Daily Inspiration: Meet Lanzel Smith Jr.

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lanzel Smith Jr..

Hi Lanzel, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My name is Lanzel Smith Jr. and I’ve been blessed to collaborate with major companies such as Netflix, Marvel, Disney, Paramount, Amazon, Starz, Tyler Perry Studios and more. However, the work itself has always been about something deeper than the credit. It’s about intention.

As an international barber and hairstylist I’ve been able to connect cultures, traditions and history into every style I create. I ultimately thank God for the opportunities that I’ve received from the talents he has blessed me with. I’ve now been working in the hair space for 19 years and working specifically in TV/Film for the last 6. Before entering this unique space, I never knew how many details and logistics goes into expressing a story on screen. Every detail, down to the smallest, tells the story.

Growing up in Hempstead, NY. My father and I’s favorite bonding activity was watching TV and movies. I’d be so encapsulated in the plot that I wouldn’t even realize all the moving parts that brought the production’s vision to life. This all changed when I watched Black Panther in 2018. I remember seeing the bold haircuts and designs. I never truly saw myself in that space until this movie. I remember watching the credits and seeing “Barber – Victor Paz”. I never saw a barber get recognition like that. It allowed me to believe that I could one day be a barber for movies. That day I told God and my peers that I would be in Black Panther 2.

3 years later, God answered my prayer. I was contracted to work Black Panther 2 as a barber under the Hair Dept. head Camille Friend and Lead barber Victor Paz. I learned so much about wigs and storytelling through hair on this project. During the 8 months that I worked, I put my heart and soul into every haircut, design and wig application. I remember flying private for my first time to Puerto Rico. I never imagined that hair would take me around the world. During our time in Puerto Rico, I had an eye opening dinner with Victor and Jason Simmons. They told me how important perception is. How every detail is important. Not just in film but in real life too. Life imitates art and art imitates life.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
On Stranger Things, I served as a hairstylist and barber for Lucas Sinclair portrayed by Caleb McLaughlin under Hair Designer Sarah Hindsgaul and Co-Department Heads Kat Suhre and Brynn Berg. My responsibility went far beyond making people look “fresh.” I had to be period accurate (1987). I worked across the principal cast, stunt doubles, and background performers, making sure every hairstyle held up under action, weather, continuity demands, and most importantly story.

When I approach a project I like to think of it the way I think about basketball. You can play just to play and win a few games, or you can play to win a championship. I’m always working toward the championship version of the work, the version where every detail matters and nothing is accidental. Now in 2026, my work on Stranger Things 5 earned a nomination from the Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild for Best Period/Character Hairstyling.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
One thing I’m especially proud of is the way I approach Black hair in period work. Historically, Black hair has either been over-stylized or overlooked entirely. I’m intentional about authenticity, not perfection. Real hair lives, breathes, shrinks, grows, and responds to stress. That reality deserves to be represented on screen.

I believe that nothing in design should be by chance. The shape, the texture, the maintenance, should be rooted in the story. If someone is distracted by the hair, I want that distraction to turn into curiosity. Because curiosity leads to conversation, and conversation leads to education.

At this stage in my career, legacy matters to me. I’m deeply invested in mentorship, education, and creating pathways for the next generation especially young Black creatives who don’t always see themselves reflected in these spaces. My work is about more than what you see on screen. It’s about what it represents off screen. Hair tells the story every time.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm12586961/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adventuresofzel/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ZelEntertainment/
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/lanzelsmithjr
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@theadventuresofzel/shorts