Program & Course Instructors

Whatever path you choose, they’ve done it.

At Beyond the Combs Academy (BTCA), you will experience theory, hands-on and lots of MOTIVATION in an inspiring and supportive environment. A typical day at BTCA will be theory and practical to real life situations in Hollywood. All the instructors are members of Local 706. These instructors have worked on a diverse range of productions. Whatever path you choose, they’ve done it, they’ve been there and they can help you get there.

Robert Stevenson, the first African american Male to join Local 706 Makeup Artist & hairstylist Guild

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND
February 20, 2022
Wig Application 9:30am-1:30pm

Robert will be back for Wig Application…if you did not attend the Workshop come 2/20/22 this “Hands-On Wig Application class 9:30am-1:30pm which will be a very informative class that will teach many variations of wrapping for a wig, different glues, stunt wigging and so much more. Signup today to reserve your seat!

Whether you’re preparing for a production or you want to know for future projects or as a personal. BTCA is available for this Hands One-On-One 4 hours class

ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON

Motion Picture & Television Hair Stylist

An award-winning hair stylist Robert Louis Stevenson, whose career in motion pictures spanned 40 years, retired in 2009, however he continues to serve as a wig designer and consultant on films. One of the most sought-after hair stylists in films, he is respected and well known for his creativity, speed and winning personality. With over 120 credits, Stevenson is the only African American to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award, given by the Makeup and Hairstylist Guild Awards. During his career, he won a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in Hair styling for The Jesse Owens Story and was nominated for The Atlanta Child Murders and for The Jacksons: An American Dream. He won the Hollywood Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist Guild Award for The Butler in the Best Contemporary Hair Styling. He has been a member of the Motion Picture Academy’s Makeup & Hair Stylist Branch since 1999.

Stevenson is included in the History Makers national archives, which is an elite group of 5000 well-known and respected African Americans. Stevenson is the only entertainment hair stylist selected to be in the collection. He completed a six-hour oral video interview on his life and career, which is forever stored and available at the Library of Congress in Washington D.C.

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Stevenson was the personal hairstylist for Samuel L. Jackson for the last 14 years of his career. His film credits with Jackson included Soul Men, Jackie Brown, Jumper, Lakeview Terrace, Black Snake Moan, Snakes on the Plane, XXX: State of the Union, Coach Carter, XXX, Unbreakable, Shaft, Rules of Engagement, The Negotiator, Eve’s Bayou, Jackie Brown, The Long Kiss Good Night, A Time to Kill and began with The Great White Hype. In addition, Stevenson has been the supervising hair stylist on many other memorable films including Jarhead, Three Kings, Amistad, Waiting to Exhale, What’s Love Got to Do With It, Coming to America, Sister Act 1 & 2, The Color Purple, Harlem Nights and Flashdance.

Stevenson’s started working in motion pictures as the hair stylist for Richard Pryor’s film Car Wash in 1976. He continued serving as hair stylist on seven of Pryor’s best-known films; Greased Lightnin’, Which Way Is Up, Blue Collar, Some Kind of Hero, The Toy and Superman III.

Stevenson began his career in 1970 at Universal Pictures, where he worked on every TV show on the studio lot for seven years. Television was his training ground. He worked on numerous Universal shows including; McMillian and Wife, Kojak, Ironside, Marcus Welby, Emergency and many more. Prior to working at the studios, he had a successful hair salon in Los Angeles. He trained at Flavio School of Beauty in Leimert Park after completing a tour of duty in the U.S. Army.

Over the years, Stevenson became an expert in working with hair-lace wigs. Since his retirement he continues to create and design wigs. He served as the wig consultant for Chadwick Boseman, who starred as James Brown in Get on Up. He was also the wig designer for Courtney B. Vance, who played Johnny Cochran in the TV series American Crime: The O.J. Simpson Story; for Don Cheadle, who starred as Miles Davis in Miles Ahead, and for Tupac in the film All Eyez on Me.

Stevenson is the oldest of twelve brothers and sisters, born in Louisville, Kentucky and raised in Los Angeles, California. Today several family members followed in his footsteps; two of his sisters, makeup artist Joanetta Stowers and hair stylist Linda Khan, and a niece, makeup artist Jataunia Schweitzer are members of the Makeup and Hair Stylist Local 706. Stevenson has been married for 42 years to retired film publicist, Roz Stevenson. They have four adult children and seven grandchildren.