They say that red hair cones with a certain type of character. Usually edgy, fiery, and wild. With hair color so rare, it only makes sense that there would be myths surrounding it. Do the redheads we see in show business fit that bill?
If you’ve read our previous article about Hollywood redheads, you might have some clue as to what the answer might be. (Hint: it’s not what you think. It never is.) However, if you feel like exploring the issue a little further, who are we to stop you? Explore away with another compilation of the best redheads in entertainment.
Anneliese van der Pol
This Dutch-born powerhouse is a singer and actress, known for her role as Chelsea Daniels on the Disney Channel show "That’s So Raven." Nowadays, Broadway is van der Pol’s domain and she starred as Belle in the smash Broadway hit "Beauty and the Beast."
Recently, she has also received praise for her role in the successful 0ff-Broadway show "Vanities", A New Musical. She is also expected to revive her “Raven” role in an upcoming spinoff called Raven’s Home. We couldn't confirm her hair color but we think she's always had this color.
Emma Roberts
This redhead is related to another A-lister that many have heard of — Julia Roberts. Emma’s debut came on the big screen in the 2001 film "Blow." Shen then went on to star in the hit Nickelodeon show "Unfabulous," in which she had blonde hair. Wait, we're confused, what's her natural color?
After Nickelodeon, she appeared in movies such as "Nancy Drew" and "Hotel for Dogs." She also starred in "Scream Queens" and is known for different roles in "American Horror Story." Turns out, she's not a blonde or a redhead but has light brown hair.
Holland Roden
Roden comes from Dallas, Texas. Growing up, she went to Hockaday School, the same school as George W. Bush’s daughter, Barbara Bush. Having come from a family of doctors, this smart redhead planned to become a cardiothoracic surgeon. Roden went to UCLA and majored in molecular biology and women’s studies.
Instead, she turned to acting and became one of show business’s most talented redheads. Roden had a part in the HBO show "12 Miles of Bad Road." She also found herself appearing on “Lost" and "Teen Wolf." She looks gorgeous both in red and in her original her color, a dirty blonde.
Jessica Chastain
As one of Hollywood's most gorgeous leading ladies, Jessica Chastain knows the ins and outs of the biz. Chastain has already earned two Oscar nominations. Those nominations came from her outstanding roles in "Zero Dark Thirty" and the period drama "The Help." She also earned SAG, BAFTA, and Golden Globe nominations for her marvelous work, and she counties working on new films and TV shows constantly.
If we were to discover that Chastain's natural locks are any color other than red, we'd be crushed, but luckily, she was born with her signature red hair.
Raquel Welch
Ending the 1960s with her iconic bikini-wearing role in "One Million Years BC," Raquel continued to rise to fame in the 1970s. She won a Golden Globe award for her performance in "The Three Musketeers" in 1973 and appeared in the thriller "The Last of Shelia." Raquel expanded her influence in pop culture by releasing Fitness videos. She also has her own signature line of wigs called “HAIRuWEAR.”
Raquel also appeared in the TV movies "House of Versace" and "The Ultimate Legacy." She had orange highlights for many years, and despite never discussing her natural hair color in public, early pictures of her lead us to suspect she was born with light brown hair. Raquel sadly passed away in early 2023 at the age of 82.
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran is notably one of the most successful musicians in the world – pretty much everyone wants to collaborate with this guy! The natural orange head singer rocks his natural hair all the time, but he admits that he doesn't really understand why women scream at the sight of him since, in his opinion, there's not much to be excited about.
Maybe he was traumatized from getting picked on as a kid? Still, his hair color is special and unique and we hope he accepts it today!
Rihanna
Rihanna is one of the most successful singers in the world, with over 230 million albums sold and eight Grammy Awards to her name. The singer, whose full name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty, was born in Barbados in 1988. Her musical talent was apparent from a young age.
At 15, Rihanna formed a music group with friends and was later discovered by an American music producer. Her first big hits were with the singles Pon de Replay and SOS. There was a time in her career in which she sported gorgeous red locks, and even though we knew it wasn't natural, we all loved it!
Scarlett Pomers
It all started at the age of three when she appeared in a Michael Jackson video. But, she isn't only an actor, she also has the amazing ability to sing.
She found her fame while starring as another famous redhead's daughter — Reba McEntire. She played the youngest daughter in the WB (now, CW) comedy named after Reba herself. You might have also seen her in the CBS hit show "That’s Life." Her first album, "Insane," was released in 2010 and in 2014 she declared she was done acting. We have a feeling she didn't enjoy being in the public eye. Her hair is actually dark brown!
