Deborah Ayorinde stars in the new, highly addictive Prime Video series Riches about a Black haircare empire and the dysfunctional family fighting for control of it.
Countless Black actors have spoken out about their hair being mistreated or ignored on set, so we chatted with Deborah about the importance of representation behind the scenes.
"It's hard to have us not be taken care of behind the scenes and then be expected to do great work in front of the camera," Deborah told BuzzFeed.
"The hair and makeup trailer is our first stop on the train when we get to set, so it's important that we not only have artists who do great work and are really passionate about doing their job with love, but also doing different hair textures and skin tones."
Deborah admitted to seeing Black actors onscreen with questionable wigs and makeup that didn't match, but when she saw them in person, they looked completely different. "It's a shame," Deborah said about the disservice Black actors have experienced with makeup artists and hairstylists on set.
"It's 2022 — there should be more artists that are empowered to be the head of departments, who know how to do everyone."
"It starts with the schools. It starts with the education and it being required to learn how to do different hair textures, and how to do different skin tones."
Thankfully, that's something Deborah didn't have to deal with while filming Riches.
To see enviable fashion choices, makeup that matches, hair inspiration, and a lot of family drama, be sure to check out Riches, which is currently streaming on Prime Video.