Hair stylist Sallie Ciganovich once lived the Hollywood dream. It has since turned into a nightmare. She has over two decades of experience and her resume includes styling the hair of actors on “Star Wars,” “The Mandalorian,” and “Ahsoka.” Her work even earned her four Primetime Emmy nominations. Today, instead of working on big productions, Sallie is cutting and coloring hair in a small shed by her pool just to make ends meet.
The eight-by-ten-foot space, affectionately referred to as “the shack in the back,” wasn’t intended to be a source of income. Instead, it was supposed to be a place where her friends would come over and she could give them haircuts. However, with her bank account dwindling and work in Hollywood drying up, the shack has become a financial lifeline for her family.
Paying her Dues
Growing up in Naperville, Illinois, Sallie found her passion for hairdressing at an early age. After beauty school, she worked as a colorist in Chicago, where she got her first taste of the entertainment world by doing makeovers for Jenny Jones at NBC. However, driven by ambition and a desire to chase bigger dreams, she moved to Los Angeles to make her mark.
Like many with large dreams but small connections, her early days in Hollywood were tough. Sallie finally got her break working on the film “Wonderland,” which helped her join the IATSE hair and makeup union. Work was slow at first, but eventually, she landed jobs on shows like “Monk” and “So You Think You Can Dance,” where she stayed for 12 seasons. Sallie remembers the show with great fondness, recalling the creativity, quick changes, and family atmosphere.
Over the years, as Sallie’s reputation grew, so did her career. She worked on shows like “Glee,” “Bones,” and “The Orville.” Most notably, her work on “The Mandalorian” and “Ahsoka” earned her more Emmy nominations. But despite her success, the last few years have been the hardest of her career.
COVID Hits and Packs a Wallup
Both the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent 2023 strikes brought Hollywood to a standstill, curtailing Sallie’s work like never before. Productions shut down, and opportunities for veteran workers dried up. What’s more, there was a production exodus from Los Angeles to Great Britain, Ireland, New Mexico, and Atlanta.
Producers who she once depended on for work retired or left the industry and Sallie was forced to rebuild her network from scratch. Confronted with starting over, her savings depleted, and her health care insurance in jeopardy, Sallie used the “shack in the back” to generate extra income.
Do or Die
With financial pressures mounting, by the summer of 2023, Sallie started taking in clients in her backyard shed, charging $60 for a men’s haircut and $100 for an all-over color. Most of her clients are friends or former colleagues from the industry. However, even with the extra income, it has been tough for her to make ends meet.
What’s next? Sallie is currently considering more drastic measures to secure her future. One option may be relocating to Kentucky, where her mother mentioned that 32 movies have recently been greenlit. Another potential idea is transforming an old church near her family’s farm in Indiana into a day spa. She is researching this opportunity through an online business course. Whether either of these choices comes to fruition, at the end of the day would require that Sallie relinquish the dream and career which took her decades to build.
The Only Certainty is Uncertainty
Sallie’s story is a wake-up call for how much the entertainment industry has changed. The future is uncertain. Careers that once seemed secure are now in jeopardy. Sallie is in limbo, questioning what comes next and whether her passion for Hollywood and her career can see her through these difficult times.
