December 16, 2024 • 29 mins
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Confidence isn't just a state of mind—it's a tool you can sharpen and wield to transform your career. I'm Natalie Driscoll, here to share my journey from self-doubt to self-assurance in the rollercoaster realm of Hollywood. Listen in as I recount the pivotal moments that shaped my career, like landing a job I was underprepared for, all because authenticity and honesty were my guiding lights. Discover how embracing your vulnerabilities can open doors, making you someone people want to work with again and again.
Ever felt like backing out just because self-doubt crept in? I totally relate. Take a trip with me back to the set of "American Horror Story," where my nerves almost got the better of me. Through sheer determination and meticulous preparation, I mastered the art of period hairstyling and even found inspiration in unexpected places. By speaking my aspirations into existence and staying adaptable, I not only impressed the team but also silenced my inner critic. This story stands testament to the power of preparation and the magic of perseverance.
But how do you build the confidence to face such high-pressure situations? Tune in as I unveil practical strategies that have bolstered my resolve in the entertainment industry. From visualization techniques and positive affirmations to keeping a daily wins journal, I share tools you can use to boost your confidence. Remember, confidence isn't about chasing perfection—it's about showing up, prepared and ready to trust your abilities. Embrace your imperfections and let your unique talents shine, because it's your individual magic that truly sets you apart in Hollywood.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
welcome back to hollywood unscripted, with
natalie driscoll.
I'm natalie, your host andmentor, here to help you boldly
step into the thrilling,unpredictable and sometimes
intimidating world of hollywood.
Today, we're diving into one ofthe most powerful tools you can
bring to a Hollywood set.
And no, it's not your curlingiron or makeup brush.
(00:29):
It's confidence.
But here's the thing Confidenceisn't just about walking in
with your head held high,dressing the part or smiling
through nerves.
It's about preparation,resilience and showing others
that you're someone they cancount on.
Whether you're facing a toughset day, collaborating with
(00:51):
demanding personalities orsimply trying to make a name for
yourself, confidence is whathelps you shine.
And the best news, confidenceis a skill anyone can build.
I'm still working on it withcertain aspects of my life, so
we're always building thatconfidence.
So, whether you're about tostep into your very first
(01:14):
Hollywood set or you're lookingto elevate your presence in hair
and makeup trailers, todaywe're breaking down how to
cultivate confidence that makesyou someone people want to work
with again and again, and thereare specific tricks and I
shouldn't even say tricks, butthey're traits that people are
(01:36):
looking for, and I've seen bothends of the spectrum and I will
share that with you.
All right, let's talk aboutwhat true confidence looks like
on set because, spoiler alertit's not about faking it till
you make it or acting like aknow-it-all, especially not
acting like a know-it-all InHollywood.
(01:57):
Confidence means staying coolwhen you're under pressure,
speaking up when something isn'tright and making sure the team
knows they can count on you.
Reliability often trumpsperfection.
Can you handle last-minutechanges and high-pressure
situations?
That's where confidence trulyshines.
(02:17):
I'll give you a quick personalstory to illustrate this.
Okay, I got referred for a joband was being interviewed.
I was so excited because I knewthe project would be so much
fun and I knew it had thepotential to be so big and it
was an opportunity for me tolearn so much.
(02:38):
During the interview, thedepartment had said like we were
like three quarters the waythrough, and then he just
dropped a bomb and was like thisis going to be a wig heavy show
.
Do you have experience withworking with custom laced wigs?
And I was like, oh my gosh, myheart just sank.
I'd only done one wig on cameraand I knew I couldn't fake my
(03:02):
way through it.
So I stayed true to my valuesand was honest.
I told them the truth, I didn'thave a lot of experience, but I
was quick learner and I reallywanted the opportunity and I
wasn't lying, I am a quicklearner.
So I knew that if he justshowed me, I would be able to
(03:24):
pick it up.
I just knew it because I hadalready worked with them before.
So I was like OK, I know that Idid a great job on my first one
, even though I was and I'lltell you that story later but
not on this episode, another one.
But I knew that I'd alreadygone through that and if I could
make the actress who was veryparticular happy and that she
(03:50):
was really, really thrilledabout it, then I knew that I
could make this work.
So I explained my strengths.
I told him I was great atmanaging a trailer, I can handle
a team under pressure, and thenI excel at period hair.
And it was a period show and Ipromised I'd pick up the wigs
quickly.
I just needed to be shown Atthat time.
(04:12):
Before he answered, I was justso nervous I thought I was going
to lose that opportunity.
But lo and behold, he said OK,I really like you and I want to
try this.
Okay, I really like you and Iwant to try this.
So I share that.
