40 Shocking Celeb Hair Transformations

The A-listers of Hollywood update their hairstyles almost as often as their iMDB pages. One day, a star will debut long purple locks, and by the next news cycle she's already rocking a bleach-blonde bob. For some celebs, hitting the salon is a form of expression, and for others, it's just part of the job. For instance, actresses Natalie Portman and Cara Delevingne both had to shave their heads for movie roles. And let's not forget when Anne Hathaway chopped off her hair for an Oscar-winning role in Les Miserables. Read on for a trip down memory lane. And for more Tinseltown tresses, check out the 30 Most Iconic Celebrity Hairstyles of All Time.

Miley Cyrus has come a long way since her wig-wearing Hannah Montana days. As an ode to her newfound rocker persona, Cyrus traded in her long locks for a sleek blonde 'do back in 2012, and she's kept it that way since.

Whether she's keeping it casual with a deep black or spicing it up with a blonde bob, Katy Perry always looks like a firework. The "Teenage Dream" singer told Glamour: "Colored hair is such a huge accessory that you don't even need to add extra stuff. I've been playing with colors since I was 15." Be careful if you do decide to dye your hair, as the addicting hairstyling habit made our list of the 20 Surprising Habits That Increase Your Cancer Risk.

Who needs hair when you have a face like Cara Delevingne's? In 2017, the actress shaved her head for her role in the film Life in a Year, and took the opportunity to speak out against society's unrealistic beauty standards. "It's exhausting to be told what beauty should look like," Delevingne wrote on her Instagram. "Strip away the clothes, wipe off the makeup, cut off the hair… who are we?"

Some people get gray hairs from worrying about aging, but The Office star Steve Carell has nothing to fear. Like a fine wine, Carell has only gotten better with age, and the internet has certainly taken note of it. In 2017, when the comedic actor proudly debuted his graying locks in London, women (and men) everywhere gawked over who they now called "George Clooney's brother." As for Carell's reaction to his newfound silver fox status? "I'm bursting with pride," the actor told Time. "That's very nice." For more of Hollywood's late bloomer, check out 10 Great Life Lessons From Steve Carell, Internet Heartthrob.

Boho beauty Vanessa Hudgens is known for using her luscious locks as an accessory, but back in 2017, she decided to cut 10 inches off for a sleeker, shorter look. The former High School Musical star has never shied away from the scissors—she told PeopleStyle that she's "an extremist when it comes to hair," and that she prefers her hair either "above my shoulders or at my belly button, so it's a constant flip-flop between the two."

When Fall Out Boy's debut album came out in 2004, bassist Pete Wentz's emo-fabulous hair was nothing out of the ordinary. But fast-forward a decade, and even the rocker realized that the trend was no longer. In 2014, Wentz decided to lighten his tresses. Unfortunately, the musician quickly realized just how much upkeep a platinum 'do requires, as he told Page Six that he "did not realize that it was going to involve, like, burning my scalp." Beauty is pain, Pete!

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Since she made her Hollywood debut back in the early 2000's, Kate Hudson has been closely associated with her signature blonde hair. But in 2017, the actress took to Instagram to debut a shocking new 'do: a bold buzz cut. Hudson chopped off her hair for her role in Sisters, co-written and directed by singer-songwriter Sia. For more celebrity transformations, check out The 30 Best Celebrity Style Evolutions.

Over the years, Kristen Stewart's hairstyles have only gotten bolder and bolder. When the actress entered the scene as the star of the Twilight saga, her hair was long and feminine, but by 2010, Stewart was rocking a mullet that evolved into an above-the-shoulders cut. Since then, Bella Swan has rocked everything from a blonde buzz cut to unique 'dos like the one above.

Nowadays, it's hard to think about Kelly Osbourne without her bold and brilliant hairdos. But believe it or not, there was once a time when the reality star kept it simple. Today, Osbourne loves to experiment with every color on the spectrum, and she told Revelist that others who are thinking about dying their hair should "try [your new hair color] with your clothes that you wear all the time… because if you change your hair, sometimes you have your favorite looks that you wear all the time and it won't match."

"I went blonde for a film called Kin, but I had been wanting to do it for a while," Zoe Kravitz told Refinery29 when she dyed her hair back in 2017. "It was a way for me to keep the braids but still kind of change the look a little bit."

As a teen star on The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, Dylan Sprouse didn't exactly do much experimenting with his hairstyle. But once the actor left the spotlight and enrolled at NYU, he decided to grow out his dirty blonde mane, setting himself apart from twin brother Cole.

