Actors often change up their hair for roles. Sometimes, their wigs are so good, it’s honestly shocking to find out it’s not their real hair. Other times, however, actors transform their hair so drastically that it’s hard to believe it’s not a wig.
Here are 11 actors whose hair transformations for roles were so dramatic, you might be shocked they’re not wearing wigs:
1.
Ariana Grande bleached her naturally dark hair and dyed it red every two weeks for the first four years she played Cat Valentine on Victorious.
Here’s what her hair looked like several years prior, when she was in 13 on Broadway:
2.
To play Colin in Not Okay, Dylan O’Brien dyed his hair for the first time ever. The six-hour transformation required shaving his head then bleaching it twice.
This is what his hair looked like in his previous role in The Outfit:
3.
Florence Pugh shaved her head to play Almut in We Live in Time. In 2024, she told British Vogue, “For any actor taking a role like this, it is completely important that you see her head and we see her shaving it – it was just always a no-brainer. You have the honor of doing something to yourself that is totally in support of the character.”
Here’s what her hair looked like a few months before filming began:
4.
In Legally Blonde, Linda Cardellini’s incriminating perm was her real hair, just seriously curled.
Here’s what her hair looked like several months before the movie was filmed:
5.
When Robert Pattinson played Connie Nikas in Good Time, “they peroxided [his] bangs” in some scenes.
Here’s what his hair looked like a few months before filming began:
6.
Sam Reid started Interview with the Vampire Season 1 with extensions while growing his hair out. However, “definitely by the last two or three episodes, that’s [his] hair.”
Here’s what his hair looked like in his previous role on The Newsreader Season 1:
7.
In 2012, Tom Hiddleston told Parade, “In Thor, that was my own hair. I grew it out. But I have naturally curly, blonde hair, so I’ll never look like that.”
Here’s what his hair looked like a few months before filming began:
For Loki Seasons 1 and 2, Tom was able to use his real hair again. Speaking on a panel at Megacon 2024, he reportedly said, “I’ve grown it out, and I’ve dyed it. It’s always a moment when the dye goes in.”
Here’s what his hair looked like a few months before filming Season 1:
8.
For her first six years on Game of Thrones, Sophie Turner dyed her naturally blonde hair red to play Sansa Stark.
Here’s what her hair looked like IRL once she started wearing wigs on GOT:
9.
James Marsters bleached his hair for his role as Spike in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The label on the bottle of bleach warned, “Only do this every six weeks. Not safe to use more often.” However, he had to use it every eight days “because a vampire is dead, so your hair doesn’t grow, so you can’t have roots.”
Here’s what his hair looked like on Northern Exposure a few years earlier:
10.
To play Rose in Titanic, Kate Winslet dyed her hair red because director James Cameron asked her, “How would you feel if we did something really bold with her hair?”
This is what her hair looked like a few months before the movie went into production:
11.
And finally, Mark Hamill colored his hair purple with permanent dye for his brief guest appearance as The Trickster on The Flash.
Here’s what his hair looked like before filming his episode:
What the wildest onscreen hair transformation you’ve seen in a TV show or movie? Let us know in the comments!
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