Because by staying calm andbeing vulnerable and focusing on
my strengths, I built trust.
And because I told him thetruth and you know, I got the
(04:38):
job, that show became a majorturning point in my career and
in my life.
A major turning point in mycareer and in my life, and the
lesson here was authenticity andcalmness built trust.
People hire those they trust tohandle challenges with grace,
not perfection, okay.
So confidence does notmagically show up and I'm sure
(05:03):
everyone knows this.
It's built before you even steponto the set.
You have to build andunderstand.
If you walk on set not knowingwhat is going to even go on,
what happens, what your dutiesmight be, you are going to be
insecure, you're going to lackthat confidence.
(05:24):
So preparation is your secretweapon for silencing that
self-doubt.
The more prepared you are, themore invincible you'll feel when
things inevitably get chaotic,or the more invincible you'll
feel walking into that trailer,knowing that you're prepared and
(05:49):
you know that you can do anytasks that they give you.
That's why, again going back toepisode one, education is
everything.
Be educated and trained in whatit takes to be in this business
, even if it's not for me.
Wherever you get your education, I would love for you to come
(06:10):
get it with me, but just get it.
Let me share another quick story.
Early in my career, I had justjoined the union and I got
called for a job on AmericanHorror Story, season one.
At the time no one knew itwould become a massive hit.
It was just some show, you know, it was just a new show that
(06:33):
was up and coming first season.
No one, no one knew.
I mean, look at American HorrorStory right now.
If you know it, you know itlike it's been going on for
years.
It's huge.
And I got called.
I knew the person that textedme but didn't know anyone else.
I was told I would be doing1920s and 1960s hairstyles.
(06:54):
At first I said yes to the joband then I panicked.
I was like, oh my gosh.
You know the doubt startedcreeping in.
What if I can't do it?
Or what if I mess up?
I almost backed out.
I kept questioning myself Do Itext her and tell her no, I
can't do this because I don'twant to ruin my reputation.
But I didn't.
(07:15):
I realized.
Instead of backing out, I justneeded to focus on what I could
control, and that was thepreparation, preparation.
I knew I knew how to do periodhairstyling, I could figure it
out.
So I practiced those periodhairstyles relentlessly like my
life depended on it.
I grabbed books and at the timeI don't think YouTube was a
(07:37):
thing.
I mean it's.
It's hard to learn periodhairstyling on YouTube.
Anyways, a lot of people teachyou the wrong thing.
It's not authentic, you know.
And so I got books and Istarted like they were old books
and I started learning sets andpin curls and how could I
modernize this to make it workwith our modernization and I
(08:02):
knew I was would have to be on atime crunch.
So I just started preparing andstudying and I practiced until
those styles felt like secondnature to me when I walked onto
that set.
Magical things happen.
First, let me kind of go back afew weeks before this phone
(08:22):
call for the job.
I went to a department headingclass through our union and
there were two department headsspeaking, which is really crazy,
and I'll tell you another storyabout that.
There was a hair departmenthead and a makeup department
head.
The hair department head Iwound up working with several
years later, which we'll sharethat story on another one, but
(08:45):
the makeup department head.
I remember thinking to myselfwhile she was talking I want to
work with this woman, I am goingto, I want to learn from her
and I just, I just liked her somuch.
And when I walked into thetrailer onto American Horror
(09:05):
Story, I remember walking insuper nervous, you know, still
feeling great.
I mean I felt prepared, but Iwas still nervous, I didn't know
anyone.
And I looked down at the end ofthe trailer and that makeup
department head was standingright there.
I was like, oh my gosh, this isso magical.
I, literally just two weeks ago, said I wanted to work with
(09:28):
this woman.
So again, speaking it,believing it you know, we're
speaking it into existence, okay.
So I walked in there, saw thatdepartment head.
Then I met the hair departmenthead.
He was wonderful.
When I had to do my girl it was1920s for the first one, no one
(09:50):
was in the trailer, they wereall on set.
So it took away some of thenerves.
I was able to just be myself,be in my own zone, like as if I
was at my house, you know, justhanging out in my room
practicing the hairstyle.
I wasn't going to tell thisstory yet, but I'm going to tell
you.
I set the girl's hair and shedidn't tell me she had just
(10:14):
gotten it bleached.
She had been chocolate brown.
No, she had been blonde, bleach, bleach, blonde, gone,
chocolate brown, decided weekslater that she wanted to go back
to blonde.
She didn't tell me this.
I had no idea, you know.
I just thought she had bleachedout hair.
It was fresh.
It happened like the day beforeand she didn't tell me until
(10:36):
after what I'm about to tell you.