Alyson Hannigan
Born in Washington, D.C., this redhead had a real estate agent for a mom and a truck driver for a dad. Raised in Atlanta, Alyson was already appearing in commercials for Oreos at the age of four.
In 1997, she began her role on the hit show "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." Her star status rose even more after appearing in the mega-popular "American Pie" and of course when she starred in "How I Met Your Mother." We were truly shocked to find out that her natural hair color is actually light to medium brown. What?
Conan O’Brien
As one of the most famous gingers in the world, Conan O’Brien is often remembered for his signature red hair, pale skin, and startling height. Oh yeah, if you put his looks aside you'll also remember he's hella funny.
He's been hosting talk shows for most of his life, his most recent talk show being "Conan." Like his fellow ginger males on this list, he has also always had ginger hair ever since he can remember himself.
Rose Leslie
Rose was born in February 1987 in Aberdeen, Scotland, and gained notoriety in the popular British series "Downtown Abbey." This led to her role as Ygritte in HBO’s immensely popular series "Game of Thrones." The famous redhead also appeared in the 2012 film "Now Is Good" and in a British detective series called "Vera."
She starred in the 2015 movie "The Last Witch Hunter" and joined the cast of the CBS show "The Good Fight" in 2017. She's also known for 2022's "The Time Traveler's Wife." Leslie has natural ginger locks!
Lea Thompson
Lea Thompson is a well-known actress, TV producer, and director, whose career started in the early ‘80s. She is probably best known for her role in the "Back to the Future" movies where she played Lorraine Baines-McFly, Marty’s mother.
Younger audiences might know Lea from "Switched at Birth" (2011-2017), and "Little Women." Today she has to dye her hair back to what was indeed her natural color, red!
Rupert Grint
The "Harry Potte"r film series was one of the most successful franchises in the world, largely due to three young but incredible actors, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint. But while Radcliffe and Watson had no trouble finding roles when their wizarding journey ended, Grint found the transition more challenging.
Still, he has landed roles in a few shows and movies since. Still, we will always remember him for his naturally orange hair!
Nicola Roberts
Nicola Roberts rose to fame in the early 2000s, as one of the members of the popular girl group "Girls Aloud" that grew in the void left by the "Spice Girls."
It formed thanks to a televised talent show, and Roberts proved she had the pipes to make it big. She also had flaming red hair and beautiful blue eyes – she was destined for fame. She went on to have her won own solo career.
Tilda Swinton
This enigmatic actress has been alluring movie audiences for a long time. Her roles are as remarkable as her career, which was kicked off with her 1986 role in the film "Caravaggio."
Swinton played the mom of a murderous teen in the critically acclaimed "We Need To Talk About Kevin." Now, this might come as a surprise, but Tilda is actually a redhead who prefers to dye her hair blonde! How unique, just like Tilda herself.
Sally Jessy Raphael
Known not only for her serious stare and ability to break down guests but also for her fiery red hair and ruby glasses, Sally hosted her show for nearly 20 years. After its abrupt end in 2002, she went on to host another show, this time, on the radio, between 2005-2008. In 2010, she appeared as a guest on the "Oprah Winfrey Show," along with several other big names in talk show television.
After her daytime talk show, Sally continued to work in radio where she hosted a celebrity interview show on LogoTV.com. We think her natural hair color might be blonde, but we haven't been able to confirm it!
Ariana Grande
Before Ariana became a famous singer, she was belting out tunes on Broadway and starring in the Nickelodeon show "Victorious" playing a character named Cat Valentine. At that time, everyone knew her as a redhead. While she looked stunning with the bright red hair, it was clear it wasn't natural, and the singer tells that dying her hair for so many years really took a toll on her scalp!
After her Nickelodeon stint ended, she focused her attention on music and the decision seems to have been a wise one, as she's a now full-fledged superstar.
Kathy Griffin
Kathy Griffin is known for her outstanding comedic talents but actually had her first film role in the horror movie "The Unborn." Born in Illinois in 1960, she got her start in comedy as a member of The Groundlings improv troupe in Los Angeles.
She went on to do amazing things, she's one of these actresses everyone knows, even if you're not sure where you know her from. We've not been able to confirm her natural hair color, but we do know she looks amazing in red, and maybe that's all that matters.
Isla Fisher
This Irish-Australian actress kicked off her Hollywood career playing Mary Jane in the 2002 movie "Scooby-Doo." She has really risen to fame since then.
She starred in a number of notable movies, including "Wedding Crashers" and "The Great Gatsby." Isla is also a mother of three and married comedian Sacha Baron Cohen in 2010. Her family life is as strong as her career. Isla's hair is 100% natural, and she was even teased for having red hair as a kid!
