Jane Fonda To Sport Leona Helmsley Hairstyle For HBO’s ‘Newsroom’ Series

Fonda’s character’s name is a nod to two powerful women, the late hotel exec Leona Helmsley (known as the Queen of Mean and found guilty of tax evasion in 1988) and Fonda’s longtime pal former Paramount chief Sherry Lansing.  

 

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But according to her hairdresser, Matthew Shields, (he works out of Sally Hershberger‘s La Cienaga salon), her hairdo will be closer to Helmsley’s short helmet hair, not Lansing’s long wavy locks.

 

The British-born hairdresser has maintained Fonda’s youthful choppy do for several years. He travels with the actress to style her hair for various appearances: the Cannes Film Festival, her recent book tours promotions and TV appearances. He even got up at 4:30 to do her hair before The Hollywood Reporter Women in Entertainment Breakfast.

 

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Shields, who is also doing her hair for the HBO series, explains that there was no serious cutting, just a restyling. “Her hairstyle is more corporate and professional because her character is a no-nonsense CEO,” says Shields. 

 

She already shot her scenes two weeks ago,  But there is still some discussion about her character making a reappearance, especially towards the end of the season. We hope her role will be more than just a cameo. She has been nominated 7 times for Academy Awards and won twice for Klute and Coming Home. And she also won an Outstanding Actress Emmy for her role on The Dollmaker in 1984.

 

Fonda recently told The Hollywood Reporter in another interview that she might be up for a regular TV show — perhaps a comedy — of her own. “First of all, I like the idea of a regular job,” she said. “And second, I like the idea of comedy about an older woman.”