So I set her hair in a pin curlset, but it was with hot tools
and I Let it set, I let her goto makeup.
She comes back, I take it out,I brush it.
It completely falls out Like nocurl.
It was straight, like what thecrap?
(10:57):
And I had set it on.
You know, it's like the size ofmy pinky.
So half an inch well, maybebetter than my pinky, but I
think it was a half inch or yeah.
And I was like, oh my gosh,there's not even a wave in this.
And so I'm sitting therefreaking out and she's like, oh
(11:17):
yeah, I forgot to tell you Ijust bleached out my hair.
Do you think that has anythingto do with it?
I was like, oh my gosh, yes.
And told me the story.
So I said it again and I wentsmaller.
Wardrobe needed her, so shewent to wardrobe.
That set sat there for like anhour.
She comes back, I brush it, itfalls out again and I'm like,
(11:39):
why is this happening to me?
I was in salt prune pants.
I said it again and I went evensmaller on that curling iron.
I think at that point it waslike the size of my pinky and
let it cool and thank God I wasliterally praying while I was
setting it and it stuck.
(12:01):
I did the.
It was a 1920s finger wave.
It was a 1920s finger wave.
It kind of had it wasn't trueauthentic 1920s because her hair
just wouldn't hold that tightcurl, but it still was really
beautiful.
It kind of had a modern flairto it, which a lot of times
production loves that more thanthe authentic.
(12:22):
But the department head was sohappy when I got to set he was
blown away.
Then I had to do the 1960s.
He loved the 1960s and then herealized okay, she gets it, she
understands period hair stylingand he kept me on Cut to.
He asked me to be his assistantdepartment head the very next
(12:47):
season.
So I got bumped up in myposition, way bumped up.
I went from like being a sixthor a seventh to assistant
department head, which I wasblown away.
But not only that.
He put me on the Emmy ballotand we won an Emmy ballot and we
(13:13):
won an Emmy.
So I won my first Emmy by day,praying on a show that I almost
backed out of.
And so I tell you this not toboast.
I tell you this because I wantyou to realize that sometimes if
you let this self-doubt creepin, it's going to sabotage you.
If I wouldn't back out of thatjob, the trajectory of my entire
(13:33):
career would have changed.
I've had a beautiful career.
I've had six, seven Emmynominations.
I've had four wins, all becauseof taking this job on American
Horror Story.
I worked with that departmenthead for years and we have kept
in touch this whole time.
(13:53):
And then that makeup departmenthead introduced me to my next
department head and that's gotme started on American Crime
Stories and I've been in theRyan Murphy world for 12 plus
years.
So if I had not taken that jobthere's no telling I'm sure
there would have been anotherbeautiful career path.
But it was magic, it allaligned and I'm so thankful
(14:16):
every day that I did not get inmy own way.
Anyways, I just want you toremember that the preparation
doesn't just help yourconfidence, that the preparation
doesn't just help yourconfidence.
It opens those doors toopportunities that you didn't
even know were there andpossible, all right.
Even with preparation,self-doubt will creep in.
(14:40):
It's human nature.
The difference between seasonedpros and rookies is how they
handle that inner voice of doubt.
And I say that even though Iwasn't a seasoned pro yet.
But when you become aprofessional, you have to step
into not allowing the doubt torun you over, because if you do
(15:02):
not learn how to control it, youwill not be able to make moves,
you won't be able to make thosequick decision-making moments
on set and this industry willeat you up.
So you can't live in thatself-doubt.
Okay.
One of my favorite tricks iswhat I call the why check.
(15:23):
On days when doubt creeps in, Iremind myself why I chose this
career.
For me, it's about being partof something bigger, helping
tell stories that inspire,entertain and move people.
Knowing my why grounds me andhelps me push through the tough
moments.
And you know when the pandemichappened.
(15:44):
I remember after the fact, onceeverything settled and started
getting back to normal.
I thought to myself.
It was one of those momentswhere I was like, oh my gosh,
what I do in my career reallydoes make a big, huge impact.
All of the people like can youimagine if we didn't?
(16:10):
I mean, I know that they usedto not have television and
entertainment for centuries, butwith the way that society is
right now, that's what kept alot of people sane.
It was the entertainment.
So in those moments I was verylike, I felt really proud.
I was like, oh wow, you, it'swhat kept me going too.
I watched so many televisionshows and films and everything
(16:34):
and I I got to a point where Iwas like I'm running out of
content here, even thoughthere's thousands of things out
there.
Have that after like a 17-yearcareer.
A reminder of like this is forsome people, a lot of people,
this is their, you know, balance.
(16:55):
This is what helps them getthrough the night, or the
evening or that's their winddown is being entertained and
kind of escaping in thesestories.
