May 20, 2024 • 50 mins
Get ready for some sizzling hot scoop! As the lead makeup artist on DWTS, she had a front-row seat to all the drama, witnessing both the highs and lows on-screen and off.
Emmy Award-winning makeup artist Melanie Mills joins Cheryl to dish about her backstage experiences on Dancing with the Stars, and she's not glossing over anything! From being asked by production to snoop on the professional dancers to the time Maks threw a soda bottle at her head (he missed), why she's the one who got in trouble for it, and an entire breakdown of what led to her firing and the unexpected aftermath. Grab a fan because it's about to get hot in here!
Plus, Melanie reveals the pro dancer who didn't like her, the vainest of them all, and a not-so-glowing review on the spray tans the dancers were using, which led to the creation of her own products still being used today! For more info on Melanie Mills Hollywood, visit Melaniemillshollywood.com, and for tips and tricks of the trade, check out her book "Glitter & Glam."
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
This is Sex, Lies and spray Tands with Me Cheryl
Burke and iHeartRadio Podcast. Hey guys, welcome back to your
favorite Dancing with the Stars podcast. Today we're peeling back
the curtain on one of TV's most glittering shows with
a very special guest. Our guest today has spent years
leading the makeup team on Dancing with the Stars, witnessing
first hand the highs and lows behind the cameras. To
(00:24):
say the least, she has honestly seen it and heard
it all, from breath taking transformations to the intense moments
before going live. My next guest is the CEO and
founder of Gleam Face and Body Radiance, which is a
revolutionary all in one makeup, moisturizer and glow you can
use for your face and body. Two time Emmy Award
(00:45):
winning celebrity makeup artists, one of Hollywood's leading on camera
beauty experts who has been nominated multiple times for an
Emmy and a Guild Award. She is also the author
of Glitter and Glam and was head of the makeup
department on Dancing with the Stars for so many years.
Get your spray tans ready, as this episode is going
to be one that you won't want to miss. Everyone,
(01:05):
please welcome Melanie Mills to the podcast. Me and You
go way back. First of all, you freaking knew me
back when I just was so addicted to as much
glitter and as much nasty spray tan as possible on
my body and my eyelids so that I could barely
open them at one point. I'm doing I did these
rewatches back in season two, and I looked crazy, Like
(01:27):
I'm so so I love myself. I'm not trying to, like,
you know, put myself down by any means, but I'm
just saying I looked crazy, and that was It.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
Was just a journey.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
It was fresh off the ballroom floor, like literally fresh
off the boat, right onto CBS and that lot over
there on Beverly and Genesee. Before we actually get into
it though, I just I like to ask my guests
who they are, Like, who is Melanie Mills behind the
gleam and the glitter and the glam.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
I'm a mom, I'm a wife, I'm a business woman.
I love my family, I love to travel, I love makeup, love.
I have a shop now here. I'm in the corner
of my little glam room of my makeup and metaphysical
shop here in Nashville called the Makeup Altar, And that's
(02:18):
I kind of think it in a nutshell. I still
love to have fun. We go out all the time.
We love love to hit up concerts and shows and we'footies.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
And yeah, congratulations, by the way, that's amazing. I mean,
first of all, I never thought you would ever moved
to Nashville. I mean seriously, I thought you were just
like a Cali girl and you were going to stay
there forever.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Me too, Me too, totally. That was a total out
of the blue COVID happened. Gleam Millennimal's Hollywood took a
pretty good hit. I was supposed to be on qvc UK.
I was booked all of twenty twenty, starting in March
of twenty twenty, and so it was a pretty it
was a pretty good financial loss. So we had to
sell our gorgeous, gorgeous home. I think you went for
(03:01):
Liesel's baby shower.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
No, yes, yes, absolutely. Liesel is one of the PAS,
or used to be one of the PAS. Shout out
to Liesel. She listens to this podcast. I get daily
d ms from Liesel on what she thinks of the
interviews that I've been doing. What do you think people's
biggest misconceptions are about you, Melanie.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
I think a lot of people think I'm really rich,
honestly because I do. Because I have Melanie Mill's Hollywood brand.
It looks really good out there. You know, I did
have some really great heydays with some inheritances, but I
also went through some crazy divorce and you know, like
I said, took this huge hit with qvc UK. So
(03:43):
I think that is definitely like one misconception as people
think I'm you know, and I have some taste and
I have some good stuff from back in the day.
But yeah, that's the first thing that hit me. But
I've never thought of it like that.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
Well that's a good sign, right, I means you don't
really care so much about what people think.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
I don't. Oh, I don't, girl, I don't. There was
a time that I did, and during that show, definitely
was you know, worried about that and you know, had
a lot to kind of uphold, you know, I was gosh,
I think I was only I think I was only
thirty ish when I started. I had just had Solaris
(04:20):
on that show. It was kind of unheard of to
have like a female, a young female, run such a
huge live show like that, So like within the makeup world,
for sure, it was like whoa, how did she get that?
And then I think it was really shocking for a
lot of people that I maintained it for so long
and ran something kind of so big, which fled into
like so many other wonderful projects.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
First of all, how did you get into makeup?
Speaker 2 (04:44):
I got into makeup. I used to live in Italy.
I used to be kind of a surfer chick. I
really didn't very much makeup, to be honest.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
Really you never wore makeup, Melanie.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
No, No, I mean I used to love. I love
to direct. I wanted to be like an I wanted
to be a singer, but I cannot hold a tune
to save my life, and so I want Then I
got into like my whole family is in the industry,
so it's like I got my dad's camera and like
would try to redo videos with the neighborhood kids like
in the block, and so I was like kind of
directing and producing then, but then I would have to
(05:17):
do some makeup and stuff. But it wasn't until I
was living in Italy and I lived there for a year.
I went to the University Tati Ferenze. I be a translator.
I wanted anything to do with Europe or Italy. That
was my goal. And then after I went to that school,
I made so many great friends all over Scandinavia. Especially.
I would just like I was a waitress at the time.
(05:37):
I'd come home and waitress, save up my money, go
couch her from like anywhere from six weeks to like
four or five months even And I did that for
seven years. And then I was in Milan. A friend
of mine was going to go take a makeup class.
I went with her. I walked into this cathedral turned
into a makeup school, and I thought, okay, wait, one,
this is an awesome excuse to get Grandma to fit
(05:57):
the bill for me to live in Italy again. And two, wait,
what you can make money? Do we makeup? And then
I grew up with Larry Wilcox, who was the blonde
on Chips, and I thought, oh, okay, he can get
me in the biz. And I signed up for the school.
Came home. My Nana, my greatest benefactor, was like, because
I have such a heavy entertainment family. She was like, Oh,
this is not a woman's world. I don't think this
(06:18):
is a great move. What are you doing? Was not
supportive of the idea, telling my hairdresser about it about
a week later, She's like, Oh, I didn't know you
wanted to do makeup. I'm like, neither did I. And
then her roommate was a union makeup artist and I'm
not even kidding you. Within like two weeks time, that
chick needed help on a like an intern on a film. Bam,
it all just fell into place.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
So speaking of your nana and how were you raised,
Like what was your family dynamics?
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Like very we are like strong women, like it was.
My great grandma definitely was like the matriarch of the family.
She was my best friend. She was everything, really and
she passed when she was ninety. As a matter of fact, whoa,
I was dancing with the stars when she passed.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
I remember, and I.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
Knew she was passing, And I'm gonna just be so honest,
like I actually dilly dellied and didn't like I was
afraid to go there and do the last breath thing.
But yeah, and then yeah, but I mean ninety seven,
she lived a great, great life, and then four generations
at five with women. Then there's my grandma who's still alive.
(07:28):
She's ninety three. She's glama, she's gorgeous. It was really
my grandma that like pushed and other aunts that pushed
the whole glam on me because they my grandfather was
a jazz musician and so my grandma was always all
jazzy and always made up and same with like some
other ants and stuff like that. My nana was like
(07:48):
traditional baby blue eyeshadow, eyebrown and clip, and then my
mom was kind of hippy dippy too, but like you know,
we were like the ladies that lunched. My daughter, who
is now almost twenty one, was in the picture. We
were five generations until my daughter was about five, so
it was.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
Amazing one really she's almost Oh my god, this is disgusting.
I have just I honestly remember iran Anna. I remember
your daughter like as if it was yesterday. It's crazy, Melanie,
time flies, yet it is also so slow. At the
same time, it's bizarre how fast it all goes. And
I know it just wild seeing you.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
It's just the whole thing is.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
Wild, like full circle. Definitely how about your father was
he was he present in your life?
Speaker 2 (08:37):
Yeah? So but my dad, So, my mom and dad
divorced when I was like one, and my dad was there.
He was in the picture more of like a working caller.
He was like the he worked for Contra Concrete corin
I definitely did the weekends and vacations and stuff with him.
I lived with him for one like winter, but you know,
he was super hippy, dippy and just really cool guy.
(09:00):
He actually lives with me now. So but my step
my stepdad actually raised me through my childhood and then passed. Gosh,
he was it was a long time ago, and then
my and then my dad didn't come into the picture
until about ten years ago. I mean he was always there.
It's not like he wasn't, but as far as like
moving in with us, and then he runs the Millennials
(09:23):
Hollywood shipping center and he's totally a part of it. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
You know, I've always appreciated your hustle, girl, Like seriously,
I think that's why I feel like I connected to
you from day one. Like really, I have such strong
women in my life in general. I mean that's obviously
when it comes from my mother, Like I also too,
come from a broken family when I was so young
at two years old. But it's about like women and
like women empowerment women supporting women, Like that's all I know.
(09:49):
And I gravitate towards like just strong personalities in general.
So I've always respected you for that. Especially. How did
Dancing of the Stars come about for you?
Speaker 2 (10:08):
I remember watching the pilot okay with very I wasn't
on it for the pilot that very very first, like
what was it like? Three week? Six weeks? Little run? Right?
Speaker 1 (10:19):
I know, I wasn't there yet. I was only I
started season two, So tell us tell me and my listeners.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
Well, I just watched it on TV. Solura's a little
tiny baby, and I remember thinking, oh my god, I
want that show, like I want to work on that show.
Like I'm a manifestor too. So it's like, yeah, I
didn't realize what a manifesto I was until recently, but
I literally like set it out loud, and I think
I talked with my girlfriends on the phone and we'd
be like, oh my god, how cool would it be
to do that show? And then I was working with
(10:47):
a makeup artist named Adam Christopher who was working with
Lisa Renna. He brought me on and Shashana was the
head of that first season.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
Shout out to Shoshana, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
Yeah, and so so I just kind of stumbled in
there to help and ended up staying. And then one
thing led to the other with those certain people just
not carrying on. And I remember Shoshana she got let
go as well as you know, a bunch of people did.
And so I remember being so bummed when I heard that.
(11:19):
I was like, oh, that sucks. And she said to me,
and I don't know if you ever got to go
hang on the boat. I used to have a little
miniacht down in Marina del Rey and I was on
it and it was like fourth of July and I
get the call and I'm like, oh my god, that
sucks because I really loved that show. And then she said,
you know what, Melanie, I think you should go for it.
I'm like, really, She's.
Speaker 1 (11:39):
Like, I think you should.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
So I literally had Izzy's phone number and.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
You pick she said she was the former show runner.
Speaker 2 (11:47):
Okay, just picked up the phone, had the balls and
just did it. And they had actually already kind of
hired somebody, but then she was kind of intrigued by me,
remembered me. She asked me a few key questions, and
then I got to have an interview, and I remember
going in with like I had so many books like
these portfolios, not necessarily of my own work, but vision
(12:09):
of the ballroom world kind of blended with what my
idea eventually, you know, would come into fruition was like
more of like a couture, you know, fun ballroom version
of makeup, you know. And so I fell sudless, tan
her and I get thrown into a hole.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
It smells like, okay, let's just be honest. It smells
like cat piss, well just not dick or asparagus pornadjh.
Who's still there? God bless her heart? There she's our
body mate. I'm telling you, this woman has seen it all,
literally seen it all. She has definitely been the constant
there as far as I won't let anyone Back in
(12:46):
the day when I was on the show, I didn't
let anyone touch my body. I was like, nope and
Nideesh's not here. I'm doing it myself and watch.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
She also probably works the hardest in the makeup department
physically because it's not an easy job. I mean, and
she's doing twenty twenty plus bodies a time and.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
Tell us a story. I mean, I remember Conrad chasing
me and Edita down the lot at CBS because we
refused to tone tone down our tan because at the
end of the day, it's a layer of skin. You
know this. But I just want to tell my listeners
this ain't don't mess with me and my body on
live TV. It's our bodies. And this was my mentality
(13:25):
back then. We can do whatever we want because you're
not worrying the dance costume that we have to wear.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
And I felt for you guys, you know, but at
the same rate, like I'll never forget when I first
walked in on it and just solve the whole thing
for the first time. I didn't even know what sunless
tanning was at the time. Literally this was when Shasana
was still on and I was like, what is this?
Like what is this?
Speaker 1 (13:49):
Like?
Speaker 2 (13:49):
This is crazy? And then because you all were traveling
the world and competing around the world, you guys have
formulas from like Russia, Australia.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
Oh yeah, no, Maryland. Yeah, it was called pro tan.
By the way, if you want to probably google it,
you could.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
I feel like for those maybe listening that want to
spray tan, spray Tanny has come so far from then.
Oh my god. The formula is the application, like everything,
the colors, the shade ranges. I feel like we were
really working with you know, remember jan Tanna, Remember bringing
Jana Jantanna.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
I don't understand. See, this is the thing. I don't
spray tan. You know, I don't spray tan because it
doesn't work. I'm trying to be dark. I'm trying to
be ten shades darker than my actuals. If you were
to see me live in person, you would be shocked
at how white my legs are. It's like see through.
But let me tell you something. When I would make
freaking nadej us the use that formula, the spray tant
(14:40):
not in a spray or go get a sponge and
just damp it in, like get in there. And I
people thought I was blazing literally and.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
That I know, and everybody thought, edit it was Brazilian
and like, I.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
Mean, yeah, we could handle it. You know, some people
can handle their liquor. We could handle our tan, that's
for sure.
Speaker 2 (14:59):
I liked a joke, and I mean it's kind of true.
I was like if they could bathe in it, they would,
If they drink it.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
They would, yep.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
And then when you're wearing it so much so often
it let's just face it, it dehydrates your skin. You
can look very snaky like. You can have all these
crazy streaks. It can be orange, brown, green, white like,
and then the hands and then the u and then
the heels and then the oh girls, see look, I'm gidding,
I'm gonna start to the ankle.
Speaker 1 (15:26):
The ankle is those are the best. When they collect
all the tan, like, they turn like black and crusty though,
that's the best.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
And you know, it's crazy because I tried to control it.
You know, I ended up working with Sanchope and various
different sun tanning companies, but at the end for me,
for years, it was Sancho Pey. We brought the spray,
the spray tanning and we had the room upstairs. I
tried to like control it was like, okay, we're going
to spray tan everybody on the Sunday before. But you know,
(15:54):
it just there was just it's just there. Whatever it is,
what it is. So but the look, you know what,
because that gleam was born Melanieal's Hollywood.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
Thank God for Gleam. I mean Nadjha and I can.
I mean two years ago when I was there, she
was still using it on me. So you that was brilliant,
by the way, And that's the hustle that I know
of Melanie Mills is that, hey, you know what, turn
it into freaking business and it's needed, by the way,
It's something that still is needed to this day because
there's nothing like it out there. So congratulations on that.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
And just to be clear for all you all, it's
not a sunless tanner. It's a moisturizing body makeup that
kind of like I.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
Don't look at it, there's like a glow to it.
Speaker 2 (16:36):
Yeah, but you can go dark. Your guys's favorite shade
was deep gold and then yeah, but it washes off.
It doesn't like stay in your skin. It's just literally
to hydrate. Like look at the cover of the new
sixtieth edition of the Swimsuit edition for Sports Illustrated. That's
basically like they're all gleaming. Yeah, look at those covers
(16:56):
and basically that's what Gleam delivers.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
Yeah, exactly. Well, congrats again. Okay, so other than that moment,
can you talk to me my listeners about another memorable
moment on set other than the disaster.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
Tan Well, one thing with the tan I just got
to say, and that was kind of funny because I've
been thinking about this, like I'm like, oh God, there's
so much, there's so much to say. And then just also,
you know, for me, I was constantly dealing with the
producers in a way using me to like control you
(17:30):
guys in particular.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
You know, we would never talk like I. I mean,
when I was in that makeup trailer, lots of stuff
is being talked about, but I would say that I
don't talk about my partners like we talk about real
girl issues in that trailer.
Speaker 2 (17:44):
We did, we did, But sometimes I'd be sat in
a room and be like, so I was so pressured,
like in a lot of ways, like I was in
the middle of like a lot of things that they
would put me in, Like for example, with Edita, they
were like, she's you got to stop. She can't get
any darker, she can't get any darker. And I'm like,
you guys, they have their own stuff in there, like
(18:06):
I'm trying to like control it, you know, just as
I can. And you know, so stuff like that and
I'll never forget. She was dancing. I think his name
was Jason. He was that Jason Taylor. Oh god, I
loved him.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
Gorge He's stunning.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
Gorge like stunning, like a stunning species of a male,
for sure. And there the show's about ready to go live.
Everybody's on the walkie talkie like, where's Melanie, where's Melanie?
Whar's dashed? Editor? Editor? Editor is freaking out? More tan,
more tan, more tan. And then I've got like another
producer going no, no, no, no, you don't go over there.
And then I've got another producer going like Lee's old,
(18:41):
going she won't go on without you, And it's like, ah,
like a tug and pull right, And I remember I
finally got out there and it was literally minutes like
before you guys had to go line up in the back,
and she was like I need another layer, and I
just will never forget Jason going like, editor, you're darker
than me, Like I don't understand. You know, it was hysterical.
(19:04):
I had to laugh. So then, you know, we would
do faux things like okay, here's this budelt. Did that
make her feel like she was getting a little something?
Speaker 1 (19:10):
You know what I mean no, totally, you know, you know,
at a t and I literally, I'm not kidding. We
were being chased by the show runner Conrad after Izzie's time, right,
so she was a showner than Conrad Green took over,
who's now back and is the show runner still to
this day. We would lock our trailers and we would
have Scott Barnes's body blank and we would go at
it at it.
Speaker 2 (19:32):
I was always in trouble with wardrobe.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
The thing is, it's all mental, Like if I don't
feel good from inside, whatever that may mean, whether that's
ten more layers of tan or like a contour in
my eye, like, it really doesn't matter because if I
don't feel good, I don't perform well. And we all
want the performance to be as good as possible, right
or as great as possible.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
It would come back to me through the producers that
you know, because body, makeup and tanner and shit would
be all over the clothes. You know. It's like and
these are like that, you know, as we were getting along,
they were becoming more and more like refined and one
of a kind and d D da da da, and
it was just like and then when Gleam entered the picture.
It was like it was like as if it was
(20:13):
really my fault, and it was like, okay, guys like
Gleam can actually wash out and wipe off, but it's
the same crap that we've been using in basically a
little bit of a different formula. It's still going on,
and I still also cannot control what's going on in
their trailers and the other products that are happening, and
like you just you know. So it was it was
kind of like when Gleam came on, was kind of
(20:34):
kind of right before I left, and it was that
I remember, like it was like, oh, well you made
that and that's yours, so you're the problem. And it
was just kind of like, eh.
Speaker 1 (20:51):
Were there any other like particularly tense moments on set
other than this infamous Tan story.
Speaker 2 (20:58):
We used to drink wine, right, so there used to
be a bar upstairs that far used to have so fun,
so fun. Those were the good old days. Those were
the fun days. So they set the tone. They're British,
you know, you know, it's normally lay la la, you know.
Backstage though, Okay, one day and Julian Huff was in
a white gown getting ready to do some sort of
(21:20):
waltz or something and I and I never did this
again after that, but I did have a glass of
red wine backstage. She was kind of yeah, girl, I
had on remember where we would do our quick changes,
and she's like twirling and like practicing, and somebody walks
by and knocks it and I'm not even kidding you.
The wine went like like right by her, like it
(21:42):
just missed her. And it was like a minute before
they were going to go on, and she looked at
me and she was Julian didn't love me, because it
was like she wanted to control the whole thing. She
wanted to have her makeup ours. That was the other
thing the producers I wasn't nobody could have personals, not
even the celebrities. They wanted to the celebrities to all
also go through that, you know what I mean. They
(22:02):
wanted to make it like like no, you're in our
world now and you've got to deal with our people
in our world and that. Yeah, there was always like
a little riff with Juliete and I towards the end
as she was starting to get kind of big, because
it was like she wanted this and then but they
want this, and then you know, and then I want
this artist and it was just like.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
Did you ever get any red wine on her dress?
Speaker 2 (22:27):
No? No, I would have been fully fired easily and luckily,
and like nobody noticed it, like nobody like luckily she
noticed it and me, and it was like speaking of
a crazy story. We all know Max. He wasn't dicks
and he was he was vain. You know, let's face it,
(22:49):
good looking guy, he himself is. Look the guys too,
Let's talk about the guys. The guys you know are
almost even more vain. And let's talk about like literally
like and painting six packs and you know remember that
for sure. Uh. And then but you know, Max would
(23:09):
just get really really intense. And one year when Brandy
was on, we were going from like either a black,
pascid dobl ay type of lip to like some sort
of I think we were going from black to like
a nineteen fifties like thing. I'm a jiggy and we're
backstage and he wants to freakin dance with her, and
I want to say one thing really quick though, like
(23:30):
one of the passions I had about that show. I
loved the quick changes.
Speaker 1 (23:34):
I loved it really so I did.
Speaker 2 (23:37):
It was like challenging, it was energetic.
Speaker 1 (23:40):
You got like that was your high. Was that adrenaline rush.
Speaker 2 (23:43):
Was definitely like going from like a crazy intense liner
look dark black git or whatever, black black lip and
then into like a nineteen fifties like da da da
da dah, you know what I mean, and like you
literally have like sometimes two minutes. So with Brandy, I
think that time we had made five minutes, maybe six,
and he was he wanted to rehearse. He wanted to rehearse,
(24:07):
and we're all trying to do her and he's pulling her.
He's pulling her, and I'm trying to like literally take
this lip off and put a new lip on and
still have it look great and to do a red lip, y'all.
You know, come on, it's to take off a black
and to put on a red and to switch up
byliner and switch u da da da da, And like,
I mean, we had it down, we had our stuff,
but it's like he was legit like pulling her and
(24:31):
I was like Max, Max and then she's like I'm like,
come on, Max, just give me one minute. And he's
like I think he's kind of cussing. I think he is.
I think he's like I need her, let you know.
And then she's looking at me with these eyes like
looking at me like mel mel and I'm like and
then finally I go, I put my hands up and
I go, fine, take her. And then she was like
(24:54):
like no, you know, and so he was like all,
So then he takes her, but then she's upset. So
then she it's back down in my chair. And then
right before she's done, she's getting up. She stands up.
He has a full coke and he throws it at me, Melanie, Yes,
Melanie missed my I'm not even kidding you. It was
a closed, full coke can that he threw right at me,
(25:17):
and it missed my head. Like this, there was a
camera guy. He caught the whole thing on camera. He
caught the whole thing on camera.
Speaker 1 (25:25):
Well, so he threw me wait, hold on, hold on,
hold on, hold on, rewind. He threw a Coca cola
cake like coke at your head because.
Speaker 2 (25:36):
He tried to it missed me because he was pissed
off at me because I guess I held her for
too long to like fix her freaking lip. And then
and then he got upset because then Brandy also got
upset with me because I went like this and I
was like, okay, fine, Like it was like this insane thing,
you know, and so I finally just went okay. She
(25:58):
either had no lip, half lips something crazy where it
was like come on, dude, and it did not hit me. Okay,
but you want to know what happened. I got called
into the producer's office like a freaking schoolgirl. But it
was really intense. It was like, you know how there
was the big room in the back with a big
long table where you could have like fifteen producers sitting there,
you know what I mean. And I literally got called
(26:20):
in and they were in the bungalows. Yeah, it was
so insane. And here I'm thinking they're going to like
back me up and because hello, it was also on
camera and what am I supposed to do? But I
got reamed. I got reamed. They totally took Max side.
Speaker 1 (26:39):
What do they say?
Speaker 2 (26:40):
Oh I was I was crying. I literally cannot remember,
except they literally brought me to tears as if I'm
the one that like completely instigated the whole thing. I
was so upset with them all because I was just like,
first of all, why am I like being bullied by
like fifteen people in this room in this like insanely
intense conversation. And how about the fact that he almost
(27:02):
hit me in the head with a full coke and
it's all on camera. Oh no, no, oh no, no,
it was all me girl, And I was lucky to
keep my job that time.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
First of all, I'm sorry that happened to you. That
is horrible, mind you. There's no excuses for that behavior.
And I'm so sorry that the way the executives handled
it was so not okay.
Speaker 2 (27:22):
Everybody was pissed. Everybody that was in that realm that
that went through that was like whoa, It was like whoa.
So I got called in and it somehow turned around
on me. I just remember sobbing and being I felt
very bullied. But I felt like such an ass because
of course I cried and like blah blah blah, and like,
(27:43):
you know, anyhow, So, yeah, there's one for you.
Speaker 1 (27:53):
Now, what happened? Why did you? Was it your was
it your idea or your decision to leave or what happened? No?
Speaker 2 (28:04):
I was fired. I was fired for sure. Hello. I
loved that show. I was broken freakin hearted.
Speaker 1 (28:09):
Oh I can't imagine.
Speaker 2 (28:11):
You know, looking back, like everything happens for reasons, you know,
you know, And I was getting I was literally in
talks with Penguin Publishing. I had already done photoshoots with
Brandy Norwood and Jennifer Gray and whatever I can't remember
at the time, whatever celebrity I had already done at
(28:31):
Drina Patridge, I believe because I was doing a book
it's called and it's called Glittering Glam, but I swear
to god it was becoming the guide for Dancing with Stars.
That book would have been theirs. If I was still there,
it would have ended up literally like I can almost picture,
like dance steps in the back, like how to get them, you.
Speaker 1 (28:51):
Know, right?
Speaker 2 (28:52):
And I gave my heart and my soul to that show,
like I loved that show, like I believed in it.
I would be back there crying like over whatever who
didn't win or blah blah, Like I mean, really, we
were all very invested, you know what I mean. And
I just I just loved, love, love that show. So
I used to do tons of press, as you know,
we all do tons of press, you know. So sometimes
(29:16):
ABC's there with you, sometimes they're not I mean, my god,
I was there for like seven eight years. I didn't
have every interview that I did was not handheld by
ABC publicity, you know what I mean. And so this
was the year of Christy Ally and Kendra was on
the show that time.
Speaker 1 (29:35):
And said yes.
Speaker 2 (29:37):
And so I had just put gleam in a tube.
It was just getting ready to launch in twenty and
eleven of this is this was May of two thousand
and eleven or April about that time. And so remember
she had that magazine and I can never remember which
one it was, either Okay or Like Life or.
Speaker 1 (29:55):
One to magazine in Touch one of those.
Speaker 2 (29:58):
And they were like, you know, would they come and
they would follow the celebrity around for like a week backstage,
they would do it all. They'd go up to wardrobe,
they'd be in the makeup room, they'd be at the rehearsal,
they'd be you know, they they it was like a
week in the life of Blah.
Speaker 1 (30:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (30:12):
Yeah. And so in the trailer for like the show,
like the end show, and so like Christie Allie, you know,
strong personality has her own history in Hollywood. Okay, let's
just face it, but.
Speaker 1 (30:30):
We we commentated her.
Speaker 2 (30:32):
You know, so Angela Moss was doing her, but it
was like it was really just like almost her. Angela
just handing Christie because because Christie wanted to be in control,
Christy wanted to do it. And then angel would do
like little fluffies you know whatever, you know, and Angela
is great, you know, and so I guess this is
this is the way it went down, girl, this is
the way that this is legit the way that it
(30:53):
went down. And so Christie's on the show. They're following
Kinder around there really also looking at Christy, okay. And
so I am finalizing Kindra before the live show and
putting the gleam on, and the editors of the magazine
were like, oh my god, that stuff's amazing, and Kender
(31:14):
was like, oh my god, isn't it. She's getting ready
to launch it. And the one editor was like, would
you like a buzz feature? And I was like sure,
and so she got my number. This happened all the time.
I did interviews all the time without publicity hanging on
to my hand. Okay, I wasn't gonna say anything, you
know what I mean, Like, come on, you know, I
(31:34):
know I knew what to say. This was like seven
years end by this point, so they call me, I'll
never forget it. We were on our way to go
do and we didn't have a huge problem with Christy,
to be honest, it was just like her ware, are
the highway so fine? And we just accommodated it. And
I was actually on my way to Angela Moss's house
for dinner and they call me, and I'm in the
(31:56):
car with my best friend Nancy Stimmock, who did hair.
I have it on a speaker, were starting to drive,
and then I hear like a click, and I said,
wait a minute, are you recording this? Because I had
never really noticed being recorded before in like any of
the interviews that I did. And she said, oh, yeah, oop, sorry,
let me turn it off. I actually wish I would
(32:16):
have had her keep it on, to be honest in retrospect.
So anyhow, we're talking about my product basically, and why
I developed it and how I developed it and the
launch and all this good stuff. So then when that
conversation was done, she's like, hey, do you mind talking
a little bit about the behind the scenes of Dancing
with the Stars. And I'm like, yeah, sure, I want
to say that it was either near or close to
(32:38):
one of the Halloween episodes, and one that stands in
my mind is Mark Ballast with the clockwork orange makeup
that we did. And so she wanted to talk about
the behind the scenes, and we were talking about the makeup,
and somehow it went into how I was talking about
how the male pro dancers had a lot to say
about their partners look looks, and in particular that particular
(33:03):
episode and this and that, and how they were very
involved in how we would work with it. So we
were talking about that for a while and then she goes, well,
so what about Christy Ally. You know, I hear that
she's pretty difficult, And I said, I mean, we have
no issues with her, you know, and started to go
like that route and well, I heard that she insisted
on bringing her own costumes and that they had to
(33:26):
like just alter or fix what she wanted. I said,
you know what, I have no idea anything about what
she did up there in costumes. All I know is
that we are willing to accommodate her. And I did say,
for example, like she wants to do most of her makeups,
so we let her and help her and touch her
up and juse her up and finish it up. I go,
(33:48):
we want to make everybody feel comfortable. I said, everybody's
uncomfortable in the very very beginning, so we'll do whatever
we can to make them comfortable. That's basically all I said. Girl, Okay.
Two days later, I get Amy from Publicity who calls
me and she's like, what the hell did you say
to that magazine? And I'm like what And then she's like,
(34:11):
you're quoted on the cover and there is a picture
of Christy Ali stepping out of the trailer and it said, oh,
I honestly, I've had to kind of like block this
out and I don't. I didn't keep it or anything.
And it was like head makeup artist Melanie Mills from
Dancing with the Stars is that Christy Ally is a big,
fat diva something like that.
Speaker 1 (34:32):
That's a long one liner something like that. That must
have been a big chip on the cover.
Speaker 2 (34:39):
That was the cover. And in reality, these people had
the meat of their story because they followed her kindra
around for a week and we're also pretty much spying
on Christy so like, yeah, basically, they used my little
interview that was originally just supposed to be about my
product for a bus a speed which I got by
(35:01):
the wayoo and h and yeah, I got fired over that.
I was used as a total example and was told
that that I knew the rules that I should never
even have taken interview without Amy. That turned into you
know the rules, you know, you're not allowed to take
(35:21):
an interview without us, you know, blah blah blah blah blah.
And it was like, no, that's not the case, and
that's what I said. And when I told Conrad what
I said, he just wasn't going to have it.
Speaker 1 (35:32):
What was going through your mind during this time?
Speaker 2 (35:36):
Well, I mean I was devastated, as if Dancing with
the Chart Stars was my child and it just does
I know, I thought my career was over. Okay, maybe
they wanted that to happen, Cheryl, because let's face it,
how scripted is the show. It's not this complete reality.
It's not like we're just following people around with the camera.
(35:57):
There are producers that are like, we want you to
say this. I was watching doing my homework on your podcast,
and I was watching Sabrina talk about how you know,
they would push storylines on her and stuff like that.
So yeah, I mean, let's face it, is any reality
show a true true reality show? No, you know what
(36:18):
I mean? So you know, so anyhow like that really
just I think about that, like why did they let
that cover go out? Like where was their like second
layer to make sure something like that didn't happen. Why
was it this like big surprise. I was doing a
buzz Feed featured and talked a tiny bit about a
(36:38):
little something that had nothing to do with the freakin article,
and so yeah, they got all their information just from
being on set and like their little spies. I called
the chick that did the interview with me in tears.
I somehow got her on the phone and I said,
you realize you just lost I just lost my job
over that interview. And you know for a fact that
(36:59):
I did not say any of that stuff. And she
was like, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry. So she
was the one that like pushed it to another one.
She didn't even write it right. And I got a
lawyer and I was going to sue them, and I
really went far with it, to be honest. I was
going to sue Dancing with the Stars. I was going
to get I got the union involved, and they didn't
(37:19):
do anything. Really, President of No, they did nothing. There's
nothing they can do. At the end of the day.
We're all kind of we're in a union, but we're
all just daily hires at the end of the day.
Anybody can get fired for any reason. As you know,
in this business, it's a brutal, brutal business. But I
mean there was other things too, Like you know, it
was I was fired like over it was like an
(37:40):
Easter weekend or something like that. I, like I said,
I owned my own makeup trailer. It was like an
eight or ten station trailer. I was having my house
remodeled at the time. I was having my like three
car garage turned into my shipping center for Melanie Mills Hollywood,
and so my entire life work of kit was in
(38:02):
that trailer. And I did not get a lot of
it back. Wait, what do you mean I didn't get
a lot of my kit back?
Speaker 1 (38:11):
Wait, I don't understand. They had to return the trailer
with your stuff in it. What was so hard about that.
Speaker 2 (38:17):
I'm not going to throw names, but it was decided
that that stuff belonged to the show, even though I had,
even though I had and necessarily not necessarily producers that
decided that either I had like mustache kits, beard kits,
tattoo kits. I had my whole life's work. I used
to do sketch comedy. I used to do I did
huge feature films with like tattoos back in the day
(38:40):
before transfers, when we used to have to do Girl,
Girl Girl. Not to mention, I was kind of the
queen and the beginning of getting really great pr and
gifts sent to the set. I used to do huge
runway shows. I had so much makeup, okay, and I
remember my union president, so basically I was. It happened
over that Easter weekend. I had a trip to the
(39:01):
Wine Country planned, and damn it, I still went on it.
So I was told by my team that they would
pack me up, you know, don't worry, don't worry about
your stuff, because I was so also embarrassed. I was mortified.
I mean, I felt like, I said, like I lost
a child. I was. It was like it was like
a big part of my life, you know. I was
literally so mortified and did not want to go down
(39:23):
to that set and pack it up and all this.
So I was told, don't worry, don't worry about your kit. Well,
you know, long story short, it was determined what was
thought to be of the shows and what was mine.
And at the time I had two assistants, Candy and Lindsay.
You might have remembered them. They were there often and
if I would have gone down because then I was
(39:43):
told you need to come down on Monday and get
your shit now. And this was a live show.
Speaker 1 (39:47):
So you got fired in the middle of the season.
Speaker 2 (39:51):
Yeah. Yeah. I was like, can't I get my shit
after the show right like tonight? Like why do I
have to do it? Like at you know, seven eight
nine am in the morning on Monday, Like how embarrassing?
Like Christie, why would you even want to put Christy
Ali through that? You know what I mean?
Speaker 1 (40:08):
Wait? So why what was there reasoning? Girl?
Speaker 2 (40:10):
It just had to go. It just had to go.
It just had to had to get out of the way.
So when I sent my assistants down to do it,
who know, my kid back and freaking forth. Okay, they
were like this isn't in all their stuff. And at
the end of the day then security did get called
and it was very embarrassing for them too because they
they happened to no production and especially.
Speaker 1 (40:29):
Oh why didn't you ask the girls to help you.
Speaker 2 (40:35):
I did, and they told me they would, and there
are definitely quite a good portion of them that wanted to,
but they also just wanted to carry on, keep their jobs,
move forward, and they were told keep out, get out
of it. This isn't your business. So yeah, and that
was so hurtful to me. Girl, like that was like
(40:56):
I think, like that was one of the strongest pegs,
was that bit. And then just not getting Michael Kit
back and then me calling my I wanted to whip
that trailer out of there. They were like, oh, oh no,
oh my god. That means we're gonna have to undo
everything and oh my god. And then my I'll never
forget so you could grow the president at the time,
(41:17):
she told me, Melanie, who else gets like let go
off of a show and still makes money off of them?
Just leave the trailer, just let it be. And I
was just literally like, what do you mean, just like
let it be? So she talked me into leaving the trailer, like, look,
you still have a half of the season of making
good money off of that trailer. Who else kind of
gets to do that?
Speaker 1 (41:38):
Just do that.
Speaker 2 (41:38):
Well, then when it came down to the kit, and
I was like, oh my god, like I'm not getting
like seventy percent of my kit back. Oh, Melanie, you
have one of the biggest kits in Hollywood. I mean,
let's face it, a lot of it. I'm like, no, no, Sue,
it wasn't all that shows stuff. My whole garage is
like in construction right now. Everything I had for makeup
(42:00):
was on that trailer, so I've got no help. It was.
It was really it was hard in that way where
I felt like the door was just like really shut
on my face, and then to be like we got
it handled, but then they were told, no, you stay
out of it, and then you better come down on
show day. Why would anybody even want me there? Why
would you want crazy? And then I send my people
(42:24):
down because I'm forced to do it like during the show.
And by the way, I had a friend, you know,
reach out to me later like how dare you do that?
And have your people and I was like, oh my god,
like you can check yourself because that was like the
last thing I wanted. I don't have anything to hide anymore.
I don't not hide but feel I guess embarrassed over
(42:45):
or feel demeaned or lower than because that's exactly how
I felt for a long time. Luckily I had started
working over at Nickelodeon as like a side gigs. You know,
dancing was only a few days. We always had to
have other gigs and stuff, which that I ended up
being in there for like you know, the last twelve
years before I left, you know, before COVID and all that,
and then god, I had that job and the support
(43:07):
of my team there because I wonder, I wonder if
I even would have worked again as a makeup in
Hollywood because a lot of doors got shut on me,
really a lot of doors and a lot of friends,
which I'm sure you've learned in this business that the
majority of the friends are about like what opportunity can
(43:28):
you give them now? And once those opportunities are done,
they're they're not around anymore.
Speaker 1 (43:34):
At the end of the day. Life is too short
and what is important? None of this isn't none of
that is important, right, like honestly, and I mean that's
why I left, Like I needed to leave because I
started doing lots of just work on myself and I
was like, I don't like the way that I feel. Regardless,
(43:55):
I'm not going to blame anyone for my feelings. I
take full accountability over my own feelings. But this no
longer was a fit for me in my life, and
I just didn't like the way that I was being treated,
So therefore I didn't expect them to change the way
that they were treating me. I decided to leave, and
that's it. And it's a shame that there was no
other like job position for me, which doesn't mean anything
(44:16):
other than okay, so be it. And it is hard,
and I understand your feelings, like it was worse than
my divorce, you know, like me too.
Speaker 2 (44:27):
I was in the middle of a divorce at the
same time too, And believe me, I yeah, it was definitely.
I felt like I said, I felt like someone died,
you know.
Speaker 1 (44:35):
Yeah. And whether it's your choice or not, your choice,
Melanie is my point is like, it's still painful.
Speaker 2 (44:41):
Yeah. It took me a long time, to be very
honest about it, It took me a long time, a
long time. But at the same rate, girl, I'm nominated.
I was nominated for twenty one Emmys. I have to
I'm a Wow help book. At the end of the day,
I loved that show. It was one of the highlights
of my career. I had a blast on that show.
It'll always have a little bit of a special part
(45:02):
in my heart. And I got so much out of it,
you know, like I got the book, I got the gleam.
The gleam wouldn't have happened if I wasn't challenged with
all the crazy body makeup and unless Tanny, you know
what I mean. So and I you know, it's all,
it's all good. It's all good. I have to tell you.
Moving here to Nashville was part of a big deep
you know, it also comes down to our own ego,
(45:23):
and so there was a big release and it's all awesome.
So it's all good, it all.
Speaker 1 (45:28):
And I hear you're into meditation. Same by the way
I meditate. I tried to at least do twice a day,
let alone hopefully just once. Right, But yeah, it has.
We've we've definitely evolved as women who we are today.
You're still the hustler that I know, but you're definitely
evolved into an like you're You've always been amazing, Melanie.
But I think we've all found hopefully some people may
(45:49):
have found spirituality and maybe not. It does it regardless
you got to just do you. I'm sorry you went
through what you went through, and I'm happy you're able
to talk about it, because who wants to live with
shame in their not I you know, and listen, well,
it could be it could be both. We could have
an amazing time. You've won awards, great, you've learned so much,
(46:11):
and then you can also have gone through the ship
times as well. It's all good. Like nobody's here to
do anything other than just talk it out. That's it.
Speaker 2 (46:19):
It's all part of it. And I'm so proud of
you because you know, I don't really watch dancing anymore.
I catch little glimpses when Tyra was host. That was
a lot of fun jokes.
Speaker 1 (46:33):
You know.
Speaker 2 (46:33):
But and when I would hear things like what happened
to Tom, it was like it was just like, uh,
you know, but but yeah, no, I mean I don't
really keep up with it too much. And and so
I was so like tripped out when you reached out
to me yesterday. I literally was like, are you sure
you have the life?
Speaker 1 (46:52):
I know, what's your last name?
Speaker 2 (46:54):
What's the name of the production? Like I thought I
was being like set up for like some joke. Really
literally like pop. So I'm just I did kind of
So anyhow, what that did was I, you know, went
onto all your pages and I went into your podcast,
and I'm just so proud of you too. I mean, girl,
you have grown. I was there from the very beginning,
and I mean that show puts so much pressure on
(47:15):
all of us, but particularly the dancers and the celebs,
but particularly the dancers. And you know you you, you know,
you're a gorgeous, beautiful woman and look at you with
this podcast, and you know you're going to keep powerhouse
and along too. So I'm so happy to see that.
Speaker 1 (47:31):
Basically, thank you, Thank you, Melanie, And I love you
and I've always loved you, Like really, I know we've
had our thing and I've had my insecurities, and but
that had never anything to do with you. It had
everything to do with me and my own relationship with self,
which is, I like to say, in a better place today.
But you know it doesn't help, like you said, like
you know all of it right, there's just it. It's
(47:52):
a whole domino effect. But I just want to clear
that air because I know that maybe me and you
may have not ever like a lot of the times
in see E to I with. But that had never
anything to do with your talent or your skills, it
or any of it. I hope it not, and I
hope not because I would always feel shame with that
that like, oh she thinks I hate her or whatever.
(48:13):
But it has something to do with it. It's had
Like I said in another episode that whenever I would
try on a costume and I saw a backroll like
it would literally ruin my day. And so it never
had anything to do with the way the costume was
made or the makeup artist behind. No, it had everything
to do with what I saw in the mirror, which
is I've got body dysmorphia period, you know, I.
Speaker 2 (48:37):
Know, and then you all had to go through I mean,
let's face it, in those beginning days in particular, I
mean it was the hottest thing around. We had what
twenty six million, you know, the superse ratings, I mean practically,
and it's like the amount of press I remember watching,
like the celebs, and I would try to tell them,
don't fall into all of it, try to not get
(48:59):
into all of this, because there's gonna be a lot
of bad and there's going to be a lot of good.
But there's gonna a lot of be a lot of nasty,
catty stuff. Let it go, try not to fall into that. So, yeah,
you guys had a lot, man a lot to deal with.
Speaker 1 (49:11):
Melanie. I love you so much, thank you, thank you,
and thank you for doing this. This is honestly, this
is why I love the podcast because I haven't seen
a lot of people in over a decade so and
you're such a staple in my in that world of
dancing with the stars, you know, in my memory. So
I'm grateful for you, and I'm so happy for you
(49:33):
and everything that you have hustled your way through. But
also you have built a whole new life, a successful one.
So more power to Yeah.
Speaker 2 (49:42):
If you're ever in Nashville or an idiot all around,
Yeah Nashville, come to the Makeup Alter where in East Nashville.
It's a very cool part of town, Makeup Metaphysics. The
shop is really cool. And I also still do makeup
actually but yeah really but yeah, no, and thank you
for doing the Cheryl, because honestly, going down memory lane
(50:02):
last night and today was really kind of special. And
I like what you're doing because I think, as you
why you did this and why people are coming on
and why people are kind of spilling the beans is
because we don't have anything to lose anymore. We don't
have anything to hide or feel ashamed about anymore. And
I think it's I think it's an all around really
cool thing you're doing.
