From Elvis to Julia Roberts: The Hollywood Hairstylist Who Styled the Stars

When you think about Hollywood icons—Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Al Pacino, Hilary Swank, Keanu Reeves—you probably imagine red carpets, dazzling gowns, and flawless looks. But behind every star who shines on screen, there’s a team of unsung heroes shaping those moments of cinematic magic. One of those heroes is Bonnie Cleverling, a motion picture hairstylist whose career spanned nearly five decades and over 120 films and TV shows.

From working with Elvis Presley on Speedway to styling Julia Roberts in Erin Brockovich, Bonnie’s story is one of resilience, passion, creativity, and a deep commitment to both her craft and her family. In this episode of Living Ageless and Bold, host Christina Daves sits down with Bonnie to talk about her new book Continuity, her Hollywood adventures, and the life lessons she learned along the way.

This isn’t just a conversation about hair—it’s about perseverance, finding your place in an ever-changing industry, and leaving a legacy that continues long after the cameras stop rolling.

A Leap of Faith: From Florida to California

Bonnie’s journey didn’t begin in Hollywood. Raised in Illinois and later licensed as a hairstylist in Florida, she could have easily settled into salon life. But in 1964, newly married, she and her husband packed up and headed west without much of a plan.

California was a bold move. Bonnie knew she’d need to get a new state license to work in salons, but fate had other plans. By chance, she moved into an apartment complex filled with studio professionals. Through a lunch meeting with hairstylist Carmen Dirigo—then working on Petticoat Junction and The Beverly Hillbillies—Bonnie was introduced to the head of the hair department at Fox Studios.

That phone call changed everything. After interviews and training, she began working on major productions, starting with extras and smaller roles, slowly climbing toward her union test and full membership in Hollywood’s hairstylist ranks.

“I started from scratch,” Bonnie recalls. “Extras, background work, whatever I could. Then I worked my way up into union films and television.”

At just 23, Bonnie had taken a leap into the unknown—and landed in the middle of Hollywood’s golden era.

An Unforgettable Encounter with Elvis

One of Bonnie’s earliest assignments was the film Speedway, starring Elvis Presley and Nancy Sinatra. Beyond the glamour of working with Elvis, Bonnie experienced a deeply personal moment that would change her life forever.

At a baby shower for Priscilla Presley hosted by Nancy Sinatra, Bonnie—who had been struggling with infertility and miscarriages—was asked to rub Priscilla’s pregnant belly, an Italian good luck tradition. That very month, Bonnie became pregnant with her son, Jason.

She treasures a handwritten thank-you note from Elvis and Priscilla for a baby gift she’d given them—a keepsake postmarked from Memphis that remains one of her most valued possessions.

Elvis himself left an impression not just as a superstar, but as a warm, playful man surrounded by friends and laughter. He even asked Bonnie to travel and work on all his future films, but she turned him down, wanting to prioritize her dream of raising a family.

“I can’t,” she told Elvis. “I want to have a family.”
Elvis hugged her and replied, “I wish I had said no more often too.”

It’s moments like these—intimate, human, and real—that made Bonnie’s career so extraordinary.

Choosing Family Over Fame

While Bonnie loved her work, she never lost sight of her personal priorities. After her daughter was born prematurely, she and her husband decided to move away from Los Angeles to Indianapolis, closer to family. For a while, Bonnie stepped back from Hollywood.

It wasn’t easy to walk away. She had been living the dream—working alongside stars, shaping looks for the screen—but like many women of her generation, she faced the challenge of balancing motherhood and career.

“Back then you didn’t get it all,” Bonnie says. “You had to choose.”

But destiny wasn’t done with her yet.

A Dallas Comeback

In the 1980s, Bonnie’s life took another unexpected turn when her husband’s work moved the family to Dallas. At the time, Dallas was thriving as a filmmaking hub because the state of Texas was offering tax incentives to production companies. Almost without seeking it out, Bonnie found herself surrounded once again by the world she had once stepped away from.

The transition back into film work happened naturally. With her children in school, Bonnie was able to accept jobs without feeling like she was compromising her role as a mother. She had always wanted to be present for her kids while they were young, and this move gave her the balance she had been hoping for—continuing to build her career while still keeping family at the center.

