Did You Know? A Filipino Hairstylist Has a Cameo in “The Devil Wears Prada 2”

The Devil Wears Prada 2 holds the record for the highest opening weekend in the Philippines so far this year. The film also recognized the works of Filipino creatives in subtle ways—from Amari (Simone Ashley) carrying a Filipino-made clutch to Sasha Barnes (Lucy Liu) wearing a Filipino designer on Runway's cover.

And here's something that you might've missed: A Filipino hairstylist also made a brief appearance in one of the scenes!

Lady Gaga had been confirmed to be part of the soundtrack before the film was even released, with her and Doechii’s song, “Runway,” being used in a trailer. Her scenes in the movie, however, came as a pleasant surprise.

In the film, Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep) enters Lady Gaga’s dressing room for a brief greeting. Since the performer was in the middle of her hair and makeup session, her glam team was captured in the scene, showing Pinoy hairstylist Frederic “Freddie” Aspiras in the background.

Freddie is of Filipino, Vietnamese, and American descent, and he is Lady Gaga’s trusted hairstylist and wig designer. From campaigns and tours to red carpets, he is the creative behind her jaw-dropping hairdos.

In past interviews, Freddie opened up about his mother’s role in his pursuit of a career in beauty, saying his hairstyling career began when she opened her salon. Experiencing that support led him to sharpen his work ethic, which has evidently been paying off.

One instance that illustrates this is Freddie's work on Lady Gaga’s look for the 2021 biographical crime drama film House of Gucci. With burning passion, he studied the script for six months, constructed a 400-page reference guide, and built a custom cap worn by the star, along with 15 wigs and hair pieces.

With that, he became the first Asian-American hairstylist in history to be nominated for an Academy Award.

Freddie describes Lady Gaga as a “muse, friend, and family,” who champions “true admiration, respect, and love” for creatives.” He has been styling her hair exclusively for around 17 years now. Beyond this, Freddie is also the Global Creative and Culture Director of the hairstyling brand Sebastian.

In a previous interview with Elle, he spoke more about his Filipino background, saying, “I’ve come to really understand the historic background of creative beings in Filipino culture. It’s no wonder that you will find some of the world’s most gifted artists among Filipino people.”

He continued, “But it’s time for the world—and mostly the U.S.—to recognize the amount of talent being slept on. That’s why representation is very important in Hollywood.”