Molly C. Quinn
This natural redhead is known for the mystery series "Castle" on ABC, where she plays the role of Alexis Castle, as well as the 2013 movie "We’re the Millers." She also voices the character of Princess Bloom in the American version of the cartoon series "Winx Club."
Molly came into the world on October 8, 1993, in Texarkana, Tex. and began her acting career after appearing in a local theater production of The Nutcracker at the tender age of six. From there, she set her sights on Hollywood while intensively perfecting her acting craft.
Hayley Williams
Hayley Williams is the lead singer of the pop-rock band "Paramore." Not only is she the lead singer of such an iconic band, but she's also well known for her red mane and bold style.
The singer was born in 1988 in Mississippi, and she actually landed her first record deal when she 14. How? Well, she was discovered by Atlantic Records. Paramore has gone on to become an iconic influential band. The singer claims she was born with red hair and that it later turned blonde, which she didn't appreciate.
Lauren Ambrose
Born in New Haven, Connecticut, Lauren has amassed a serious following due to her films and TV shows. Ambrose started off in theater in New York before getting supporting roles on the long-running TV series "Law & Order."
The actress starred in the 1998 teen classic "Can’t Hardly Wait" and in the hit HBO series "Six Feet Under" playing the role of Claire Fisher. She also has twangy music talent and is part of a dixie jazz band called "Lauren Ambrose and the Leisure Class." When it comes to her hair, she's one of the naturals!
Analeigh Tipton
This gorgeous redhead first appeared on our screens as a contestant on the reality show "America’s Next Top Model," landing in third place. But, before she was ever on that show, she was a synchronized skater.
Now, Analeigh has made appearances in hits like "The Big Bang Theory" and "Crazy, Stupid, Love." Her first role on the big screen? It was in the 2011 action movie "The Green Hornet." Her hair looks great, but it's definitely dyed.
Laura Prepon
Laura was born in Watchung, New Jersey in 1980. She's the daughter of a high school teacher mother and a surgeon father. As a teen, she did some modeling and had several small acting roles. Laura Prepon's most notable roles were in "That 70s Show,” and "Orange Is the New Black." She also had a recurring role on “How I Met Your Mother” as Ted's two-timing college girlfriend.
In case there's any confusion, her natural hair color is red with her dying it blonde during “That 70s Show” for a movie role, and dying it black for OITNB. Fittingly.
Julianne Moore
Daughter of a U.S. Army Paratrooper and born at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, Moore is a total military brat. She attended nine different schools as her father was relocated, which might explain how she can fit into any role.
She has been a part of many iconic movies, including "Boogie Nights", and "The Big Lebowski. " In 2015, she received an Oscar for Best for her role in "Still Alice." In 2021, she participated in the film version of the musical "Dear Evan Hansen." She's a natural redhead but has admitted she goes to the hairdresser to make her hair color look bolder and better.
Sara Rue
Sara Rue had her first TV role on the hit show "Roseanne" playing a young version of the titular character and since then has appeared in plenty of TV shows and a few films as well.
This redhead is a New York native and is well known for her role as the Attorney General in the cult film "Idiocracy". On the small screen, she has made appearances on "The Big Bang Theory" and "Two and a Half Men". As for her lovely locks, we haven't been able to confirm whether they're really red or not!
Danny Bonaduce
Bonaduce's bright red hair and winning smile made him a famous character on "The Partridge Family," where he played the bass-playing middle child. Bonaduce seemed destined for life-long stardom, but life has a way of taking its own road. He's appeared in a number of films, including "Corvette Summer," and also had guest appearances on "CHiPs."
After a hiatus, he began to appear in episodes of "Married... With Children," "Space Ghost Coast to Coast," "CSI: Crime Scene Investigations," and "The Drew Carey Show." He also had his own reality show, "Breaking Bonaduce." He's been a regular morning host at Seattle radio station KZOK-FM since 2011.
Reba McEntire
The country singer started her music career at 21. Still, it took her many years and seven albums to get a real breakthrough. It happened with her 1984 record "Just a Little Love." She has sold millions of albums and earned herself a nickname we think is well deserved — “Queen of Country.”
Not only a great musician, but McEntire also has serious acting talent too, which was first featured in the 1990 movie "Tremors". She became a TV staple with her hit WB show "Reba," which aired for six seasons and earned her a Golden Globe nomination. Despite the fact she looks perfect in red, it's not her natural color, she's a true blonde.