So that's my why.
Another tool I love isvisualization.
Before stepping onto set, Itake a few moments to imagine
myself thriving and a horrorstory.
(17:16):
That's what I did.
Before I walked in there, I wasbreathing.
I was like you can do this, Ican do this, you're prepared, we
got this, we got this, we gotthis.
You know, I kept picturing thehairstyle, even at nighttime,
before I was going to bed, Ikept tracing out how I was going
to do the hairstyle and, yeah,I knew that I could handle any
(17:41):
challenge gracefully, which Idid on American Horror Story
with that girl, even though Iwas sweating all down my back
while I was doing that.
Second and third set, prayingand praying, and thankfully they
were behind.
They were like hours behind.
So it all, my angels werewatching over me and it all
lined up.
Okay, and here's the big one.
Refrain your nerves.
(18:02):
Instead of thinking what if Ifail, retrain your brain to ask
what if I absolutely crush this?
Okay, say that right now.
What if I fail?
What if I fail?
What if I fail?
Oh my gosh, what if I fail?
You start getting into thislike downwards spiral vortex.
(18:24):
But if you say what if I crushthis?
What if this is like so goodand I wind up winning an award?
Yes, that subtle shift, you canfeel it.
It shifts your mindset and itcan do wonders for your
confidence.
So practice coming up with maybelike your go-to negative
(18:48):
comments or doubts and switch itout with a positive and then
that way, even if you have towrite it down and you look at it
and see it when you're havingthose moments, read it out loud
because you're telling yoursubconscious what to believe.
So if you're telling and you'resaying those negative things,
you're just going to feel moreand more down about yourself.
(19:11):
You're not pumping yourself up.
That's why motivationalspeakers are so amazing is
because they pump you up.
You got to pump yourself up.
Okay, you are your biggestcheerleader.
Now you might be thinking okay,natalie, this all sounds great,
but how do I actually do it?
Don't worry, I've got somepractical tools for you to build
(19:33):
confidence, starting today.
Step one the power pose.
Not only are you going to speakto yourself more positively,
but there's a thing called thepower pose.
You step aside before walkingon a set, say those wonderful
things, strike a power pose,whether it's hands on hip, chin
up and breathe or hands pushedout, and you're just like yes,
(19:58):
research says this reducesstress and boosts confidence
instantly.
That's that subconscious.
You're telling thatsubconscious what it needs to
think and feel and do it,doesn't know the difference.
Okay.
Step two simulate set pressure.
Practice under conditions thatmimic a set.
So when you're preparing andyou're doing all your hair or
(20:21):
makeup run-throughs, okay, tyingyourself or recreate high
stress scenarios to getcomfortable performing under
pressure.
This is important because timeis of the essence and people do
not want to work.
That was one thing that mydepartment had on American
Horror Story.
I was so slow like a turtle Ihad the nickname Turtle from two
(20:44):
different groups of friends andhe's like you have got like he
would force me to be like okay,go do that men's haircut, you
have 30 minutes.
And I thought it was so mean,like I was like what.
And I would tell him like Ican't do that.
And he's like you have to do it.
(21:08):
And let me tell you that guy'sbuzz like I was not happy with
it.
It was not great.
I needed at least 45 minutes,but it didn't help me speed up
and made me realize I have toget faster.
So the more I practice, thefaster I got.
Okay.
Step three daily wins journal.
Every evening, especially onbad days, jot down one small win
(21:28):
.
Maybe you mastered a trickybraid or introduced yourself to
someone new or stood up foryourself or learned special
effects, makeup, whatever it is.
Celebrate those wins, no matterhow small.
Or maybe you worked with one ofyour favorite actors.
(21:48):
I know a lot of people getexcited about them.
So just write it down, that wayyou can come back to it and it
helps remind you of all of thegreat things that have happened,
especially if things aren'tgoing so great.
And don't forget I've spentcountless nights practicing
styles for the next day on setor sketching solutions to
(22:09):
problems that arose earlier.
Consistent effort over timebuilds unstoppable confidence,
and I still do this to this dayon every job, no matter if I'm
day playing or if I'm runningthe show, or if I'm a second,
third, fourth, fifth backgroundrunner, whatever it is.
There's moments where I am justpracticing or I'm going through
(22:33):
my head how I'm going toengineer the hairstyle.
So it needs to be an ongoingthing to keep you from getting
into a box, all right.
So here's the deal Real, rocksolid confidence isn't about
being perfect.
It's about showing up, stayingprepared and trusting that you
can handle what comes your way.
