Lady Gaga's Pinoy hairstylist Frederic Aspinas reacts to his Oscar nomination for 'House of Gucci'
Frederic Aspinas, Lady Gaga's longtime hairstylist, talked about his recent nomination for his work for House of Gucci.
In an interview with TFC News last March 22, the Batangas-born creative said he didn't expect his Oscar nomination, for which he is the first Filipino and second Asian American Oscar nominee in his category.
"Having so much rejection in this type of job, in our field, is normal. So I didn't expect. I just put my head down at work and produce the work and dedicated my entire career into creating beautiful art that people can appreciate," he said.
"Never in a million years think someone like me could make it this far. I only dreamed about it and hoped and prayed that I could do and achieve the things that weren't available to me when I was a child," Aspiras added.
After losing his mom, Aspiras thought of quitting from the industry. However, Gaga encouraged him to continue his craft.
"Six months before we started filming, my mother passed away. I really didn't want to do this anymore because she taught me how to do hair, my mom was a hairdresser. So I just didn't want to carry on because everything reminded me of her," the Filipino-Vietnamese hairstylist recalled.
"And then Gaga, she's like, 'You need to do this for your mom. You need to prove to her and to show and represent and to honor her.' So with that, I just persevered and I remembered every single thing she taught me, and I put it to every single hairstyle and I put my devotion into my heart. And I put it out like this is my love letter to my mother," Aspiras continued.
Gaga honored her friend and hairstylist for 15 years in a post, saying she "could not be happier for a man I call my brother."
"Frederic was magical, precise, and dedicated months leading up to shoot and during filming. He prepared dozens of wigs for months and months, and did at least a year of preparation," the singer-actress shared.
"He’s a living genius and Freddie, we are all so grateful to just even be near your talent, creativity and generosity of spirit. You continue to show your artistic DNA, your plan, your vision, and your deep connection to your family that drives you to excellence at all times," Gaga added.
Gaga finished her tribute congratulating all nominees for their hard work and passion.
She said: "You all deserve major recognition for what was a truly beautiful landscape of performances and accomplishments this past year. Your dedication during Covid, your huge hearts, and your ability to tell amazing stories is a gift to the whole world during what is for many a very hard time. Congratulations my friends. Bravo!"
In a separate post, Aspiras said that he never imagined to be gracing "one of the most legendary events" in the world.
"The Oscars Luncheon has always been one of the most legendary events that I use to see old photos of Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, and many more. Never in my wildest dreams would I ever think I would be sitting at the table. That afternoon I realized, I finally earned my seat at the table," he exclaimed.
Aside from the Oscars, Aspiras also recently received the Variety Artisans Award at the 37th Santa Barbara International Film Festival for House of Gucci for hairstyling.
In a post, Aspiras talked about the award, saying: "Hairstyling was nothing short of one of the most proudest moments! With this film, we really immerse myself ourselves into the creative scope of characterization and theory with the incomparable actress and muse @ladygaga as the transformative “Patrizia Reggiani”.
Aspiras, along with the rest of the House of Gucci glam team—which includes Aspinas, Jana Carboni, Göran Lundström, Giuliano Mariano, Sarah Tanno—are also nominated for Hair & Makeup at the 2022 British Academy Film Awards and at the 27th Critic's Choice Awards.