Speaking of the Sprouse twins, Dylan wasn't the only one to give his formative look an upgrade. To play the role of Jughead in the CW series Riverdale, Cole Sprouse dyed his hair jet black—and the new look was met with all-around praise. It even inspired Seventeen to write an article about how it "belongs in a museum."

Who here remembers Jared Leto's cameo in the hit flick Fight Club? For the late '90s film, the actor dyed his cropped hair blonde—and with that look, he's barely recognizable compared to the long-haired beauty we know and love today. Not all men can pull off the sleek Jared Leto style, but they can rock these 15 Killer Style Accessories.

Hollywood starlet Emma Roberts is a frequent flyer at Los Angeles salon Nine Zero One, but the daughter of Eric Roberts truly shocked everyone when she hit the red carpet earlier this year with a blunt bob. Thankfully, the bob turned out to be just a wig, but Roberts did actually cut her long hair last summer into a much less dramatic short cut—sans bangs.

For all her years in Hollywood, Katie Holmes was never known for experimenting with hairstyles, but in 2007 she surprised everyone by debuting a bob, of all things. Holmes then let her hair grow out again for a while, but the actress once again chopped it off in 2017 in favor of a cute pixie cut.

In 2014, Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine shocked the world when he dyed his precious hair platinum blonde. When asked why he did it, the singer responded: "I just wanted to do something crazy." And lucky, Levine has said that his wife is a fan of the look, too!

Michelle Williams' hairstyles were never really something to write home about—until 2007, that is. With an Oscar nomination for Brokeback Mountain now on her resume, Williams decided to shake things up with a close crop. The actress grew her hair out again for a few years, but she once again debuted a short cut in 2010 and has stuck with it ever since.

Suffice it to say that few people look back on their styling choices in the early 2000's fondly, but at least Brad Pitt learned from his mistakes. By 2006, the actor was wearing his hair with texture, and even started to experiment with some highlights. Honestly, anything Pitt did would've been an improvement.

Rewind all the way back to 2005. More than a decade ago, Israeli actress Natalie Portman shaved her head for her major role in V For Vendetta. In fact, the major move was a scene in the movie, and Portman told Movie Web that she doesn't have "any personal memories of the experience" as she was so in character while it was happening.

Back in 1999, the producers of Felicity thought it would be fun if Keri Russell cut her hair and changed up the look of the TV show's main character. Unfortunately, Russell's pixie cut was met with such contempt from the audience that the WB Entertainment president at the time, Susanne Daniels, joked: "Nobody is cutting their hair again on our network and our staff."

Black Widow Scarlett Johansson has always had fun with her hair, but it wasn't until 2014 that she took the biggest risk of all by chopping it off. Luckily, you don't need much to highlight beauty like ScarJo's. Not ready to commit to a pixie cut? Start instead with these 15 Top Hair Tips from Top Hollywood Stylists.

A few years after A Walk to Remember was released, actress Mandy Moore decided to make a change to her mane. In 2004, the crooning celebrity left the salon with a layered crop—though she quickly let it grow out.

Believe or not, The Notebook star Rachel McAdams' real hair color is brunette. However, for most of her career the bombshell has chosen to keep her hair blonde, and even added some pink streaks to her lightened locks back in 2007. "Rachel decided she wanted something fun and fleeting, so we did pink streaks," the actress' hairstylist Craig Moir told Allure. "She's willing to try anything as long as she keeps her hair in good shape."

Demi Lovato must have some seriously strong hair, given how much it's been through. The sultry singer's 'do has been nearly every color of the rainbow, with funky styles to boot. Today, Lovato is keeping it simple with long, brown locks, but there's no telling when she'll spice it up next.

When her first album was released to the world in 1999, Christina Aguilera was just an innocent 19-year-old with equally innocent hair. But within a few years, Aguilera had begun messing with her platinum mane by adding streaks of color ranging from purple and pink to black and gray. Today, Christina's hair is back to basics.

Any good girl gone bad needs a new look to match her new personality! Rihanna made a splash with her debut album back in 2005, but the Barbados beauty quickly abandoned her good girl persona for something much edgier. Since then, she's had fun coloring, cutting, and styling her hair in every which way.

Jennifer Lawrence's decision to get a pixie wasn't a desire to stand out or even an act of rebellion—rather, it was just pragmatic. "It grew to an awkward, gross length," Lawrence said during a talk at Yahoo headquarters back in 2013. "I kept putting it back in a bun and I was like, 'I don't want to do this,' so I just cut it off. It couldn't get any uglier." Well, that's certainly one way to make a dramatic change.