(22:54):
Whether it's staying honest ininterviews, preparing your
skills ahead of time orreframing your mindset when
doubt arises.
Confidence is a skill you growover time.
Every step, every challenge isstrengthening your foundation.
(23:15):
Remember you were drawn to thisindustry for a reason.
Trust in that reason and knowthat Hollywood will value your
passion, creativity and grit.
Thank you so much for tuning into Hollywood Unscripted, with
Natalie Driscoll.
If this episode resonated,please subscribe, share with a
(23:37):
friend in the industry and leavea review.
It will mean the world to me.
Until next time, remember thisyou don't have to be perfect.
Let go of that perfection.
You just need to show upprepared and believe in your
unique magic.
You've got what it takes toshine.
welcome back to hollywood unscripted, with
natalie driscoll.
I'm natalie, your host andmentor, here to help you boldly
step into the thrilling,unpredictable and sometimes
intimidating world of hollywood.
Today, we're diving into one ofthe most powerful tools you can
bring to a Hollywood set.
And no, it's not your curlingiron or makeup brush.
(00:29):
It's confidence.
But here's the thing Confidenceisn't just about walking in
with your head held high,dressing the part or smiling
through nerves.
It's about preparation,resilience and showing others
that you're someone they cancount on.
Whether you're facing a toughset day, collaborating with
(00:51):
demanding personalities orsimply trying to make a name for
yourself, confidence is whathelps you shine.
And the best news, confidenceis a skill anyone can build.
I'm still working on it withcertain aspects of my life, so
we're always building thatconfidence.
So, whether you're about tostep into your very first
(01:14):
Hollywood set or you're lookingto elevate your presence in hair
and makeup trailers, todaywe're breaking down how to
cultivate confidence that makesyou someone people want to work
with again and again, and thereare specific tricks and I
shouldn't even say tricks, butthey're traits that people are
(01:36):
looking for, and I've seen bothends of the spectrum and I will
share that with you.
All right, let's talk aboutwhat true confidence looks like
on set because, spoiler alertit's not about faking it till
you make it or acting like aknow-it-all, especially not
acting like a know-it-all InHollywood.
(01:57):
Confidence means staying coolwhen you're under pressure,
speaking up when something isn'tright and making sure the team
knows they can count on you.
Reliability often trumpsperfection.
Can you handle last-minutechanges and high-pressure
situations?
That's where confidence trulyshines.
(02:17):
I'll give you a quick personalstory to illustrate this.
Okay, I got referred for a joband was being interviewed.
I was so excited because I knewthe project would be so much
fun and I knew it had thepotential to be so big and it
was an opportunity for me tolearn so much.
(02:38):
During the interview, thedepartment had said like we were
like three quarters the waythrough, and then he just
dropped a bomb and was like thisis going to be a wig heavy show
.
Do you have experience withworking with custom laced wigs?
And I was like, oh my gosh, myheart just sank.
I'd only done one wig on cameraand I knew I couldn't fake my
(03:02):
way through it.
So I stayed true to my valuesand was honest.
I told them the truth, I didn'thave a lot of experience, but I
was quick learner and I reallywanted the opportunity and I
wasn't lying, I am a quicklearner.
So I knew that if he justshowed me, I would be able to
(03:24):
pick it up.
I just knew it because I hadalready worked with them before.
So I was like OK, I know that Idid a great job on my first one
, even though I was and I'lltell you that story later but
not on this episode, another one.
But I knew that I'd alreadygone through that and if I could
make the actress who was veryparticular happy and that she
(03:50):
was really, really thrilledabout it, then I knew that I
could make this work.
So I explained my strengths.
I told him I was great atmanaging a trailer, I can handle
a team under pressure, and thenI excel at period hair.
And it was a period show and Ipromised I'd pick up the wigs
quickly.
I just needed to be shown Atthat time.
(04:12):
Before he answered, I was justso nervous I thought I was going
to lose that opportunity.
But lo and behold, he said OK,I really like you and I want to
try this.
Okay, I really like you and Iwant to try this.
So I share that.
Because by staying calm andbeing vulnerable and focusing on
my strengths, I built trust.
And because I told him thetruth and you know, I got the
(04:38):
job, that show became a majorturning point in my career and
in my life.
A major turning point in mycareer and in my life, and the
lesson here was authenticity andcalmness built trust.
People hire those they trust tohandle challenges with grace,
not perfection, okay.
So confidence does notmagically show up and I'm sure
(05:03):
everyone knows this.
It's built before you even steponto the set.
You have to build andunderstand.
If you walk on set not knowingwhat is going to even go on,
what happens, what your dutiesmight be, you are going to be
insecure, you're going to lackthat confidence.