Her years in Dallas reignited the rhythm of set life. Then, as her children grew up and started lives of their own, Bonnie faced another life change. After her husband passed away, she made the difficult but determined choice to return to California. This time, she rejoined the union full-time, ready to give her career her full attention.

That move marked the beginning of Bonnie’s second act in Hollywood—a chapter that would become the most rewarding and fruitful period of her entire career.

The Breakthrough: Julia Roberts and Erin Brockovich

Sometimes opportunity knocks in the most unexpected ways. After styling Jennifer Lopez in Out of Sight with George Clooney, Bonnie received a phone call from someone asking, “Who did Jennifer’s hair?”

The client turned out to be Julia Roberts.

That introduction led to one of the defining collaborations of Bonnie’s career. Beginning with Erin Brockovich, Bonnie styled Julia exclusively on more than 10 films, including Ocean’s Eleven. Their relationship extended beyond the makeup trailer—built on mutual trust, warmth, and friendship.

Julia’s down-to-earth nature made her a joy to work with, and their bond even spilled into the kitchen. Bonnie recalls cooking Julia’s beloved sausage, biscuits, and gravy—once even for a table that unexpectedly grew to include Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, and George Clooney in their Bellagio villa during Ocean’s Eleven.

“It became quite a thing in the industry,” Bonnie laughs. “People started calling it my recipe.”

Bonnie’s ability to build genuine relationships with the stars she worked with set her apart. For her, hairstyling wasn’t just about looks—it was about connection.

Hollywood Friendships and Memorable Moments

Over the years, Bonnie’s chair became a safe space for actors. She styled Hilary Swank, worked closely with Al Pacino, and developed a lasting friendship with Tim Allen—starting with The Santa Clause 2, which involved the challenge of wigs, prosthetics, and working alongside special effects makeup artists.

She also worked on the Twilight saga, styling Kristen Stewart. Kristen once invited Bonnie and the makeup team to bake cookies for the entire crew during the holiday season. That simple idea turned into a massive operation involving dozens of boxes of cookies, individually labeled and signed.

For Bonnie, these moments—pie lessons with Hilary Swank, cookies with Kristen, comfort food with Julia—were just as important as the glitz of the red carpet.

Challenges, Struggles, and Resilience

Bonnie’s story isn’t just one of Hollywood glamour. She faced personal challenges that shaped her resilience and outlook on life.

She openly shares in her book Continuity that she was raped as a teenager and later lived with an alcoholic husband who eventually died of cirrhosis of the liver. These were not easy experiences, but Bonnie views them as part of the “continuity of life”—challenges that tested her but did not define her.

Instead, she chose to find strength, focus on her children, and pour herself into her work. Her career became not just a job, but a way of weaving together creativity, resilience, and healing.

Why “Continuity”?

The title of Bonnie’s book isn’t just about hairstyling—it’s about life. In film, continuity means ensuring that every detail remains consistent from scene to scene, whether it’s the length of an actor’s hair or the ashes on a cigarette. A single mistake can break the illusion.

In life, Bonnie sees continuity as the thread that carries us through good times and bad—the way we keep moving forward, adjusting, and maintaining balance.

Her 800-page coffee table book, filled with more than 800 photos, captures both sides: the meticulous behind-the-scenes work of hairstyling and the deeply personal journey of a woman navigating Hollywood, family, and loss.

The Final Cut

After decades of work, Bonnie’s last on-set moment came with Al Pacino in Austin. Though she wasn’t officially on the film, Pacino asked her to come by his trailer to check his haircut. She ended up trimming, styling, and chatting with him for nearly an hour.

Looking back, Bonnie says that was the perfect way to close her career—on her own terms, with someone she respected and admired.

Bonnie’s book Continuity is a rich collection of photos, stories, recipes, and reflections from her extraordinary life. For now, it’s available directly through her under Hot Nudie by Bonnie Cleverling and will soon be on Amazon.

If you’ve ever wondered what life behind the scenes of Hollywood is really like—or if you simply love stories of resilience, friendship, and creativity—you’ll find inspiration in every page.

Watch her full episode here: