Chris McMillan: 6 Reasons We TOTALLY LOVE Him

So Chris McMillan? Yeah. He’s the total package—funny, humble, kind and INSANELY talented. Earlier this month, BTC’s Mary Rector-Gable scored an exclusive interview with him for our very first BTC “On Tour”! And it was TOTALLY worth the wait.

Chris and Mary sat down together on stage for a chat about hair, his celeb clients (from Jen Aniston to Miley to T. Swift), sobriety and life. And for real, BTC fell in LOVE. Here are five reasons why Chris McMillan is the best.

1. Humble as Hell

Chris taking selfies with some lucky BTC “On Tour” attendees!

So Chris styles THE most famous hair in Hollywood and does incredible work, yet he was the one geeking out over all of the other artists at “On Tour”! He fangirled over EVERYONE and was genuinely excited to meet other artists and admire their work. And when he took the stage, no one could get enough. There’s a certain air about someone, the way they carry themselves with kindness and respect for others—and Chris has it. Even backstage, he mingled and chatted with staffers, genuinely excited to be a part of the gang.

As he told Mary, it’s not the era of massive egos, anymore: “It’s 2016. It’s all about being accessible.”

#AMEN.

2. He’s Hilarious

On top of being an amazing hairdresser and standup human being, Chris is CRAZY funny. One of the reoccurring bits in his interview was his light (hint: not so light) suggestion that BTC’s own Mary Rector-Gable get a killer A-line bob. And let’s get real, if Chris McMillan says you’re gonna look good with a lob… “Well, you know we’re gonna do it,” he said, grinning.

Also, the whole audience was DYING when Chris talked about the one time he “broke Miley’s hair.” And even better, when Chris threw a little bit of good-natured shade at former mentor and shag extraordinaire Sally Hershberger.

Basically, he’s a perfect human.

3. “It is truly one day at a time.”

Super-candid about his past drug and alcohol abuse, Chris explained that his problems started while he was working in the salon during the ’80s—there was even an assistant who sold drugs out of her purse! Fast forward to 2016 and Chris has been sober for more than 16 years. His biggest fear was that he relied on the chemicals to enhance his creativity for so long that when he became clean, his creativity would suffer. Not a chance, and he has gone on to do bigger and brighter things—like opening Chris McMillan The Salon, busting out some kick-ass editorial work on the regular and creating trend-busting hairstyles, like Miley’s undercut.

4. My Bonnie

Mary and Chris cheesin’ backstage after a killer interview.

Chris was 18 years old when he started doing hair for Bonnie Grider. A school teacher from San Pedro, Bonnie has been a loyal client for decades. And in return? Bonnie only pays $50 for a haircut—as she always has. Even high-profile clients take a back seat to Bonnie’s needs! 

“I think it’s super important to stay grounded with your clients,” explained Chris. “And more than that, I just love Bonnie. I love that Bonnie loves getting her hair done. It makes her feel really good. And that’s what’s so great about the business… we make people feel good.”

SO. CUTE.

5. “She is just like your favorite client—she is my favorite client.”

Not only does Chris style Jen, but they also work together at Living Proof!

It is no secret that Jen and Chris go together like peas and carrots. With the kind of sincerity that had us all swooning, Chris talked about how much he loves and supports his friend Jen. Of course she has great hair, but Chris said that the real Jen is a very talented actress, and it is important to remember that— also, he is damn proud of her. Jen, who is like a sister to Chris, made sure she sent him a “good luck!” text before he went on the “On Tour” stage.

6. Fame? Nah. Not the name of the game.

Chris not only styles celebs for magazine covers, but he’s also graced the cover of BTC’s On Paper! The full story is here.

Despite the fact that Chris does the hair for some of the biggest stars in the world (for some of the biggest covers in the world), he never loses sight of the goal. It’s all about love of the craft and the places your creativity can take you, not fame or fortune—something Chris confirmed himself first thing in his exclusive interview with Mary. When asked what it’s like to be a celebrity hairdresser, his response was simple, straightforward and totally perfect:

“What’s it like being a celebrity hairdresser? It’s like being a hairdresser.”

See more pics from Chris’ Interview on Facebook!