(05:24):
So preparation is your secretweapon for silencing that
self-doubt.
The more prepared you are, themore invincible you'll feel when
things inevitably get chaotic,or the more invincible you'll
feel walking into that trailer,knowing that you're prepared and
(05:49):
you know that you can do anytasks that they give you.
That's why, again going back toepisode one, education is
everything.
Be educated and trained in whatit takes to be in this business
, even if it's not for me.
Wherever you get your education, I would love for you to come
(06:10):
get it with me, but just get it.
Let me share another quick story.
Early in my career, I had justjoined the union and I got
called for a job on AmericanHorror Story, season one.
At the time no one knew itwould become a massive hit.
It was just some show, you know, it was just a new show that
(06:33):
was up and coming first season.
No one, no one knew.
I mean, look at American HorrorStory right now.
If you know it, you know itlike it's been going on for
years.
It's huge.
And I got called.
I knew the person that textedme but didn't know anyone else.
I was told I would be doing1920s and 1960s hairstyles.
(06:54):
At first I said yes to the joband then I panicked.
I was like, oh my gosh.
You know the doubt startedcreeping in.
What if I can't do it?
Or what if I mess up?
I almost backed out.
I kept questioning myself Do Itext her and tell her no, I
can't do this because I don'twant to ruin my reputation.
But I didn't.
(07:15):
I realized.
Instead of backing out, I justneeded to focus on what I could
control, and that was thepreparation, preparation.
I knew I knew how to do periodhairstyling, I could figure it
out.
So I practiced those periodhairstyles relentlessly like my
life depended on it.
I grabbed books and at the timeI don't think YouTube was a
(07:37):
thing.
I mean it's.
It's hard to learn periodhairstyling on YouTube.
Anyways, a lot of people teachyou the wrong thing.
It's not authentic, you know.
And so I got books and Istarted like they were old books
and I started learning sets andpin curls and how could I
modernize this to make it workwith our modernization and I
(08:02):
knew I was would have to be on atime crunch.
So I just started preparing andstudying and I practiced until
those styles felt like secondnature to me when I walked onto
that set.
Magical things happen.
First, let me kind of go back afew weeks before this phone
(08:22):
call for the job.
I went to a department headingclass through our union and
there were two department headsspeaking, which is really crazy,
and I'll tell you another storyabout that.
There was a hair departmenthead and a makeup department
head.
The hair department head Iwound up working with several
years later, which we'll sharethat story on another one, but
(08:45):
the makeup department head.
I remember thinking to myselfwhile she was talking I want to
work with this woman, I am goingto, I want to learn from her
and I just, I just liked her somuch.
And when I walked into thetrailer onto American Horror
(09:05):
Story, I remember walking insuper nervous, you know, still
feeling great.
I mean I felt prepared, but Iwas still nervous, I didn't know
anyone.
And I looked down at the end ofthe trailer and that makeup
department head was standingright there.
I was like, oh my gosh, this isso magical.
I, literally just two weeks ago, said I wanted to work with
(09:28):
this woman.
So again, speaking it,believing it you know, we're
speaking it into existence, okay.
So I walked in there, saw thatdepartment head.
Then I met the hair departmenthead.
He was wonderful.
When I had to do my girl it was1920s for the first one, no one
(09:50):
was in the trailer, they wereall on set.
So it took away some of thenerves.
I was able to just be myself,be in my own zone, like as if I
was at my house, you know, justhanging out in my room
practicing the hairstyle.
I wasn't going to tell thisstory yet, but I'm going to tell
you.
I set the girl's hair and shedidn't tell me she had just
(10:14):
gotten it bleached.
She had been chocolate brown.
No, she had been blonde, bleach, bleach, blonde, gone,
chocolate brown, decided weekslater that she wanted to go back
to blonde.
She didn't tell me this.
I had no idea, you know.
I just thought she had bleachedout hair.
It was fresh.
It happened like the day beforeand she didn't tell me until
(10:36):
after what I'm about to tell you.
So I set her hair in a pin curlset, but it was with hot tools
and I Let it set, I let her goto makeup.
She comes back, I take it out,I brush it.
It completely falls out Like nocurl.
It was straight, like what thecrap?
(10:57):
And I had set it on.
You know, it's like the size ofmy pinky.
So half an inch well, maybebetter than my pinky, but I
think it was a half inch or yeah.
And I was like, oh my gosh,there's not even a wave in this.
And so I'm sitting therefreaking out and she's like, oh
(11:17):
yeah, I forgot to tell you Ijust bleached out my hair.
Do you think that has anythingto do with it?
I was like, oh my gosh, yes.
And told me the story.
So I said it again and I wentsmaller.