Speaker 1 (50:22):
It's healthy. You can't live with this, you can't live
with it without talking about it, you know, like it's
important to talk about. But thank you again, Thank you
guys so much for listening, and make sure to rate
and review wherever you're currently listening to this episode, even
if you did it already, as it's vital to the
longevity of the podcast. And yes you heard me right,
(50:42):
there is no limit when it comes to rating and reviewing,
so get to it please. And also a friendly reminder,
we dropped two episodes per week every single Mondays and Friday,
so mark your calendars until next time. Love you guys, Bye,
This is Sex, Lies and spray Tands with Me Cheryl
Burke and iHeartRadio Podcast. Hey guys, welcome back to your
favorite Dancing with the Stars podcast. Today we're peeling back
the curtain on one of TV's most glittering shows with
a very special guest. Our guest today has spent years
leading the makeup team on Dancing with the Stars, witnessing
first hand the highs and lows behind the cameras. To
(00:24):
say the least, she has honestly seen it and heard
it all, from breath taking transformations to the intense moments
before going live. My next guest is the CEO and
founder of Gleam Face and Body Radiance, which is a
revolutionary all in one makeup, moisturizer and glow you can
use for your face and body. Two time Emmy Award
(00:45):
winning celebrity makeup artists, one of Hollywood's leading on camera
beauty experts who has been nominated multiple times for an
Emmy and a Guild Award. She is also the author
of Glitter and Glam and was head of the makeup
department on Dancing with the Stars for so many years.
Get your spray tans ready, as this episode is going
to be one that you won't want to miss. Everyone,
(01:05):
please welcome Melanie Mills to the podcast. Me and You
go way back. First of all, you freaking knew me
back when I just was so addicted to as much
glitter and as much nasty spray tan as possible on
my body and my eyelids so that I could barely
open them at one point. I'm doing I did these
rewatches back in season two, and I looked crazy, Like
(01:27):
I'm so so I love myself. I'm not trying to, like,
you know, put myself down by any means, but I'm
just saying I looked crazy, and that was It.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
Was just a journey.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
It was fresh off the ballroom floor, like literally fresh
off the boat, right onto CBS and that lot over
there on Beverly and Genesee. Before we actually get into
it though, I just I like to ask my guests
who they are, Like, who is Melanie Mills behind the
gleam and the glitter and the glam.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
I'm a mom, I'm a wife, I'm a business woman.
I love my family, I love to travel, I love makeup, love.
I have a shop now here. I'm in the corner
of my little glam room of my makeup and metaphysical
shop here in Nashville called the Makeup Altar, And that's
(02:18):
I kind of think it in a nutshell. I still
love to have fun. We go out all the time.
We love love to hit up concerts and shows and we'footies.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
And yeah, congratulations, by the way, that's amazing. I mean,
first of all, I never thought you would ever moved
to Nashville. I mean seriously, I thought you were just
like a Cali girl and you were going to stay
there forever.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Me too, Me too, totally. That was a total out
of the blue COVID happened. Gleam Millennimal's Hollywood took a
pretty good hit. I was supposed to be on qvc UK.
I was booked all of twenty twenty, starting in March
of twenty twenty, and so it was a pretty it
was a pretty good financial loss. So we had to
sell our gorgeous, gorgeous home. I think you went for
(03:01):
Liesel's baby shower.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
No, yes, yes, absolutely. Liesel is one of the PAS,
or used to be one of the PAS. Shout out
to Liesel. She listens to this podcast. I get daily
d ms from Liesel on what she thinks of the
interviews that I've been doing. What do you think people's
biggest misconceptions are about you, Melanie.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
I think a lot of people think I'm really rich,
honestly because I do. Because I have Melanie Mill's Hollywood brand.
It looks really good out there. You know, I did
have some really great heydays with some inheritances, but I
also went through some crazy divorce and you know, like
I said, took this huge hit with qvc UK. So
(03:43):
I think that is definitely like one misconception as people
think I'm you know, and I have some taste and
I have some good stuff from back in the day.
But yeah, that's the first thing that hit me. But
I've never thought of it like that.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
Well that's a good sign, right, I means you don't
really care so much about what people think.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
I don't. Oh, I don't, girl, I don't. There was
a time that I did, and during that show, definitely
was you know, worried about that and you know, had
a lot to kind of uphold, you know, I was gosh,
I think I was only I think I was only
thirty ish when I started. I had just had Solaris
(04:20):
on that show. It was kind of unheard of to
have like a female, a young female, run such a
huge live show like that, So like within the makeup world,
for sure, it was like whoa, how did she get that?
And then I think it was really shocking for a
lot of people that I maintained it for so long
and ran something kind of so big, which fled into
like so many other wonderful projects.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
First of all, how did you get into makeup?
Speaker 2 (04:44):
I got into makeup. I used to live in Italy.
I used to be kind of a surfer chick. I
really didn't very much makeup, to be honest.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
Really you never wore makeup, Melanie.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
No, No, I mean I used to love. I love
to direct. I wanted to be like an I wanted
to be a singer, but I cannot hold a tune
to save my life, and so I want Then I
got into like my whole family is in the industry,
so it's like I got my dad's camera and like
would try to redo videos with the neighborhood kids like
in the block, and so I was like kind of
directing and producing then, but then I would have to
(05:17):
do some makeup and stuff. But it wasn't until I
was living in Italy and I lived there for a year.
I went to the University Tati Ferenze. I be a translator.
I wanted anything to do with Europe or Italy. That
was my goal. And then after I went to that school,
I made so many great friends all over Scandinavia. Especially.
I would just like I was a waitress at the time.
(05:37):
I'd come home and waitress, save up my money, go
couch her from like anywhere from six weeks to like
four or five months even And I did that for
seven years. And then I was in Milan. A friend
of mine was going to go take a makeup class.
I went with her. I walked into this cathedral turned
into a makeup school, and I thought, okay, wait, one,
this is an awesome excuse to get Grandma to fit
(05:57):
the bill for me to live in Italy again. And two, wait,
what you can make money? Do we makeup? And then
I grew up with Larry Wilcox, who was the blonde
on Chips, and I thought, oh, okay, he can get
me in the biz. And I signed up for the school.
Came home. My Nana, my greatest benefactor, was like, because
I have such a heavy entertainment family. She was like, Oh,
this is not a woman's world. I don't think this
(06:18):
is a great move. What are you doing? Was not
supportive of the idea, telling my hairdresser about it about
a week later, She's like, Oh, I didn't know you
wanted to do makeup. I'm like, neither did I. And
then her roommate was a union makeup artist and I'm
not even kidding you. Within like two weeks time, that
chick needed help on a like an intern on a film. Bam,
it all just fell into place.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
So speaking of your nana and how were you raised,
Like what was your family dynamics?
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Like very we are like strong women, like it was.
My great grandma definitely was like the matriarch of the family.
She was my best friend. She was everything, really and
she passed when she was ninety. As a matter of fact, whoa,
I was dancing with the stars when she passed.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
I remember, and I.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
Knew she was passing, And I'm gonna just be so honest,
like I actually dilly dellied and didn't like I was
afraid to go there and do the last breath thing.
But yeah, and then yeah, but I mean ninety seven,
she lived a great, great life, and then four generations
at five with women. Then there's my grandma who's still alive.
(07:28):
She's ninety three. She's glama, she's gorgeous. It was really
my grandma that like pushed and other aunts that pushed
the whole glam on me because they my grandfather was
a jazz musician and so my grandma was always all
jazzy and always made up and same with like some
other ants and stuff like that. My nana was like
(07:48):
traditional baby blue eyeshadow, eyebrown and clip, and then my
mom was kind of hippy dippy too, but like you know,
we were like the ladies that lunched. My daughter, who
is now almost twenty one, was in the picture. We
were five generations until my daughter was about five, so
it was.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
Amazing one really she's almost Oh my god, this is disgusting.
I have just I honestly remember iran Anna. I remember
your daughter like as if it was yesterday. It's crazy, Melanie,
time flies, yet it is also so slow. At the
same time, it's bizarre how fast it all goes. And
I know it just wild seeing you.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
It's just the whole thing is.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
Wild, like full circle. Definitely how about your father was
he was he present in your life?
Speaker 2 (08:37):
Yeah? So but my dad, So, my mom and dad
divorced when I was like one, and my dad was there.
He was in the picture more of like a working caller.
He was like the he worked for Contra Concrete corin
I definitely did the weekends and vacations and stuff with him.
I lived with him for one like winter, but you know,
he was super hippy, dippy and just really cool guy.
(09:00):
He actually lives with me now. So but my step
my stepdad actually raised me through my childhood and then passed. Gosh,
he was it was a long time ago, and then
my and then my dad didn't come into the picture
until about ten years ago. I mean he was always there.
It's not like he wasn't, but as far as like
moving in with us, and then he runs the Millennials
(09:23):
Hollywood shipping center and he's totally a part of it. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
You know, I've always appreciated your hustle, girl, Like seriously,
I think that's why I feel like I connected to
you from day one. Like really, I have such strong
women in my life in general. I mean that's obviously
when it comes from my mother, Like I also too,
come from a broken family when I was so young
at two years old. But it's about like women and
like women empowerment women supporting women, Like that's all I know.
(09:49):
And I gravitate towards like just strong personalities in general.
So I've always respected you for that. Especially. How did
Dancing of the Stars come about for you?
Speaker 2 (10:08):
I remember watching the pilot okay with very I wasn't
on it for the pilot that very very first, like
what was it like? Three week? Six weeks? Little run? Right?
Speaker 1 (10:19):
I know, I wasn't there yet. I was only I
started season two, So tell us tell me and my listeners.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
Well, I just watched it on TV. Solura's a little
tiny baby, and I remember thinking, oh my god, I
want that show, like I want to work on that show.
Like I'm a manifestor too. So it's like, yeah, I
didn't realize what a manifesto I was until recently, but
I literally like set it out loud, and I think
I talked with my girlfriends on the phone and we'd
be like, oh my god, how cool would it be
to do that show? And then I was working with
(10:47):
a makeup artist named Adam Christopher who was working with
Lisa Renna. He brought me on and Shashana was the
head of that first season.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
Shout out to Shoshana, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
Yeah, and so so I just kind of stumbled in
there to help and ended up staying. And then one
thing led to the other with those certain people just
not carrying on. And I remember Shoshana she got let
go as well as you know, a bunch of people did.
And so I remember being so bummed when I heard that.
(11:19):
I was like, oh, that sucks. And she said to me,
and I don't know if you ever got to go
hang on the boat. I used to have a little
miniacht down in Marina del Rey and I was on
it and it was like fourth of July and I
get the call and I'm like, oh my god, that
sucks because I really loved that show. And then she said,
you know what, Melanie, I think you should go for it.
I'm like, really, She's.
Speaker 1 (11:39):
Like, I think you should.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
So I literally had Izzy's phone number and.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
You pick she said she was the former show runner.
Speaker 2 (11:47):
Okay, just picked up the phone, had the balls and
just did it. And they had actually already kind of
hired somebody, but then she was kind of intrigued by me,
remembered me. She asked me a few key questions, and
then I got to have an interview, and I remember
going in with like I had so many books like
these portfolios, not necessarily of my own work, but vision
(12:09):
of the ballroom world kind of blended with what my
idea eventually, you know, would come into fruition was like
more of like a couture, you know, fun ballroom version
of makeup, you know. And so I fell sudless, tan
her and I get thrown into a hole.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
It smells like, okay, let's just be honest. It smells
like cat piss, well just not dick or asparagus pornadjh.
