The Office hairstylist Kim Ferry admits that Meredith's shaved head look in season 9 episode 10, "Lice," was incredibly complicated. Kate Flannery starred as Meredith Palmer, the socially awkward and frequently inappropriate supplier relations representative, in the immensely popular sitcom. The show centers on the relatively uneventful everyday lives of the employees of the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of the Dunder Mifflin paper company, with Michael Scott (Steve Carell) as its regional manager. Originally created by British comedians Ricky Gervais and Stephan Merchant, the American version debuted in 2005 and ran for nine seasons, becoming recognized as one of the best sitcoms of its time.

In the season 9 episode "Lice," salesperson Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer) accidentally brings lice into the office after being exposed through her and Jim's daughter Cece following an outbreak at her daycare facility. However, the employees believe that Meredith is most likely the culprit, due to her general uncleanliness, and blame her for the resulting infestation. In an overreaction to the situation, Meredith takes clippers to her scalp and quickly shaves all of the hair off of her head, leaving her completely bald.

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In an interview with Mashable, Ferry explains that Meredith's shaved head look was actually very complicated to pull off. The hairstylist admits that The Office showrunner Greg Daniels initially wanted Flannery to shave her head completely, but Ferry and Flannery fought back against taking such a drastic measure. To complete the convincing bald appearance, the hairstylist had to call in experienced makeup artist Ed French for assistance. Read what Ferry says below:

That was three weeks of prep for me, and I had to be able to figure everything out, because Greg Daniels wanted [Kate Flannery] to shave her head. He really did. And I just couldn't allow it. [Flannery] was like, 'I don't want to shave my head!' and I was like, 'I'm not gonna let that happen.'

It was amazing having [French] do the pieces and prosthetics… and when [Flannery] had to be all bald he did that. I did the wrap of her hair underneath and that's really tricky too because Kate has so much hair, so it was really hard to make it look like a flat skull. I also bought a bunch of human hair that matched hers, so when she was grabbing the hair and letting go that's what we were using.

The Office season 9 episode 10 Lice Meredith Bald

For what seems like such a simple effect, Ferry details the time and complexity it takes to create such an convincing change in a Meredith's appearance. In addition to the actual bald cap, the crew had to design custom-made clippers that Flannery needed to run across her head to simulate that Meredith is actually shaving her head. The complete effect was so convincing that many fans still believe Flannery really shaved her head in that scene.

Ferry's explanation goes to show that even the simplest special effects shots require some complex work behind-the-scenes to achieve the desired result. Three weeks of prep, outside help, and the assistance of the props department created one of the most memorable moments for Meredith throughout the entirety of the show. Her shaved head also immediately became one of the highlights of season 9, which ended up being The Office's final season, as it no longer had Carell leading the cast.

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Source: Mashable