Wardrobe needed her, so shewent to wardrobe.
That set sat there for like anhour.
She comes back, I brush it, itfalls out again and I'm like,
(11:39):
why is this happening to me?
I was in salt prune pants.
I said it again and I went evensmaller on that curling iron.
I think at that point it waslike the size of my pinky and
let it cool and thank God I wasliterally praying while I was
setting it and it stuck.
(12:01):
I did the.
It was a 1920s finger wave.
It was a 1920s finger wave.
It kind of had it wasn't trueauthentic 1920s because her hair
just wouldn't hold that tightcurl, but it still was really
beautiful.
It kind of had a modern flairto it, which a lot of times
production loves that more thanthe authentic.
(12:22):
But the department head was sohappy when I got to set he was
blown away.
Then I had to do the 1960s.
He loved the 1960s and then herealized okay, she gets it, she
understands period hair stylingand he kept me on Cut to.
He asked me to be his assistantdepartment head the very next
(12:47):
season.
So I got bumped up in myposition, way bumped up.
I went from like being a sixthor a seventh to assistant
department head, which I wasblown away.
But not only that.
He put me on the Emmy ballotand we won an Emmy ballot and we
(13:13):
won an Emmy.
So I won my first Emmy by day,praying on a show that I almost
backed out of.
And so I tell you this not toboast.
I tell you this because I wantyou to realize that sometimes if
you let this self-doubt creepin, it's going to sabotage you.
If I wouldn't back out of thatjob, the trajectory of my entire
(13:33):
career would have changed.
I've had a beautiful career.
I've had six, seven Emmynominations.
I've had four wins, all becauseof taking this job on American
Horror Story.
I worked with that departmenthead for years and we have kept
in touch this whole time.
(13:53):
And then that makeup departmenthead introduced me to my next
department head and that's gotme started on American Crime
Stories and I've been in theRyan Murphy world for 12 plus
years.
So if I had not taken that jobthere's no telling I'm sure
there would have been anotherbeautiful career path.
But it was magic, it allaligned and I'm so thankful
(14:16):
every day that I did not get inmy own way.
Anyways, I just want you toremember that the preparation
doesn't just help yourconfidence, that the preparation
doesn't just help yourconfidence.
It opens those doors toopportunities that you didn't
even know were there andpossible, all right.
Even with preparation,self-doubt will creep in.
(14:40):
It's human nature.
The difference between seasonedpros and rookies is how they
handle that inner voice of doubt.
And I say that even though Iwasn't a seasoned pro yet.
But when you become aprofessional, you have to step
into not allowing the doubt torun you over, because if you do
(15:02):
not learn how to control it, youwill not be able to make moves,
you won't be able to make thosequick decision-making moments
on set and this industry willeat you up.
So you can't live in thatself-doubt.
Okay.
One of my favorite tricks iswhat I call the why check.
(15:23):
On days when doubt creeps in, Iremind myself why I chose this
career.
For me, it's about being partof something bigger, helping
tell stories that inspire,entertain and move people.
Knowing my why grounds me andhelps me push through the tough
moments.
And you know when the pandemichappened.
(15:44):
I remember after the fact, onceeverything settled and started
getting back to normal.
I thought to myself.
It was one of those momentswhere I was like, oh my gosh,
what I do in my career reallydoes make a big, huge impact.
All of the people like can youimagine if we didn't?
(16:10):
I mean, I know that they usedto not have television and
entertainment for centuries, butwith the way that society is
right now, that's what kept alot of people sane.
It was the entertainment.
So in those moments I was verylike, I felt really proud.
I was like, oh wow, you, it'swhat kept me going too.
I watched so many televisionshows and films and everything
(16:34):
and I I got to a point where Iwas like I'm running out of
content here, even thoughthere's thousands of things out
there.
Have that after like a 17-yearcareer.
A reminder of like this is forsome people, a lot of people,
this is their, you know, balance.
(16:55):
This is what helps them getthrough the night, or the
evening or that's their winddown is being entertained and
kind of escaping in thesestories.
So that's my why.
Another tool I love isvisualization.
Before stepping onto set, Itake a few moments to imagine
myself thriving and a horrorstory.
(17:16):
That's what I did.
Before I walked in there, I wasbreathing.
I was like you can do this, Ican do this, you're prepared, we
got this, we got this, we gotthis.
You know, I kept picturing thehairstyle, even at nighttime,
before I was going to bed, Ikept tracing out how I was going
to do the hairstyle and, yeah,I knew that I could handle any
(17:41):
challenge gracefully, which Idid on American Horror Story
with that girl, even though Iwas sweating all down my back
while I was doing that.