Who's still there? God bless her heart? There she's our
body mate. I'm telling you, this woman has seen it all,
literally seen it all. She has definitely been the constant
there as far as I won't let anyone Back in
(12:46):
the day when I was on the show, I didn't
let anyone touch my body. I was like, nope and
Nideesh's not here. I'm doing it myself and watch.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
She also probably works the hardest in the makeup department
physically because it's not an easy job. I mean, and
she's doing twenty twenty plus bodies a time and.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
Tell us a story. I mean, I remember Conrad chasing
me and Edita down the lot at CBS because we
refused to tone tone down our tan because at the
end of the day, it's a layer of skin. You
know this. But I just want to tell my listeners
this ain't don't mess with me and my body on
live TV. It's our bodies. And this was my mentality
(13:25):
back then. We can do whatever we want because you're
not worrying the dance costume that we have to wear.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
And I felt for you guys, you know, but at
the same rate, like I'll never forget when I first
walked in on it and just solve the whole thing
for the first time. I didn't even know what sunless
tanning was at the time. Literally this was when Shasana
was still on and I was like, what is this?
Like what is this?
Speaker 1 (13:49):
Like?
Speaker 2 (13:49):
This is crazy? And then because you all were traveling
the world and competing around the world, you guys have
formulas from like Russia, Australia.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
Oh yeah, no, Maryland. Yeah, it was called pro tan.
By the way, if you want to probably google it,
you could.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
I feel like for those maybe listening that want to
spray tan, spray Tanny has come so far from then.
Oh my god. The formula is the application, like everything,
the colors, the shade ranges. I feel like we were
really working with you know, remember jan Tanna, Remember bringing
Jana Jantanna.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
I don't understand. See, this is the thing. I don't
spray tan. You know, I don't spray tan because it
doesn't work. I'm trying to be dark. I'm trying to
be ten shades darker than my actuals. If you were
to see me live in person, you would be shocked
at how white my legs are. It's like see through.
But let me tell you something. When I would make
freaking nadej us the use that formula, the spray tant
(14:40):
not in a spray or go get a sponge and
just damp it in, like get in there. And I
people thought I was blazing literally and.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
That I know, and everybody thought, edit it was Brazilian
and like, I.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
Mean, yeah, we could handle it. You know, some people
can handle their liquor. We could handle our tan, that's
for sure.
Speaker 2 (14:59):
I liked a joke, and I mean it's kind of true.
I was like if they could bathe in it, they would,
If they drink it.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
They would, yep.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
And then when you're wearing it so much so often
it let's just face it, it dehydrates your skin. You
can look very snaky like. You can have all these
crazy streaks. It can be orange, brown, green, white like,
and then the hands and then the u and then
the heels and then the oh girls, see look, I'm gidding,
I'm gonna start to the ankle.
Speaker 1 (15:26):
The ankle is those are the best. When they collect
all the tan, like, they turn like black and crusty though,
that's the best.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
And you know, it's crazy because I tried to control it.
You know, I ended up working with Sanchope and various
different sun tanning companies, but at the end for me,
for years, it was Sancho Pey. We brought the spray,
the spray tanning and we had the room upstairs. I
tried to like control it was like, okay, we're going
to spray tan everybody on the Sunday before. But you know,
(15:54):
it just there was just it's just there. Whatever it is,
what it is. So but the look, you know what,
because that gleam was born Melanieal's Hollywood.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
Thank God for Gleam. I mean Nadjha and I can.
I mean two years ago when I was there, she
was still using it on me. So you that was brilliant,
by the way, And that's the hustle that I know
of Melanie Mills is that, hey, you know what, turn
it into freaking business and it's needed, by the way,
It's something that still is needed to this day because
there's nothing like it out there. So congratulations on that.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
And just to be clear for all you all, it's
not a sunless tanner. It's a moisturizing body makeup that
kind of like I.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
Don't look at it, there's like a glow to it.
Speaker 2 (16:36):
Yeah, but you can go dark. Your guys's favorite shade
was deep gold and then yeah, but it washes off.
It doesn't like stay in your skin. It's just literally
to hydrate. Like look at the cover of the new
sixtieth edition of the Swimsuit edition for Sports Illustrated. That's
basically like they're all gleaming. Yeah, look at those covers
(16:56):
and basically that's what Gleam delivers.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
Yeah, exactly. Well, congrats again. Okay, so other than that moment,
can you talk to me my listeners about another memorable
moment on set other than the disaster.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
Tan Well, one thing with the tan I just got
to say, and that was kind of funny because I've
been thinking about this, like I'm like, oh God, there's
so much, there's so much to say. And then just also,
you know, for me, I was constantly dealing with the
producers in a way using me to like control you
(17:30):
guys in particular.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
You know, we would never talk like I. I mean,
when I was in that makeup trailer, lots of stuff
is being talked about, but I would say that I
don't talk about my partners like we talk about real
girl issues in that trailer.
Speaker 2 (17:44):
We did, we did, But sometimes I'd be sat in
a room and be like, so I was so pressured,
like in a lot of ways, like I was in
the middle of like a lot of things that they
would put me in, Like for example, with Edita, they
were like, she's you got to stop. She can't get
any darker, she can't get any darker. And I'm like,
you guys, they have their own stuff in there, like
(18:06):
I'm trying to like control it, you know, just as
I can. And you know, so stuff like that and
I'll never forget. She was dancing. I think his name
was Jason. He was that Jason Taylor. Oh god, I
loved him.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
Gorge He's stunning.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
Gorge like stunning, like a stunning species of a male,
for sure. And there the show's about ready to go live.
Everybody's on the walkie talkie like, where's Melanie, where's Melanie?
Whar's dashed? Editor? Editor? Editor is freaking out? More tan,
more tan, more tan. And then I've got like another
producer going no, no, no, no, you don't go over there.
And then I've got another producer going like Lee's old,
(18:41):
going she won't go on without you, And it's like, ah,
like a tug and pull right, And I remember I
finally got out there and it was literally minutes like
before you guys had to go line up in the back,
and she was like I need another layer, and I
just will never forget Jason going like, editor, you're darker
than me, Like I don't understand. You know, it was hysterical.
(19:04):
I had to laugh. So then, you know, we would
do faux things like okay, here's this budelt. Did that
make her feel like she was getting a little something?
Speaker 1 (19:10):
You know what I mean no, totally, you know, you know,
at a t and I literally, I'm not kidding. We
were being chased by the show runner Conrad after Izzie's time, right,
so she was a showner than Conrad Green took over,
who's now back and is the show runner still to
this day. We would lock our trailers and we would
have Scott Barnes's body blank and we would go at
it at it.
Speaker 2 (19:32):
I was always in trouble with wardrobe.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
The thing is, it's all mental, Like if I don't
feel good from inside, whatever that may mean, whether that's
ten more layers of tan or like a contour in
my eye, like, it really doesn't matter because if I
don't feel good, I don't perform well. And we all
want the performance to be as good as possible, right
or as great as possible.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
It would come back to me through the producers that
you know, because body, makeup and tanner and shit would
be all over the clothes. You know. It's like and
these are like that, you know, as we were getting along,
they were becoming more and more like refined and one
of a kind and d D da da da, and
it was just like and then when Gleam entered the picture.
It was like it was like as if it was
(20:13):
really my fault, and it was like, okay, guys like
Gleam can actually wash out and wipe off, but it's
the same crap that we've been using in basically a
little bit of a different formula. It's still going on,
and I still also cannot control what's going on in
their trailers and the other products that are happening, and
like you just you know. So it was it was
kind of like when Gleam came on, was kind of
(20:34):
kind of right before I left, and it was that
I remember, like it was like, oh, well you made
that and that's yours, so you're the problem. And it
was just kind of like, eh.
Speaker 1 (20:51):
Were there any other like particularly tense moments on set
other than this infamous Tan story.
Speaker 2 (20:58):
We used to drink wine, right, so there used to
be a bar upstairs that far used to have so fun,
so fun. Those were the good old days. Those were
the fun days. So they set the tone. They're British,
you know, you know, it's normally lay la la, you know.
Backstage though, Okay, one day and Julian Huff was in
a white gown getting ready to do some sort of
(21:20):
waltz or something and I and I never did this
again after that, but I did have a glass of
red wine backstage. She was kind of yeah, girl, I
had on remember where we would do our quick changes,
and she's like twirling and like practicing, and somebody walks
by and knocks it and I'm not even kidding you.
The wine went like like right by her, like it
(21:42):
just missed her. And it was like a minute before
they were going to go on, and she looked at
me and she was Julian didn't love me, because it
was like she wanted to control the whole thing. She
wanted to have her makeup ours. That was the other
thing the producers I wasn't nobody could have personals, not
even the celebrities. They wanted to the celebrities to all
also go through that, you know what I mean. They
(22:02):
wanted to make it like like no, you're in our
world now and you've got to deal with our people
in our world and that. Yeah, there was always like
a little riff with Juliete and I towards the end
as she was starting to get kind of big, because
it was like she wanted this and then but they
want this, and then you know, and then I want
this artist and it was just like.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
Did you ever get any red wine on her dress?
Speaker 2 (22:27):
No? No, I would have been fully fired easily and luckily,
and like nobody noticed it, like nobody like luckily she
noticed it and me, and it was like speaking of
a crazy story. We all know Max. He wasn't dicks
and he was he was vain. You know, let's face it,
(22:49):
good looking guy, he himself is. Look the guys too,
Let's talk about the guys. The guys you know are
almost even more vain. And let's talk about like literally
like and painting six packs and you know remember that
for sure. Uh. And then but you know, Max would
(23:09):
just get really really intense. And one year when Brandy
was on, we were going from like either a black,
pascid dobl ay type of lip to like some sort
of I think we were going from black to like
a nineteen fifties like thing. I'm a jiggy and we're
backstage and he wants to freakin dance with her, and
I want to say one thing really quick though, like
(23:30):
one of the passions I had about that show. I
loved the quick changes.
Speaker 1 (23:34):
I loved it really so I did.
Speaker 2 (23:37):
It was like challenging, it was energetic.
Speaker 1 (23:40):
You got like that was your high. Was that adrenaline rush.
Speaker 2 (23:43):
Was definitely like going from like a crazy intense liner
look dark black git or whatever, black black lip and
then into like a nineteen fifties like da da da
da dah, you know what I mean, and like you
literally have like sometimes two minutes. So with Brandy, I
think that time we had made five minutes, maybe six,
and he was he wanted to rehearse. He wanted to rehearse,
(24:07):
and we're all trying to do her and he's pulling her.
He's pulling her, and I'm trying to like literally take
this lip off and put a new lip on and
still have it look great and to do a red lip, y'all.
You know, come on, it's to take off a black
and to put on a red and to switch up
byliner and switch u da da da da, And like,
I mean, we had it down, we had our stuff,
but it's like he was legit like pulling her and
(24:31):
I was like Max, Max and then she's like I'm like,
come on, Max, just give me one minute. And he's
like I think he's kind of cussing. I think he is.
I think he's like I need her, let you know.
And then she's looking at me with these eyes like
looking at me like mel mel and I'm like and
then finally I go, I put my hands up and
I go, fine, take her. And then she was like
(24:54):
like no, you know, and so he was like all,
So then he takes her, but then she's upset. So
then she it's back down in my chair. And then
right before she's done, she's getting up. She stands up.