Ellie Kemper
The next talented redhead grew up with Jon Hamm, the "Mad Men" star, and they acted in a school play together. Kemper has starred in films like "Bridesmaids" and "21 Jump Street." Her big TV break came from her role as Erin Hannon on "The Office," and later she became a big name when she starred in the popular Netflix comedy, "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt."
You'll be please to hear that this fiery lady's natural hair color is red, but she confessed that she has to dye it because like most of us, she has some gray hairs to cover.
Florence Welch
The voice behind "Florence and the Machine," Florence Welch has led the band to attain a slew of Grammy nominations for their ethereal indie pop. The band has sold millions of records worldwide since its debut in 2009. Curious about the band’s unique name? It came from an inside joke. Apparently keyboardist Isabella Summers is nicknamed “Machine.”
Welch herself is actually nicknamed “Robot”. While her natural hair color is brown, she said she can't imagine herself ever leaving the red behind.
Alyssa Campanella
You may have first seen Alyssa as the 2011 Miss USA winner, representing the state of California. The New Jersey native studied acting after finishing high school and is also apparently a good cook too, as she was a student at the Institute of Culinary Education.
Campanella is actually a natural blonde, but she has taken a liking to her adopted hair color. With her pageant days behind her, she has since had a number of high-profile modeling stints. More recently, the redheaded beauty has focused on running her blog fashion and lifestyle blog "The A List."
Amanda Righetti
This redhead grew up in Las Vegas. She already had a modeling contract at the tender age of 15. She got it after winning an international model search. Her first big roles were in "The O.C." and "North Shore" and since then, she has wowed audiences in many different projects, her most notable ones being 2011's "Captain America: The First Avenger, " 2009's "Friday the 13th" and 2016's "Colony."
She hasn't publicly spoken out about her hair color, but pictures of her as a young kid reveal that she most likely has ashy blonde hair.
Marilu Henner
Henner became America’s Sweetheart as Elaine O’Connor-Nardo in the hit sitcom "Taxi" that ran from the late ’70s to early ’80s. She gained notoriety in the original production of the musical "Grease", playing Marty and eventually touring the country in that role
To this day Henner still remains stunning. She has appeared in plenty of films and made guest appearances on a plethora of TV shows. She has also written a number of books focusing on healthy living. Her red hair has been an iconic part of her for years, but turns out that under all that hair dye she had brown hair!
Amy Adams
Amy Adams is known to be one of the most sizzling red-headed actresses! She has five Oscar nominations for her roles in "American Hustle", "Junebug", "The Master", "The Fighter", and "Doubt."
Amy Adams and her famous red hair are no strangers to the silver screen. You might recognize her from “Catch Me if You Can”, “Man of Steel”, and “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian.” Shockingly, the actress is a natural blonde!
Simone Simons
Simone Simons is the lead singer of the metal band "Epica", originating from the Netherlands. Her band is known for its symphony stylings and, in fact, Simons is a trained classical singer!
Simons had a knack for music ever since childhood and by 12, she was already in music school, where she played the flute before branching into singing, learning both pop and classical styles. Her band released its first studio album "The Phantom Agony" in 2003 and to date has eight studio albums under its belt. While it's clear she dyes her hair, it's hard to tell what lies underneath it. Maybe she just wants to keep us guessing.
Allison Janney
We’re pretty sure you recognize Allison Janney from one of her television or movie appearances. She’s actually a highly prolific character actress who is revered for her versatility. She has appeared in hit films like "Hairspray", "Juno", and "The Girl on the Train." Yup, that’s probably why she looks familiar to you!
Her work on screen, stage, and television has received the acclaim that brought her multiple honors, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and even Primetime Emmy Awards. Today she sports her natural white her, but back in the day, she used to get it colored bright red quite a lot!
Kate Mara
The star is well known for starring as dogged journalist Zoe Barnes in "House of Cards." Going up against vicious politician Frank Underwood has allowed the actress to show off her amazing acting talent.
Talent runs in the family. Her older sister is Rooney Mara. They're both the great-granddaughters of the founders of both the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New York Giants. How cool is that! While acting definitely runs in her family, what about ginger hair? It does! Mara has naturally scarlet hair.
Angie Everhart
She's been modeling since she was a teenager. In 1988, the model was involved in a horse riding accident, a thing that almost stopped her career from happening in the first place. Luckily she managed to recover and went on to appear in a number of films, such as "Last Action Hero" with Arnold Schwarzenegger, and was a regular on Hollywood Squares.
In addition to modeling, she is one of the hosts of a popular podcast called "Hot N' Heavy." You'll probably be pleased to hear that this model's scarlet hair is totally natural.