Second and third set, prayingand praying, and thankfully they
were behind.
They were like hours behind.
So it all, my angels werewatching over me and it all
lined up.
Okay, and here's the big one.
Refrain your nerves.
(18:02):
Instead of thinking what if Ifail, retrain your brain to ask
what if I absolutely crush this?
Okay, say that right now.
What if I fail?
What if I fail?
What if I fail?
Oh my gosh, what if I fail?
You start getting into thislike downwards spiral vortex.
(18:24):
But if you say what if I crushthis?
What if this is like so goodand I wind up winning an award?
Yes, that subtle shift, you canfeel it.
It shifts your mindset and itcan do wonders for your
confidence.
So practice coming up with maybelike your go-to negative
(18:48):
comments or doubts and switch itout with a positive and then
that way, even if you have towrite it down and you look at it
and see it when you're havingthose moments, read it out loud
because you're telling yoursubconscious what to believe.
So if you're telling and you'resaying those negative things,
you're just going to feel moreand more down about yourself.
(19:11):
You're not pumping yourself up.
That's why motivationalspeakers are so amazing is
because they pump you up.
You got to pump yourself up.
Okay, you are your biggestcheerleader.
Now you might be thinking okay,natalie, this all sounds great,
but how do I actually do it?
Don't worry, I've got somepractical tools for you to build
(19:33):
confidence, starting today.
Step one the power pose.
Not only are you going to speakto yourself more positively,
but there's a thing called thepower pose.
You step aside before walkingon a set, say those wonderful
things, strike a power pose,whether it's hands on hip, chin
up and breathe or hands pushedout, and you're just like yes,
(19:58):
research says this reducesstress and boosts confidence
instantly.
That's that subconscious.
You're telling thatsubconscious what it needs to
think and feel and do it,doesn't know the difference.
Okay.
Step two simulate set pressure.
Practice under conditions thatmimic a set.
So when you're preparing andyou're doing all your hair or
(20:21):
makeup run-throughs, okay, tyingyourself or recreate high
stress scenarios to getcomfortable performing under
pressure.
This is important because timeis of the essence and people do
not want to work.
That was one thing that mydepartment had on American
Horror Story.
I was so slow like a turtle Ihad the nickname Turtle from two
(20:44):
different groups of friends andhe's like you have got like he
would force me to be like okay,go do that men's haircut, you
have 30 minutes.
And I thought it was so mean,like I was like what.
And I would tell him like Ican't do that.
And he's like you have to do it.
(21:08):
And let me tell you that guy'sbuzz like I was not happy with
it.
It was not great.
I needed at least 45 minutes,but it didn't help me speed up
and made me realize I have toget faster.
So the more I practice, thefaster I got.
Okay.
Step three daily wins journal.
Every evening, especially onbad days, jot down one small win
(21:28):
.
Maybe you mastered a trickybraid or introduced yourself to
someone new or stood up foryourself or learned special
effects, makeup, whatever it is.
Celebrate those wins, no matterhow small.
Or maybe you worked with one ofyour favorite actors.
(21:48):
I know a lot of people getexcited about them.
So just write it down, that wayyou can come back to it and it
helps remind you of all of thegreat things that have happened,
especially if things aren'tgoing so great.
And don't forget I've spentcountless nights practicing
styles for the next day on setor sketching solutions to
(22:09):
problems that arose earlier.
Consistent effort over timebuilds unstoppable confidence,
and I still do this to this dayon every job, no matter if I'm
day playing or if I'm runningthe show, or if I'm a second,
third, fourth, fifth backgroundrunner, whatever it is.
There's moments where I am justpracticing or I'm going through
(22:33):
my head how I'm going toengineer the hairstyle.
So it needs to be an ongoingthing to keep you from getting
into a box, all right.
So here's the deal Real, rocksolid confidence isn't about
being perfect.
It's about showing up, stayingprepared and trusting that you
can handle what comes your way.
(22:54):
Whether it's staying honest ininterviews, preparing your
skills ahead of time orreframing your mindset when
doubt arises.
Confidence is a skill you growover time.
Every step, every challenge isstrengthening your foundation.
(23:15):
Remember you were drawn to thisindustry for a reason.
Trust in that reason and knowthat Hollywood will value your
passion, creativity and grit.
Thank you so much for tuning into Hollywood Unscripted, with
Natalie Driscoll.
If this episode resonated,please subscribe, share with a
(23:37):
friend in the industry and leavea review.
It will mean the world to me.
Until next time, remember thisyou don't have to be perfect.
Let go of that perfection.
You just need to show upprepared and believe in your
unique magic.
You've got what it takes toshine.
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