He has a full coke and he throws it at me, Melanie, Yes,
Melanie missed my I'm not even kidding you. It was
a closed, full coke can that he threw right at me,
(25:17):
and it missed my head. Like this, there was a
camera guy. He caught the whole thing on camera. He
caught the whole thing on camera.
Speaker 1 (25:25):
Well, so he threw me wait, hold on, hold on,
hold on, hold on, rewind. He threw a Coca cola
cake like coke at your head because.
Speaker 2 (25:36):
He tried to it missed me because he was pissed
off at me because I guess I held her for
too long to like fix her freaking lip. And then
and then he got upset because then Brandy also got
upset with me because I went like this and I
was like, okay, fine, Like it was like this insane thing,
you know, and so I finally just went okay. She
(25:58):
either had no lip, half lips something crazy where it
was like come on, dude, and it did not hit me. Okay,
but you want to know what happened. I got called
into the producer's office like a freaking schoolgirl. But it
was really intense. It was like, you know how there
was the big room in the back with a big
long table where you could have like fifteen producers sitting there,
you know what I mean. And I literally got called
(26:20):
in and they were in the bungalows. Yeah, it was
so insane. And here I'm thinking they're going to like
back me up and because hello, it was also on
camera and what am I supposed to do? But I
got reamed. I got reamed. They totally took Max side.
Speaker 1 (26:39):
What do they say?
Speaker 2 (26:40):
Oh I was I was crying. I literally cannot remember,
except they literally brought me to tears as if I'm
the one that like completely instigated the whole thing. I
was so upset with them all because I was just like,
first of all, why am I like being bullied by
like fifteen people in this room in this like insanely
intense conversation. And how about the fact that he almost
(27:02):
hit me in the head with a full coke and
it's all on camera. Oh no, no, oh no, no,
it was all me girl, And I was lucky to
keep my job that time.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
First of all, I'm sorry that happened to you. That
is horrible, mind you. There's no excuses for that behavior.
And I'm so sorry that the way the executives handled
it was so not okay.
Speaker 2 (27:22):
Everybody was pissed. Everybody that was in that realm that
that went through that was like whoa, It was like whoa.
So I got called in and it somehow turned around
on me. I just remember sobbing and being I felt
very bullied. But I felt like such an ass because
of course I cried and like blah blah blah, and like,
(27:43):
you know, anyhow, So, yeah, there's one for you.
Speaker 1 (27:53):
Now, what happened? Why did you? Was it your was
it your idea or your decision to leave or what happened? No?
Speaker 2 (28:04):
I was fired. I was fired for sure. Hello. I
loved that show. I was broken freakin hearted.
Speaker 1 (28:09):
Oh I can't imagine.
Speaker 2 (28:11):
You know, looking back, like everything happens for reasons, you know,
you know, And I was getting I was literally in
talks with Penguin Publishing. I had already done photoshoots with
Brandy Norwood and Jennifer Gray and whatever I can't remember
at the time, whatever celebrity I had already done at
(28:31):
Drina Patridge, I believe because I was doing a book
it's called and it's called Glittering Glam, but I swear
to god it was becoming the guide for Dancing with Stars.
That book would have been theirs. If I was still there,
it would have ended up literally like I can almost picture,
like dance steps in the back, like how to get them, you.
Speaker 1 (28:51):
Know, right?
Speaker 2 (28:52):
And I gave my heart and my soul to that show,
like I loved that show, like I believed in it.
I would be back there crying like over whatever who
didn't win or blah blah, Like I mean, really, we
were all very invested, you know what I mean. And
I just I just loved, love, love that show. So
I used to do tons of press, as you know,
we all do tons of press, you know. So sometimes
(29:16):
ABC's there with you, sometimes they're not I mean, my god,
I was there for like seven eight years. I didn't
have every interview that I did was not handheld by
ABC publicity, you know what I mean. And so this
was the year of Christy Ally and Kendra was on
the show that time.
Speaker 1 (29:35):
And said yes.
Speaker 2 (29:37):
And so I had just put gleam in a tube.
It was just getting ready to launch in twenty and
eleven of this is this was May of two thousand
and eleven or April about that time. And so remember
she had that magazine and I can never remember which
one it was, either Okay or Like Life or.
Speaker 1 (29:55):
One to magazine in Touch one of those.
Speaker 2 (29:58):
And they were like, you know, would they come and
they would follow the celebrity around for like a week backstage,
they would do it all. They'd go up to wardrobe,
they'd be in the makeup room, they'd be at the rehearsal,
they'd be you know, they they it was like a
week in the life of Blah.
Speaker 1 (30:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (30:12):
Yeah. And so in the trailer for like the show,
like the end show, and so like Christie Allie, you know,
strong personality has her own history in Hollywood. Okay, let's
just face it, but.
Speaker 1 (30:30):
We we commentated her.
Speaker 2 (30:32):
You know, so Angela Moss was doing her, but it
was like it was really just like almost her. Angela
just handing Christie because because Christie wanted to be in control,
Christy wanted to do it. And then angel would do
like little fluffies you know whatever, you know, and Angela
is great, you know, and so I guess this is
this is the way it went down, girl, this is
the way that this is legit the way that it
(30:53):
went down. And so Christie's on the show. They're following
Kinder around there really also looking at Christy, okay. And
so I am finalizing Kindra before the live show and
putting the gleam on, and the editors of the magazine
were like, oh my god, that stuff's amazing, and Kender
(31:14):
was like, oh my god, isn't it. She's getting ready
to launch it. And the one editor was like, would
you like a buzz feature? And I was like sure,
and so she got my number. This happened all the time.
I did interviews all the time without publicity hanging on
to my hand. Okay, I wasn't gonna say anything, you
know what I mean, Like, come on, you know, I
(31:34):
know I knew what to say. This was like seven
years end by this point, so they call me, I'll
never forget it. We were on our way to go
do and we didn't have a huge problem with Christy,
to be honest, it was just like her ware, are
the highway so fine? And we just accommodated it. And
I was actually on my way to Angela Moss's house
for dinner and they call me, and I'm in the
(31:56):
car with my best friend Nancy Stimmock, who did hair.
I have it on a speaker, were starting to drive,
and then I hear like a click, and I said,
wait a minute, are you recording this? Because I had
never really noticed being recorded before in like any of
the interviews that I did. And she said, oh, yeah, oop, sorry,
let me turn it off. I actually wish I would
(32:16):
have had her keep it on, to be honest in retrospect.
So anyhow, we're talking about my product basically, and why
I developed it and how I developed it and the
launch and all this good stuff. So then when that
conversation was done, she's like, hey, do you mind talking
a little bit about the behind the scenes of Dancing
with the Stars. And I'm like, yeah, sure, I want
to say that it was either near or close to
(32:38):
one of the Halloween episodes, and one that stands in
my mind is Mark Ballast with the clockwork orange makeup
that we did. And so she wanted to talk about
the behind the scenes, and we were talking about the makeup,
and somehow it went into how I was talking about
how the male pro dancers had a lot to say
about their partners look looks, and in particular that particular
(33:03):
episode and this and that, and how they were very
involved in how we would work with it. So we
were talking about that for a while and then she goes, well,
so what about Christy Ally. You know, I hear that
she's pretty difficult, And I said, I mean, we have
no issues with her, you know, and started to go
like that route and well, I heard that she insisted
on bringing her own costumes and that they had to
(33:26):
like just alter or fix what she wanted. I said,
you know what, I have no idea anything about what
she did up there in costumes. All I know is
that we are willing to accommodate her. And I did say,
for example, like she wants to do most of her makeups,
so we let her and help her and touch her
up and juse her up and finish it up. I go,
(33:48):
we want to make everybody feel comfortable. I said, everybody's
uncomfortable in the very very beginning, so we'll do whatever
we can to make them comfortable. That's basically all I said. Girl, Okay.
Two days later, I get Amy from Publicity who calls
me and she's like, what the hell did you say
to that magazine? And I'm like what And then she's like,
(34:11):
you're quoted on the cover and there is a picture
of Christy Ali stepping out of the trailer and it said, oh,
I honestly, I've had to kind of like block this
out and I don't. I didn't keep it or anything.
And it was like head makeup artist Melanie Mills from
Dancing with the Stars is that Christy Ally is a big,
fat diva something like that.
Speaker 1 (34:32):
That's a long one liner something like that. That must
have been a big chip on the cover.
Speaker 2 (34:39):
That was the cover. And in reality, these people had
the meat of their story because they followed her kindra
around for a week and we're also pretty much spying
on Christy so like, yeah, basically, they used my little
interview that was originally just supposed to be about my
product for a bus a speed which I got by
(35:01):
the wayoo and h and yeah, I got fired over that.
I was used as a total example and was told
that that I knew the rules that I should never
even have taken interview without Amy. That turned into you
know the rules, you know, you're not allowed to take
(35:21):
an interview without us, you know, blah blah blah blah blah.
And it was like, no, that's not the case, and
that's what I said. And when I told Conrad what
I said, he just wasn't going to have it.
Speaker 1 (35:32):
What was going through your mind during this time?
Speaker 2 (35:36):
Well, I mean I was devastated, as if Dancing with
the Chart Stars was my child and it just does
I know, I thought my career was over. Okay, maybe
they wanted that to happen, Cheryl, because let's face it,
how scripted is the show. It's not this complete reality.
It's not like we're just following people around with the camera.
(35:57):
There are producers that are like, we want you to
say this. I was watching doing my homework on your podcast,
and I was watching Sabrina talk about how you know,
they would push storylines on her and stuff like that.
So yeah, I mean, let's face it, is any reality
show a true true reality show? No, you know what
(36:18):
I mean? So you know, so anyhow like that really
just I think about that, like why did they let
that cover go out? Like where was their like second
layer to make sure something like that didn't happen. Why
was it this like big surprise. I was doing a
buzz Feed featured and talked a tiny bit about a
(36:38):
little something that had nothing to do with the freakin article,
and so yeah, they got all their information just from
being on set and like their little spies. I called
the chick that did the interview with me in tears.
I somehow got her on the phone and I said,
you realize you just lost I just lost my job
over that interview. And you know for a fact that
(36:59):
I did not say any of that stuff. And she
was like, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry. So she
was the one that like pushed it to another one.
She didn't even write it right. And I got a
lawyer and I was going to sue them, and I
really went far with it, to be honest. I was
going to sue Dancing with the Stars. I was going
to get I got the union involved, and they didn't
(37:19):
do anything. Really, President of No, they did nothing. There's
nothing they can do. At the end of the day.
We're all kind of we're in a union, but we're
all just daily hires at the end of the day.
Anybody can get fired for any reason. As you know,
in this business, it's a brutal, brutal business. But I
mean there was other things too, Like you know, it
was I was fired like over it was like an
(37:40):
Easter weekend or something like that. I, like I said,
I owned my own makeup trailer. It was like an
eight or ten station trailer. I was having my house
remodeled at the time. I was having my like three
car garage turned into my shipping center for Melanie Mills Hollywood,
and so my entire life work of kit was in
(38:02):
that trailer. And I did not get a lot of
it back. Wait, what do you mean I didn't get
a lot of my kit back?
Speaker 1 (38:11):
Wait, I don't understand. They had to return the trailer
with your stuff in it. What was so hard about that.