Carrot Top
The youngest son of a NASA engineer, Scott Thompson, known professionally as Carrot Top, has gone through some wild changes in his life and career. His style of prop comedy got the public eye on him in his early twenties. He used self-deprecation and American culture as springboards for jokes and gags.
His nickname came from a swimming coach, thanks to his bright red hair. He's appeared in movies and television shows, including some of his own. A lot of his jokes have been him simply pulling out a prop, describing it with a one-liner, and tossing it away.
Julia Roberts
Julia Roberts, superstar on the big screen, has wowed us in her roles for decades, including standouts such as "Pretty Woman" in 1990, "Erin Brockovich" in 1999, and "Closer" in 2004. She shows no sign of letting up, though! Hit movies abound, the superstar never expected such fame. Born in Georgia in 1967, she grew up dreaming of becoming a veterinarian.
However, as the child of two actors who ran a successful children’s acting school, she grew up surrounded by tons of talent and eventually pursued acting. There was a time she spotted red-dyed hair, and she looked great in it!
Deborah Ann Woll
Before appearing on HBO’s "True Blood" this redhead was already landing small parts on mega-hit shows like ER and CSI. She garnered acclaim for her role in the rom-com "Ruby Sparks" and for running with superheroes in the Netflix show "Daredevil" where she portrayed the character Karen Page.
She's been dying her hair on and off ever since she was 14, trying to add some dimension to her naturally blonde hair.
Ariel Winter
Ariel Winter made her big-screen debut when she starred as Alex Dunphy, the nerdy good daughter in "Modern Family." But she's certainly come a long way from that sweet little girl she played on the show. Winter admitted to getting a breast reduction when she was only 17 years old after the back pain became insufferable.
The young actress said it was the best decision she ever made, and it helped her get back her confidence. While her natural hair is dark brown, she looks amazing in red. She almost had us fooled!
Maitland Ward
The actress and model is still turning heads with her provocative Instagram posts. If she looks familiar but you still feel like you can't quite place her, let us help you; she was Jessica Forrester on THE soap opera, "The Bold and the Beautiful."
She is also well-known for her role in the classic show "Boy Meets World," where she portrayed Rachel McGuire. We've seen her in both red and blonde, but funnily enough, her natural hair is actually brown.
Claire Danes
If there's someone who must be a natural redhead, it must be Danes, right? We first got to know her when she was just a teenager and played one in 1994's "My So-Called Life."
In 2011 the actress admitted that because she's been dying her hair routinely since she was 13, she's not really sure what her natural hair color is anymore! She's also been known for starring in 1996's "Romeo & Juliet" and 2011-2020's "Homeland."
Jayma Mays
Jayma grew up in Tennessee and first hit TV screens with a role on the Friends spinoff "Joey" in 2004. In 2007, she starred in her first film, "Epic Movie", where she also met her husband, fellow actor Adam Campbell. Beginning in 2009, Jayma featured in the popular musical TV show "Glee", playing the role of Emma Pillsbury. That role endeared her to many around the world.
She also garnered plenty of attention by starring in the NBC series "Heroes." Rumor has it that her copper mane is all hers!
Jere Burns
Donning the ultimate ‘bad guy’ look, Jere Burns remains as one of the most memorable cast members in "Crocodile Dundee" in Los Angeles, playing the role of Arnan Rothman.
Jere has had quite an impressive career since the ending of the Dundee trilogy, and we bet his natural orange hair had everything to do with it. He has gone on to perform in "The Muppets", "From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series", and the hit TV series "Justified." Jere Burns has also appeared on Broadway! His Broadway credits include "Hairspray" and "After the Night and the Music."
India Menuez
Is there anything India can't do? She is an artist, activist, model, and actress from New York. You might know her from the hit Amazon show "Transparent" where she played the lover of one lesbian professor. She also co-starred in an online Amazon series.
India has also participated in many well-known movies. She starred in "White Girl," "Something in the Air," and "Uncertain Terms." Her freckles and eyebrows give her natural hair color away.
Sadie Sink
Sadie Sink, who portrays Maxine, or “Max” in the hit Netflix series is one beautiful young lady. While her career has just begun, there was no better way to do so than to appear on "Stranger Things."
Sadie has also done some modeling, with her natural ginger hair and freckled face helping her land some big campaigns. She hasn't been featured in too many projects so far, but just give her a couple of years and she'll conquer Hollywood.