Disney stars don't get to have much fun with their hair, but ex-Disney stars certainly do (just look at Miley). In 2017, Wizards of Wavery Place star Selena Gomez shocked everyone by showing up to the American Music Awards with beach blonde waves—a far cry from her usual shade of brunette. According to Gomez's stylists, Riawna Capri and Nikki Lee, the transformation took a staggering nine hours to complete. "About 300 foils and 8 bowls of bleach, all with 2 stylists working together simultaneously," Capri revealed on Instagram.

When you want to win an Oscar, you have to look the part to be the part. And actress Anne Hathaway certainly took this at face value when, in 2012, she chopped off her signature locks for her role in Les Miserables. "Nothing enhances a beautiful bone structure more than a cute, short, haircut, and Anne's modern pixie is the perfect example," Hathaway's hairstylist Sascha Breuer told InStyle. Luckily, the drastic measure paid off, as Hathaway went on to win the Oscar for best supporting actress.

Zac Efron has learned a thing or two about grooming since his big acting debut as Troy Bolton in High School Musical. Just a few years after the release of the Disney film, Efron abandoned his boyish cut for a sleeker cropped 'do, one that certainly makes him look more GQ and less J-14.

Earlier this year, Julianne Hough debuted a Jessica Rabbit-esque red hair. Speaking to People, the professional dancer noted that she wanted to move on from her "blonde American girl" persona and try something new. "There's just something about being a redhead that just makes me feel really feminine and free… I feel sexy."

Even reality TV star Kim Kardasian West gets fed up with her beauty routine every now and then. In December, she took to Twitter to lament over her "high maintenance" color, saying: "Spent the last few days bleaching my roots—we do it in stages so it doesn't break off. OMG 13 hours & still going." Hopefully the ends justify the means!

Look what you made her do! At the 2018 CMT Music Awards, country duo Sugarland gave viewers a sneak peak of their upcoming music video for "Babe", starring Taylor Swift as a radiant red head. Unfortunately, the rouge locks are just a wig, but now we know that TSwift would look incredible as a redhead.

Ashlee Simpson's dark dreads suited her well when she was rocking out in the early 2000's, but the singer opted for a sleeker look following her separation from fellow musician Pete Wentz. Simpson's inspiration for dyeing it dark to begin with? "When [Ashlee's first album] came out, she really wanted to differentiate herself from Jessica," mother Tina Simpson said. "That was the purpose of the dark hair, and there is that dark side to Ashlee."

"Extra bright, extra blonde," Jennifer Morrison's stylist Riawna Capri wrote on her Instagram after touching up the actress' locks back in May. The Once Upon a Time star first introduced her icy bob to the world back in 2017, writing that it was her "favorite hair cut." Want to dye your hair like Morrison's? This Is the Safest Way.

To play the role of Cat Valentine on Nickelodeon shows Sam & Cat and Victorious, Ariana Grande had to keep her hair a shade of bright red for a while. But when both series ended, Grande ditched the dye and started wearing her hair in a long brunette ponytail, a look that she is now closely associated with.

It's hard to be an actress in Hollywood with short hair, but Ginnifer Goodwin has found the perfect work-around. In 2011, the Big Love actress revealed that she has a "wig clause" in every one of her contracts, which means she can keep her hair as short as she wants. "I find it hard to express myself when I'm growing out a very bad character haircut," Goodwin told InStyle. "As long as I can wear a wig, I can be any character and in real life I can be myself."

Oscar Isaac is one handsome man—even when he's keeping his hair au natural. In late 2016, the then-37-year-old actor decided to embrace his grays and rock the silver fox look. Of course, Isaac's head of dark curls will always be missed, but his new look is just as stylish.

You'll be hard-pressed to find a One Direction fan who didn't idolize Harry Styles' long, luscious hair, but it was only fitting that the singer shed his former 'do to mark the start of his solo career. As one GQ writer put it: "He sounds more grown up, and now he looks it, too." Want to look as sleek as Styles? Try these Timeless Style Upgrades.

Like Styles, Joe Jonas chose to leave his boy band life behind both metaphorically and physically when he debuted a shaved head in 2013. The singer's hair has since grown back, but thankfully he hasn't let it return to its Jonas Brothers-era length. Looking for more celebrity news? Check out The 20 Craziest Hollywood Meltdowns.

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