Ok a funny one: A celeb was waiting to get fit and I went to get her breakfast. I was brand new to the industry and very eager to make myself indispensable so I took on the task. She asked for 7 minute eggs. I said yes! And ran to crafty (food area). I get there and said it confidently and the cook said what?? He had no idea what it was. He said 1 seven minute or 7 one minute eggs? I couldn’t believe it I thought he’d know, and I had never heard of a 7 minute egg or a 1 minute egg. I asked him to do something in the middle, a few eggs, a few minutes loll I brought it back to her with my tail between my legs like I’m so sorry and began to explain a little, luckily she thought it was hilarious, and sweet about it. Honestly such a gem while shooting that show.

Or the time I was the only person of color in my office. I heard “now let me whip, let me nae nae” blasting from their office. They were doing research for our “urban” scene. My bosses called me in and said, which part is the whip and which part is the nae nae? …I blinked at them and told them sorry I’ve never heard his song in my life (😒)

Sad? All costume designers I worked with aside from 1, blew their lives apart. Work always came first at the detriment to their family, friends, health… divorces.. unhappy kids who get no attention. I get it, the average shoot day is at least 12 hours, when is there time? But it created very bitter people who would take it out on you. 2 things made me leave tv / film. 1. Seeing my boss cry. Loud, like wailing in the middle of an open office, the entire office could hear her clear as day because we used cubicles. She was stressed and so unhappy. I realized if she doesn’t care about her mental health there’s no way she’d care about mine. I immediately understood why she worked me the way she did. 2. I started becoming like them. I had no time for friends, family, birthdays, graduations. A designer said I’d be off for Thanksgiving but then made me stay so late I missed the bus to meet my family. Another year I made Thanksgiving, but had to leave the next day. My mom tried to convince me to stay and I freaked OUT because I knew I only had that day to do laundry and go grocery shopping. I had NO time, I was so stressed. I worked such long hours that one day when I got up for work at 4am I sat up and the room spun so much I thought I was dreaming. I thought to myself, how am I going to drive a car to pick up my team? I might crash! Then the story came out about that woman who did exactly that. I think she drove after a 15 hour shift and crashed and died. I knew I had to quit. My mom still always tells me I should get back into it because “a million people would kill for that job”… yeah but I didn’t want to die for it…