Bella Thorne
This American actress and singer has millions and millions of followers on Instagram as she leads a very exciting life. She dated actor Tyler Posey (from MTV’s "Teen Wolf") and she’s known to party with Tiffany Trump. Born in Florida in 1997, Thorne has appeared in a multitude of TV shows and films. One of her first roles was playing a kid in HBO’s cult classic "Entourage."
In 2010, Thorne had a starring role in Disney’s teen dance show called “Shake It Up.” She's naturally blonde but has confessed to preferring herself with red hair.
Kate Winslet
Kate Winslet was slowly making a name for herself in the ’90s with roles in films such as "Sense and Sensibility" and "Heavenly Creatures", but her starring performance in the 1997 blockbuster "Titanic" set her in stone as a megastar.
After Titanic, the British beauty appeared in acclaimed movies such as "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and "Steve Jobs". When we met her for the first time, she had bright red hair and we've later seen her sporting both blonde and brown. Her true color is actually blonde.
Cynthia Nixon
Cynthia Nixon, who played Miranda, doesn't really have red hair! She merely agreed to dye her hair red for all six seasons of the show, Showrunner wanted her piercings as well, but that's where she drew the line. She didn’t have her ears already pierced and refused to do so for the show.
She returned to "And Just Like That...", HBO's "Sex and The City" revival where she insisted on being all-natural, with her gray hair.
Nicole Kidman
Kidman is known for being Australian but she was actually born in Hawaii. When Kidman was born in 1967, her parents were living on the island, while her father Tony was doing his Ph.D. Her big break came in the 1989 movie "Dead Calm." Her career is too vast to even try and summarize, but some of her biggest roles include starring in "Moulin Rouge" and "The Hours."
You might know her as a blonde, but if you go back to pictures of her from when she was young you'll learn she actually has red curly hair!
Prince Harry
He doesn't need an introduction, does he? Buckingham bad boy Prince Harry has been known for causing several stirs in his promiscuous 20s. It turns out that good looks can sometimes be a magnet for trouble as much as a magnet for beautiful girls.
Harry’s 30s are a lot more settled down. He married actress Meghan Markle, had two babies, and now his natural flaming red hair is the only wild thing about him. If you forget about how he and his wife decided to step down from their roles in the royal family, that is!
Karen Gillan
Born in Scotland, this actress climbed to prominence by appearing on "Doctor Who" in the role of Amy Pond. She has gone on to appear in a number of TV shows and films and portrayed model Jean Shrimpton in the 2012 movie "We’ll Take Manhattan."
She also notably played the part of Nebula in 2019's "Avengers: Endgame." When she's not busy acting, she gets to rest and think about how she won the genetic lottery, having naturally red hair.
Heather Graham
Heather Graham has been a Hollywood fixture for over two decades, featuring in "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me" in 1999 and in the hit "The Hangover" in 2009.
Her breakout role was actually in the 1988 comedy "License to Drive." Despite her acting skills, Graham was quite shy growing up. Born in 1970, she was raised Catholic in Milwaukee. Her younger sister, Aimee, is also an actress. When she doesn't rock her hair in red, she rocks her natural blonde locks.
Lucile Ball
She may have been known for her orange-red hair on screen, but Lucille Ball was actually a chestnut-haired girl at one time. Her hair was first dyed for her role in “Du Barry Was a Lady,” and it remained the same shade when she began the beloved “I Love Lucy" sitcom.
Apparently, the specific color was a challenge to maintain and required a dyeing process involving henna. Still, Ball never returned to her dark roots and maintained her red hair till her death.
Christina Hendricks
Getting her big break as Joan in "Mad Men", Christina Hendricks is often cast for the front-and-center type of roles. Hey, it's hard to imagine that fiery red hair blending into any kind of background.
Christina was actually born a blonde but she doesn't like the color. She tried different looks but ended up with red. Some say that red came to her because of her love of the book "Anne of Green Gables."
Andy Dalton
Dalton started out with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2011 and remained on the team through 2019. While with the Bengals, he made it to the Pro Bowl three times and was named the MWC Offensive Player of the year.
In 2020, Dalton began playing for the Dallas Cowboys but has had a few difficulties with his health and suffered from a concussion. Thankfully, he is recovering from both and will be back in the game soon. Like most men who sport red hair, it's not something he's chosen, but something he was born with!
Emma Stone
Emma is one of the hottest and most sought-after actresses in Hollywood. The Scottsdale, Arizona native has been taking in the limelight thanks to starring in movies like "Easy A" and in 2017 took home the Best Actress Oscar for her role in "La La Land."
Emma was originally a blonde until Judd Apatow suggested she dye her hair red for the hilarious 2007 comedy "Superbad," which was her breakout role and made her a household name.
