The Most Drastic Celebrity Hair Changes In Pop Culture History

Let's face it: As much as celebrities are known for their talent, as fans, we simply cannot stop obsessing over their hair. It makes sense, too, as some of these stars are identified by their signature locks. Take Jennifer Aniston for example — the "Friends" actor, responsible for starting the "Rachel" hairstyle craze in the 1990s, shocked television viewers with her stunning hair transformation throughout the show's 10-season run. Years later, the actor chopped her locks once more. "The real reason I cut my hair? My real hair was getting thinned out again from all the extensions. It was starting to look fake," she told InStyle of the look.

Still, that wasn't the most drastic celebrity hairstyle change over the years. There are plenty of wow moments in the archives that fans just can't forget. Whether a pop star went the opposite direction with their hair color or an actor opted for a dramatically shorter cut, these hair changes definitely remain rent-free in our minds.

The Met Gala is all about jaw-dropping fashion and while Florence Pugh didn't disappoint with her show-stopping headpiece in 2023, what was even more stunning was how Pugh ditched her bleached blond hair and saved the Met Gala with her killer buzz cut. It was a daring move, and if anyone can pull off the shaved head look, it's Pugh. "I purposefully chose to look like that. I wanted vanity out of the picture," she shared with the Radio Times (via the Daily Mail). The "Don't Worry Darling" actor added, "Hollywood is very glamorous — especially for women — and it's hard for an audience to see past that. Whenever I've not needed to be glam or have a full face of makeup, I fight to keep it that way. It helps the audience. Vanity is gone. The only thing that people can look at then is your raw face."

Pugh is quite the chameleon when it comes to her hair. She's gone from platinum blond to a burnt orange copper and has even sported a cool fauxhawk. These days, she's back to her shaggy bob, which we'll see in her upcoming film "Thunderbolts." After that, who knows what hairstyle the "Dune" actor will debut next.

Christina Ricci is best known for her dark hair but showed that she looks just as good in an icy blond shade when she went ultra-light in 2017. Not only did she drastically bleach her brunette hair, but she also debuted a chic bob. It turned out that she changed her hair color for the movie "Z: The Beginning of Everything" and fell head over heels for the new 'do. "I'd secretly wanted to go blond for a really long time. I actually wear a lot of wigs in 'Z'..., but I used it as an excuse, and I'm shocked by how much I love it. It's like the way little girls love sparkles — it's just such a pretty color," she told Net-A-Porter's The Edit, as reported by The Daily Front Row.

When we saw her in the Netflix series "Wednesday," Ricci's hair was an auburn color, which may have been a wig, given that she was back to her jet-black shade at the premiere. We love all the hair colors Ricci has worn but the inky color is definitely a favorite throwback to her "Addams Family" days.

Denise Richards rose to fame as a honey-blond teen in "Wild Things" and never strayed too far from her signature long locks. That's why fans were shocked to see her with significantly darker hair in tight curls on "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen" in March. "I love your hair so much! I love seeing you as a brunette again, it's super fun," the host told the former "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star. Bravo shared a clip of Richards and Sonja Morgan joking about the upside-down jacket scene from the reality show, and Orange County housewife Kelly Dodd chimed in to say, "Denise looks good with dark hair." One fan gushed, "Omg Denise looks absolutely stunning! The hair color, makeup, 10/10."

After years of being a blonde, Richards revealed to People what made her go brunette. "I went darker because actually, my older daughters were the ones that encouraged me to because they saw pictures of me when I first started acting and [when I was] a little younger, and they're like, 'Mom, we think you should go darker again,'" she explained.

Zendaya has one of the most enviable heads of hair in Hollywood. The "Dune" star is a chameleon when it comes to her looks, and we've seen her hair styled in everything from locs to a shaggy mullet. Her natural hair is chocolate brown with thick curls, which she often wears down to her waist. However, Zendaya debuted a much lighter shade with her hair chopped to her shoulders while promoting her film "Challengers." When getting ready for the Australian premiere of the movie, the actor shared with Vogue, "That's why I dyed my hair. Just so it felt like a different press tour. A little reset."

The former Disney Channel star wore her new lighter hair in an updo for the "Challengers" premiere and when asked by Elle if blondes have more fun, Zendaya joked, "We're about to find out, honey. We just got started, so I'll let you know."

Katy Perry entered the music world with jet-black hair and since then, we've seen her shades of blue, pink, and everything in between. In 2017, she stunned fans by cutting off her long dark hair into an adorable pixie style dyed a platinum blond color. "People like [to] talk about my hair, right? They don't like it or they wish that it was longer. I so badly want to be Katheryn Hudson that I don't even want to look like Katy Perry anymore sometimes," the "California Gurls" singer revealed in an interview (via Refinery29). She added, "That is a little bit of why I cut my hair, because I really want to be my authentic self 100%. It hurts when I don't feel like I can."

Although the reason behind Perry's haircut was a bit sad, she learned to love her new look. "Everything is more fun with short hair! I can just get up and go. I feel so liberated with this hair now," she told W Magazine. "I feel liberated from all the things that don't serve me. I'm surrendering and embracing my 30s," the pop star declared. There you have it — if you need some inspo for a punk pixie cut, just turn to Perry.