstylist reveals how changing this characters look helped shape their story arc

Season 4 of Abbott Elementary was a memorable one for the characters on the show, but what stood out most were the bold hair statements throughout the 22 episodes.One of the most notable hair changes viewers saw this season was with Ava Coleman, played by Janelle James, 45.Ava, the school’s principal, is known for her eccentric personality, untraditional leadership skills, and memorable one-liners.She has lied, threatened, stolen, and negotiated with everyone for what viewers can argue is the betterment of the school. Moira Frazier, the Makeup Department Head for the show and a two-time Emmy nominee for Outstanding Contemporary Hairstyling, explained how she wanted to show Ava’s character arc through her wigs.“Okay, in the beginning of her character building, she always had her hair like, you know, a different wig every single episode, like that was her thing.

That was her vibe,” Frazier said.“But this season, this past season, season four, it came more at we wanted to show her stability and her coming into her role as being the principal of the school and taking that role a lot more seriously,” she continued.Since being introduced to Ava in Season 1, she has been known for having different hair colors, primarily blonde.The eccentric principal is also known for wearing 18-20 inches of long hair.However, in the first half of Season 4, Ava’s hair had an ombre effect, going from black to burgundy. “For me, I wanted to introduce this color that we really haven’t seen too much in TV and film, and it reads so well on her because a lot of times you can do like that red ombre, but sometimes if it’s not color right, it’s going to show off too bright, and doesn’t really go with the skin tone,” Frazier said.

“But for her, this particular color, it just blends seamlessly.”As the series progressed, viewers saw a shift in Ava’s character when she started to deeply care for her staff and students.At the height of the season, Ava got fired for ta...