Get Hollywood hair!

10:23am Tuesday 14th October 2003

THE glittering stars of Hollywood have to make sure their hair always looks its best. That's why they rely on hairdressers like Ramsey.

And now I, a Z-list star, can count myself among the likes of Joan Collins, Tom Cruise, Mel Gibson, Demi Moore and Barbra Streisand and a whole catalogue of A-list celebs whose tresses have been teased by Ramsey.

Ramsey, who owns salon Montagé 1 in Buckingham Parade, Chalfont St Peter, has worked with all the big names but started his glitzy career on a TV movie.

The award-winning hairdresser kick-started his Hollywood stint in 1980 working with none other than Kim Cattral, now best known as Sam in Sex and the City.

Ramsey recalls: "Most of the hairdressers in the film and TV industry at this time didn't have the benefit of working in a salon as an apprentice. While they were excellent stylists and great with wigs, they were not quite in tune with blow drying and brush skills. Kim wanted this look for herself in her movie and the studio also wanted it. So the director brought me in to do her hair."

To date Ramsey has worked on more than 30 feature films including Oceans Eleven, Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead, I Love Trouble and The Lost Boys. He also became the first British hairdresser to receive an Emmy, the TV academy award, for Second Serve with Vanessa Redgrave, Diane Keaton and Ellen Barkin.

Ramsey does have his favourites – Andy Garcia and Meg Ryan. He has been personal hairdresser and friend to Garcia for years and has worked with him on more than ten films.

"Andy Garcia is the most normal, conventional person in the business that you could ever hope to work with," says Ramsey. "I've been working with him for 15 years.

"Meg Ryan is great. I first worked with her on Top Gun. She's very much the mother. She won't go away to work if it's school time for her son."

But Ramsey gave up the bright lights and set up in Chalfont St Peter ten years ago. "There was a big earthquake in LA and my wife was absolutely petrified, so that was that. It was a pretty frightening and traumatic experience," he remembers.

"Unfortunately it was still very quiet in the British film industry so I had to go back and forth to the US. We decided it wasn't the way to live and started looking around for a business to run in this country."

Ramsey still jets off across the Atlantic to continue his Hollywood career, but is also enjoying running the salon.

He says: "This is my 23rd year in the business and while I now live in the UK, I travel back to LA and the rest of the world working on films – it's my dream come true."

For more information about Montagé 1 call the salon on 01753 885520