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She Won an Oscar for Frankenstein - Here's What It Really Took
Description
The RIFF S2 ep.6 -Cliona Furey
Final YouTube Description She won an Oscar for Frankenstein and has spent 15 years as Guillermo del Toro's go-to hair designer — and today she's telling us everything. On this episode of The Riff, Oscar and BAFTA-winning hair designer Cliona Fury (Crimson Peak, Nightmare Alley, Priscilla) joins hosts Gary and Jeremy for a candid conversation about building a career in film, working alongside legendary directors, and what it really takes to go from good to great.
Cliona shares how she went from an opera house wig-making apprentice to one of the most in-demand hair designers in film, the discipline she learned from years in theater, and what it's really like on set with Guillermo del Toro — from his obsessive attention to detail to the code words his longtime crew uses to read his mind. She dives deep into her Oscar-winning work on Frankenstein, the meticulous historical research behind Priscilla, and the emotional toll and reward of owning your craft in a high-pressure industry.
Plus, Gary shares a personal update on a hand-painted portrait of Rush drummer Neil Peart, and the crew heads to Union Station's German beer hall Wurst and Brazilian chocolate shop Chocolata Brigaderos for this episode's foodie segment, powered by MyToronto.ca.
Whether you're an aspiring artist, film industry hopeful, or just love hearing how the movie magic really happens, this episode is packed with insight, honesty, and a few surprising stories from a career at the top of the industry.
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#TheRiffPodcast #ClionaFury #GuillermoDelToro #Frankenstein #HairAndMakeup #FilmIndustry #BehindTheScenes #TorontoPodcast #CreativeProcess #OscarWinner
Resources Mentioned
MyToronto: https://www.mytoronto.ca
Wurst (Union Station / King St): https://wurstkitchen.com
Zing Candy: https://www.zingcandy.com
Netflix (Frankenstein behind-the-scenes special): https://www.netflix.com
YouTube Chapters
0:00 Welcome to The Riff
0:48 Catching Up with Jeremy — Toto Concert Story
2:46 Gary's Neil Peart Portrait Reveal
5:04 Guest Introduction: Cliona Fury
6:13 Meet Cliona Fury
6:50 How Cliona Got Into Hair Design
7:53 Growing Up on Film Sets
14:13 Working with Guillermo del Toro
19:28 Behind the Scenes of Priscilla
26:28 Winning the Oscar for Frankenstein
33:13 Advice for Aspiring Artists
37:37 What's on the Table Today
39:04 Foodie Segment: Wurst & Chocolata Brigaderos
43:16 The Creative Thread: Good vs. Great
47:22 Thanking Cliona
49:00 Closing Thoughts
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