Molly Ringwald
This stunning redhead was born in California. Her mom was a chef and her dad was a blind jazz pianist. At six, she released an album called "I Wanna Be Loved By You: Molly Sings." Molly appeared in many of John Hughes’s quintessential teen classics that defined the 1980s, including "The Breakfast Club", "Sixteen Candles" and "Pretty in Pink."
She's been involved in projects since then, but let's face it, we will always remember her how she was in the 80s. When it comes to her hair, well, she's another Holywood fake — she was born with brown hair.
Debra Messing
Before her role on the groundbreaking show, "Will and Grace," she co-starred in the Fox hit comedy "Ned & Stacy" which ran from 1995 to 2017! Besides her roles on TV, Messing was also featured in many films, including "The Women", "The Mothman Prophecies" and "Along Came Polly".
She working on new projects as we speak, but the one thing we'd all like to know is, is her hair color truly red? Well, she fooled us well, as she's actually a natural brunette.
Bryce Dallas Howard
This redhead has a famous Hollywood filmmaker for a father. His name? Ron Howard. But her acting talent is all hers. She was even purposely raised away from the limelight as the Howard children were not allowed to watch any TV.
Bryce proved she was more than the daughter of a famous father by transfixing people in M. Night Shyamalan’s "The Village" in 2004. Since then, she appeared in films such as "The Help" (alongside fellow redhead Jessica Chastain) and the "Twilight" series. Her natural hair color is indeed red, but she doesn't leave it all to nature and sees a colorist that helps her hair look even redder.
Elena Satine
Elena is both a singer and an actress. She was in 1988 in the city of Tbilisi. When she was a kid, she was a part of a children’s pop group in Georgia. This is what got her into acting and performing.
She started her American acting career by chance. She joined her mother on a business trip to New York and the rest is history. While you might do or don't recognize her, she's had consistent work in shows like "Revenge, " "The Gifted" and "Cowboy Bepop." Her natural color is dark brown.
Sophie Turner
Sophie Turner is known for the immensely popular HBO series "Game of Thrones" where she played Sansa Stark. It also happened to be her breakout acting role. She was still in high school when the show started and even needed to have a tutor on set!
Since the 2011 debut, her acting career has taken off with roles both on the small and the big screen. She passed as natural ginger during her time on "The Game of Thrones" but it was all hair dye, she's actually a blonde at heart.
Marcia Cross
Hailing from Massachusetts, Marcia wanted to act ever since she was a child. After Juilliard, this fierce redhead’s dream came true. Her career kicked off on television in 1984 when she began a recurring role in "The Edge of the Night", a soap opera. Since then, she has been best known for starring in the saucy ABC drama "Desperate Housewives."
The role garnered her several nominations for Golden Globe and Emmy awards. You can rest assured that Marcia's signature red hair is all hers!
Debby Ryan
Debby Ryan hails from Huntsville, Alabama, and grew up in Germany and Texas. She began acting when she was seven years old and had her first TV role on the beloved kid's show "Barney and Friends."
Since then, she’s appeared in several Disney productions, including "The Wizards Of Waverly Place" and "The Suite Life on Deck." She even had her own Netflix show titled "Insatiable." Like many of the other ladies on this list that totally pull off the red hair, she was born blonde.
Rhonda Fleming
Fleming first made it big when she starred in "Spellbound." Her contrasting white skin and red hair were only a small part of what made her such a compelling actress to watch. When she withdrew from acting, she turned to charity work.
In 1991, she established the Rhonda Fleming Mann Clinic for Women’s Comprehensive Care. If you had any doubts, Flemming's hair grew out red at the roots and she didn't need to dye it to get that amazing color of hers.
Melinda Clarke
Born with dark brown hair, Melinda has fooled us for years! We were sure she was a natural redhead. Melinda Clarke took the world by storm, starring in many beloved long-running TV shows like "The OC", "Entourage ", "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," and "The Vampire Diaries."
She hasn't been an active actress for many years now, but that doesn't mean we forgot about her!
Rachelle Lefevre
Some of you might recognize the gorgeous Canadian Rachelle Lefevre as Victoria Sutherland in the Twilight saga. Lefevre has also starred in several series and TV shows, namely: "Big Wolf on Campus", "Boston Legal", and even "What About Brian."
Lefevre has also appeared in the film "Barney’s Version" and following her roles in "A Gifted Man" and "Under the Dome", she starred in the ABC medical drama "Off the Map." Those long red locks are certainly the reason she landed some of these roles and it's all hers.