Speaker 2 (38:17):
I'm not going to throw names, but it was decided
that that stuff belonged to the show, even though I had,
even though I had and necessarily not necessarily producers that
decided that either I had like mustache kits, beard kits,
tattoo kits. I had my whole life's work. I used
to do sketch comedy. I used to do I did
huge feature films with like tattoos back in the day
(38:40):
before transfers, when we used to have to do Girl,
Girl Girl. Not to mention, I was kind of the
queen and the beginning of getting really great pr and
gifts sent to the set. I used to do huge
runway shows. I had so much makeup, okay, and I
remember my union president, so basically I was. It happened
over that Easter weekend. I had a trip to the
(39:01):
Wine Country planned, and damn it, I still went on it.
So I was told by my team that they would
pack me up, you know, don't worry, don't worry about
your stuff, because I was so also embarrassed. I was mortified.
I mean, I felt like, I said, like I lost
a child. I was. It was like it was like
a big part of my life, you know. I was
literally so mortified and did not want to go down
(39:23):
to that set and pack it up and all this.
So I was told, don't worry, don't worry about your kit. Well,
you know, long story short, it was determined what was
thought to be of the shows and what was mine.
And at the time I had two assistants, Candy and Lindsay.
You might have remembered them. They were there often and
if I would have gone down because then I was
(39:43):
told you need to come down on Monday and get
your shit now. And this was a live show.
Speaker 1 (39:47):
So you got fired in the middle of the season.
Speaker 2 (39:51):
Yeah. Yeah. I was like, can't I get my shit
after the show right like tonight? Like why do I
have to do it? Like at you know, seven eight
nine am in the morning on Monday, Like how embarrassing?
Like Christie, why would you even want to put Christy
Ali through that? You know what I mean?
Speaker 1 (40:08):
Wait? So why what was there reasoning? Girl?
Speaker 2 (40:10):
It just had to go. It just had to go.
It just had to had to get out of the way.
So when I sent my assistants down to do it,
who know, my kid back and freaking forth. Okay, they
were like this isn't in all their stuff. And at
the end of the day then security did get called
and it was very embarrassing for them too because they
they happened to no production and especially.
Speaker 1 (40:29):
Oh why didn't you ask the girls to help you.
Speaker 2 (40:35):
I did, and they told me they would, and there
are definitely quite a good portion of them that wanted to,
but they also just wanted to carry on, keep their jobs,
move forward, and they were told keep out, get out
of it. This isn't your business. So yeah, and that
was so hurtful to me. Girl, like that was like
(40:56):
I think, like that was one of the strongest pegs,
was that bit. And then just not getting Michael Kit
back and then me calling my I wanted to whip
that trailer out of there. They were like, oh, oh no,
oh my god. That means we're gonna have to undo
everything and oh my god. And then my I'll never
forget so you could grow the president at the time,
(41:17):
she told me, Melanie, who else gets like let go
off of a show and still makes money off of them?
Just leave the trailer, just let it be. And I
was just literally like, what do you mean, just like
let it be? So she talked me into leaving the trailer, like, look,
you still have a half of the season of making
good money off of that trailer. Who else kind of
gets to do that?
Speaker 1 (41:38):
Just do that.
Speaker 2 (41:38):
Well, then when it came down to the kit, and
I was like, oh my god, like I'm not getting
like seventy percent of my kit back. Oh, Melanie, you
have one of the biggest kits in Hollywood. I mean,
let's face it, a lot of it. I'm like, no, no, Sue,
it wasn't all that shows stuff. My whole garage is
like in construction right now. Everything I had for makeup
(42:00):
was on that trailer, so I've got no help. It was.
It was really it was hard in that way where
I felt like the door was just like really shut
on my face, and then to be like we got
it handled, but then they were told, no, you stay
out of it, and then you better come down on
show day. Why would anybody even want me there? Why
would you want crazy? And then I send my people
(42:24):
down because I'm forced to do it like during the show.
And by the way, I had a friend, you know,
reach out to me later like how dare you do that?
And have your people and I was like, oh my god,
like you can check yourself because that was like the
last thing I wanted. I don't have anything to hide anymore.
I don't not hide but feel I guess embarrassed over
(42:45):
or feel demeaned or lower than because that's exactly how
I felt for a long time. Luckily I had started
working over at Nickelodeon as like a side gigs. You know,
dancing was only a few days. We always had to
have other gigs and stuff, which that I ended up
being in there for like you know, the last twelve
years before I left, you know, before COVID and all that,
and then god, I had that job and the support
(43:07):
of my team there because I wonder, I wonder if
I even would have worked again as a makeup in
Hollywood because a lot of doors got shut on me,
really a lot of doors and a lot of friends,
which I'm sure you've learned in this business that the
majority of the friends are about like what opportunity can
(43:28):
you give them now? And once those opportunities are done,
they're they're not around anymore.
Speaker 1 (43:34):
At the end of the day. Life is too short
and what is important? None of this isn't none of
that is important, right, like honestly, and I mean that's
why I left, Like I needed to leave because I
started doing lots of just work on myself and I
was like, I don't like the way that I feel. Regardless,
(43:55):
I'm not going to blame anyone for my feelings. I
take full accountability over my own feelings. But this no
longer was a fit for me in my life, and
I just didn't like the way that I was being treated,
So therefore I didn't expect them to change the way
that they were treating me. I decided to leave, and
that's it. And it's a shame that there was no
other like job position for me, which doesn't mean anything
(44:16):
other than okay, so be it. And it is hard,
and I understand your feelings, like it was worse than
my divorce, you know, like me too.
Speaker 2 (44:27):
I was in the middle of a divorce at the
same time too, And believe me, I yeah, it was definitely.
I felt like I said, I felt like someone died,
you know.
Speaker 1 (44:35):
Yeah. And whether it's your choice or not, your choice,
Melanie is my point is like, it's still painful.
Speaker 2 (44:41):
Yeah. It took me a long time, to be very
honest about it, It took me a long time, a
long time. But at the same rate, girl, I'm nominated.
I was nominated for twenty one Emmys. I have to
I'm a Wow help book. At the end of the day,
I loved that show. It was one of the highlights
of my career. I had a blast on that show.
It'll always have a little bit of a special part
(45:02):
in my heart. And I got so much out of it,
you know, like I got the book, I got the gleam.
The gleam wouldn't have happened if I wasn't challenged with
all the crazy body makeup and unless Tanny, you know
what I mean. So and I you know, it's all,
it's all good. It's all good. I have to tell you.
Moving here to Nashville was part of a big deep
you know, it also comes down to our own ego,
(45:23):
and so there was a big release and it's all awesome.
So it's all good, it all.
Speaker 1 (45:28):
And I hear you're into meditation. Same by the way
I meditate. I tried to at least do twice a day,
let alone hopefully just once. Right, But yeah, it has.
We've we've definitely evolved as women who we are today.
You're still the hustler that I know, but you're definitely
evolved into an like you're You've always been amazing, Melanie.
But I think we've all found hopefully some people may
(45:49):
have found spirituality and maybe not. It does it regardless
you got to just do you. I'm sorry you went
through what you went through, and I'm happy you're able
to talk about it, because who wants to live with
shame in their not I you know, and listen, well,
it could be it could be both. We could have
an amazing time. You've won awards, great, you've learned so much,
(46:11):
and then you can also have gone through the ship
times as well. It's all good. Like nobody's here to
do anything other than just talk it out. That's it.
Speaker 2 (46:19):
It's all part of it. And I'm so proud of
you because you know, I don't really watch dancing anymore.
I catch little glimpses when Tyra was host. That was
a lot of fun jokes.
Speaker 1 (46:33):
You know.
Speaker 2 (46:33):
But and when I would hear things like what happened
to Tom, it was like it was just like, uh,
you know, but but yeah, no, I mean I don't
really keep up with it too much. And and so
I was so like tripped out when you reached out
to me yesterday. I literally was like, are you sure
you have the life?
Speaker 1 (46:52):
I know, what's your last name?
Speaker 2 (46:54):
What's the name of the production? Like I thought I
was being like set up for like some joke. Really
literally like pop. So I'm just I did kind of
So anyhow, what that did was I, you know, went
onto all your pages and I went into your podcast,
and I'm just so proud of you too. I mean, girl,
you have grown. I was there from the very beginning,
and I mean that show puts so much pressure on
(47:15):
all of us, but particularly the dancers and the celebs,
but particularly the dancers. And you know you you, you know,
you're a gorgeous, beautiful woman and look at you with
this podcast, and you know you're going to keep powerhouse
and along too. So I'm so happy to see that.
Speaker 1 (47:31):
Basically, thank you, Thank you, Melanie, And I love you
and I've always loved you, Like really, I know we've
had our thing and I've had my insecurities, and but
that had never anything to do with you. It had
everything to do with me and my own relationship with self,
which is, I like to say, in a better place today.
But you know it doesn't help, like you said, like
you know all of it right, there's just it. It's
(47:52):
a whole domino effect. But I just want to clear
that air because I know that maybe me and you
may have not ever like a lot of the times
in see E to I with. But that had never
anything to do with your talent or your skills, it
or any of it. I hope it not, and I
hope not because I would always feel shame with that
that like, oh she thinks I hate her or whatever.
(48:13):
But it has something to do with it. It's had
Like I said in another episode that whenever I would
try on a costume and I saw a backroll like
it would literally ruin my day. And so it never
had anything to do with the way the costume was
made or the makeup artist behind. No, it had everything
to do with what I saw in the mirror, which
is I've got body dysmorphia period, you know, I.
Speaker 2 (48:37):
Know, and then you all had to go through I mean,
let's face it, in those beginning days in particular, I
mean it was the hottest thing around. We had what
twenty six million, you know, the superse ratings, I mean practically,
and it's like the amount of press I remember watching,
like the celebs, and I would try to tell them,
don't fall into all of it, try to not get
(48:59):
into all of this, because there's gonna be a lot
of bad and there's going to be a lot of good.
But there's gonna a lot of be a lot of nasty,
catty stuff. Let it go, try not to fall into that. So, yeah,
you guys had a lot, man a lot to deal with.
Speaker 1 (49:11):
Melanie. I love you so much, thank you, thank you,
and thank you for doing this. This is honestly, this
is why I love the podcast because I haven't seen
a lot of people in over a decade so and
you're such a staple in my in that world of
dancing with the stars, you know, in my memory. So
I'm grateful for you, and I'm so happy for you
(49:33):
and everything that you have hustled your way through. But
also you have built a whole new life, a successful one.
So more power to Yeah.
Speaker 2 (49:42):
If you're ever in Nashville or an idiot all around,
Yeah Nashville, come to the Makeup Alter where in East Nashville.
It's a very cool part of town, Makeup Metaphysics. The
shop is really cool. And I also still do makeup
actually but yeah really but yeah, no, and thank you
for doing the Cheryl, because honestly, going down memory lane
(50:02):
last night and today was really kind of special. And
I like what you're doing because I think, as you
why you did this and why people are coming on
and why people are kind of spilling the beans is
because we don't have anything to lose anymore. We don't
have anything to hide or feel ashamed about anymore. And
I think it's I think it's an all around really
cool thing you're doing.
Speaker 1 (50:22):
It's healthy. You can't live with this, you can't live
with it without talking about it, you know, like it's
important to talk about. But thank you again, Thank you
guys so much for listening, and make sure to rate
and review wherever you're currently listening to this episode, even
if you did it already, as it's vital to the
longevity of the podcast. And yes you heard me right,
(50:42):
there is no limit when it comes to rating and reviewing,
so get to it please. And also a friendly reminder,
we dropped two episodes per week every single Mondays and Friday,
so mark your calendars until next time. Love you guys, Bye,
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