Siân Richards

Biography

Siân Richards (born 21 July 1968) is a hair designer. Born in London, England, United Kingdom, Richards grew up immersed in the world of film makeup through her father, Hu Richards, a film makeup artist, and her Maltese mother, Carmelina. She first appeared on a film set at the age of two and knew by age ten that she wanted to pursue a career in makeup artistry. After studying Fine Art, Photography, Film Makeup, Effects, Hair and Wig Dressing in London at the London College of Fashion and Wimbledon School of Art, she began her professional career in makeup on television productions, including work on Prime Suspect (1991). By the age of 28, she was heading the makeup department on feature films. She holds British and United States citizenship. Richards's career encompasses fashion, beauty, theatre, commercials, television and major motion pictures. Early in her career, she worked on genre films and continued to expand her portfolio to include work with a wide range of public figures across entertainment and culture. Her extensive film work includes collaborations with the late Chadwick Boseman in Black Panther (2018), Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019); Da 5 Bloods (2020); and serving as Head of Makeup on Judas and the Black Messiah (2021). She also contributed to Netflix films such as The Gray Man (2022) and Raymond & Ray (2022), among many others. Richards's work on television and film has earned her critical recognition within the industry. She received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Makeup for a Limited Series or a Movie (Non-Prosthetic) for her work on Bessie (2015), shared with her colleagues. Her contributions to Black Panther (2018) garnered a Makeup Artists & Hair Stylists Guild Award nomination for Best Special Makeup Effects – Feature-Length Motion Picture, shared with Joel Harlow and Ken Diaz. For Cloud Atlas (2012), she was part of a team that received a Critics' Choice Award for transformative makeup work. Other nominations include Image Awards (NAACP) recognition for Outstanding Makeup for The Book of Clarence (2023) and industry awards from the Hollywood Critics Association and Astra Creative Arts for her work on Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020) and Sinners (2025), respectively. Beyond her film-set achievements, Richards is a global educator and mentor, regularly conducting masterclasses and intensives. She is the founder and CEO of Siân Richards London, a cosmetics brand rooted in professional cinema-tested makeup designed to celebrate global beauty and performance under high-definition lighting and long hours.