Alexandra Breckenridge
At 15, this ravishing redhead made her debut in the cult classic "Freaks and Geeks." She then had minor roles in classics like "Dawson’s Creek". "JAG", "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "CSI."
Her first movie appearance was in the 2002 film "Big Fat Liar." After that, Alexandra joined the cast of the 2006 comedy "She’s the Man", opposite Amanda Bynes. Later on in her career, she’s been seen mesmerizing audiences on the hit series "The Walking Dead." As for her hair color? She likes to dye it blonde, but it's naturally red.
Lindsay Lohan
There's no possible way to compile a list of redheads without including Lindsay Lohan. Since she grew up in the public eye, we all know almost everything about her, and we all especially remember her very public mistakes.
She kicked off her career in a big way with the successful Disney film "The Parent Trap" in 1998 and became a household name after starring in 2004’s hit "Mean Girls." Just like many other child stars, she's had a rough time as an adult, and we get it, girl! Still, one thing has stayed the same for her ever since she was a child, the hair that grows out of her head is red.
Sarah Snook
This Australian redhead has been turning heads ever since she can remember herself. You probably know her from the HBO hit show, "Succession." Her film career started in 2010 with a few short films and then in major Australian films such as "Not Suitable for Children" in 2012.
Her short but impressive acting resume includes roles in "Steve Jobs" and "The Master Builder." She also starred in the six-part ABC miniseries "The Beautiful Lie." We couldn't confirm it, but our gut tells us this one was born a redhead.
Judy Greer
This redhead is both a talented actress and an author. She's one of these actresses who are mostly cast to play the quirky characters. Judy is known to many for her role as Kitty Sanchez in "Arrested Development."
Born in Detroit in 1975 as Judith Therese Evans, she started off her career in small roles in big films like the 2000s "What Women Want." Her first book, "I Don’t Know What You Know Me From: Confessions of a Co-Star", was published in 2014. She looks like was made to be red, but her true color is actually light brown.
Gillian Anderson
A Chicago native, Gillian Anderson is best known for starring in the long-running Science Fiction series "The X-Files" playing Dana Scully. Besides appearing in the hit Fox show, Gillian has participated in many movies such as the elegant adaptation of Edith Wharton’s novel "The House of Mirth."
In 2019, she played the part of Jean in "Sex Education." While you've seen her both as a redhead and as a blonde, in reality, she's a brunette.
Connie Britton
The amazing actress was born in Boston in 1967. She got big when she landed herself a role in NBC’s football drama "Friday Night Lights."
From there, Connie went on to star in the popular drama "Nashville." Connie was perfect as a country star who has lost her fame. In fact, she was so good that she got herself two Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe nomination. Another notable project she's been involved in was 2021's "The White Lotus." According to her, her natural hair color is mousy brown.
Shirley Manson
Shirley Manson is a beautiful punk alt-rock talent hailing from Scotland. She has been the lead singer of the popular rock band Garbage since 1994 and is responsible for hits like "Stupid Girl" and "Only Happy When It Rains."
In 2009, she took a stab at acting as well and appeared in the Jake Gyllenhaal film "Love and Other Drugs" and the TV show "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles." She sports one of the best combos, she has green eyes and natural red hair.
Brittany Snow
Brittany started off her career on the CBS soap opera "Guiding Light." She then transitioned to the NBC series "American Dreams." Her role in "American Dreams" won her three Teen Choice Awards.
Besides acting, Brittany is a singer and an advocate for a number of issues. She has been open about struggling with eating disorders, which lead her to co-found the "Love is Louder Movement." She is also adamant about ending bullying in schools. She looks perfect with red hair and blonde suits her perfectly but secretly, she's a brunette.
Tina Louise
Tina Louise is a classic redhead bombshell, best recognized for her starring role as Ginger Grant on the ’60s TV sitcom "Gilligan’s Island." Though she had been acting since the early 1950s, she garnered fame after her Golden-Globe-winning performance in the 1958 movie "God’s Little Acre."
Born in New York City in 1934, she is the daughter of a model mother and candy store owner father. Her career began as an ad model and then she had appearances in racy mags like Playboy in the ’50s. 1952 saw her Broadway debut with Two’s Company, and the rest is history. Her freckles give it away — she's all-natural!
Rachel McAdams
Who can forget Rachel McAdams as the beautiful Allie Hamilton in the iconic film "The Notebook"? She simply took everyone’s breath away with her gorgeous red locks in those classic hairdos. The Canadian actress has a few different unforgettable roles under her belt, including that of Regina Goerge in "Mean Girls."
While red suits her, she also looks amazing as a blonde, but her real hair color is actually brown!