By Emily Feimster
While blondes may have more fun, it's the redheads who seem to be getting all the attention - at least in Hollywood. Well, it's about time! Many of these celebs spent years getting picked on for their light skin and "carrot tops," but it's these same features which have helped them stand out among the pack. Now they're hot to trot in Tinseltown, fiery personalities and all (Ronald McDonald excluded). See who's been heating things up over the years with their red hot, hot, hot hairstyles!
No doubt one of the most popular reds on the block, as of late, has been Lindsay Lohan, whose unique color always set her apart from the monotony of her teenybopper peers. She betrayed her fellow firecrackers by recently going bleached blonde, claiming the change is for a movie role. Boo! The color is too light for Lohan's fair skin tone, rendering her ghostly, which oddly enough seems to accentuate her body's malnutrition. Let this be a lesson to all, or at least to Ms. Lohan - never dye your hair and for goodness sakes, girl, eat some food!
Another gal who can't seem to decide on hair colors or style is none other than the classic beauty, Nicole Kidman, who first grabbed people's attention with a full head of red hair on "Days of Thunder." Thanks to her own personal hairdresser, Kerry Warn, she can go long, short, straight, or curly, but no matter what, she always looks good. Ditto goes for her co-star of "The Hours," Julianne Moore, whose gorgeous copper top has made her a staple on People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People list. But let's not forget Kidman's "Moulin Rouge" pal, Ewan McGregor, whose red locks are as charming as his Scottish accent.
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Then there's the redheaded Susan Sarandon, whose hair keeps her looking as young as her youthful spirit. Country singer/actress Reba McEntire has always sported the look, as well as former "Buffy the Vampire Slayer's"
Seth Green and
Alyson Hannigan. But who could forget the adorable little Opie played by Ron Howard? Aw, shucks! Now that Howard is going bald, his actress daughter Bryce Dallas is carrying on the family color.
It's only been in the last few years that the color has really come into its own. "The Upside of Anger's" Alicia Witt said in an interview, "It's unusual, and whether people like it or not, it always attracts attention. I think that red hair is extremely sexy. It's also really versatile. When I was first auditioning for parts, it was hard because casting agents don't see a redhead as being every girl. That really bugged me, because I am part of society. My red hair doesn't make me an alien!" You tell em'!
In fact, Laura Prepon, who plays Donna in "That 70's Show," believes their hair sets them apart. "I love being a redhead," quipped the actress, who was the first carrot top to grace a Maxim magazine cover. "It's a rare thing, so I think there's a bond between redheads."
A few more fellow compadres include "Charmed" actress Rose McGowan, whose real hair color is auburn, Conan O'Brien, Gillian Anderson, Robert Redford, model Angie Everhart, who was the first redhead on the cover of Glamour Magazine, singer Tori Amos, and comedians Kathy Griffin and Carrot Top.
Of course, we couldn't leave out the people who have helped carry the torch, so to speak, of the red hot hair, be it their real color or not.
Maybe you knew already that some famous Hollywood redheads of the past, including Rita Hayworth and Lucille Ball, were not the genuine article. Lucy made no secret of the fact that her fabulous Technicolor locks were chemically induced. Once, when she was appearing on a CBS special, her husband Gary Morton brought it to her attention that flame-tressed opera diva Beverly Sills had her same hair color. He had the two of them stand side-by-side before a dressing room mirror to prove it. After a moment, Lucy quipped, "How ever did you get my recipe?"
But how about Julia Roberts? "My real hair color is kind of a dark blonde. Now I just have mood hair," as she put it. Indeed, the color and cut of her hair changes with every movie she stars in, but the "Pretty Woman" is still commonly identified as a redhead.
"Will & Grace's" Debra Messing has put her curly, red mop on the map having been named by TV Guide as the "best hair" on television for 2003. But, is she really a redhead? "I'm naturally auburn, more brown than red," she admitted in an interview. Ah, hah! Busted! She had to go red for her first movie, "A Walk in the Clouds," and then she got her first TV series, "Ned and Stacey." "All of a sudden, I was getting all this work as a redhead, and I had been exactly the same actor three months ago," she added. We always knew it paid to be red!
Singer Bette Midler is naturally blonde but spent numerous years as a redhead, Kirsten Dunst dyed the front of her hair red and used a wig for the rest in order to play Mary Jane in "Spider-Man," Tobey Maguire went red for "Seabiscuit," and Drew Barrymore sported the color for "Charlie's Angels." Though most believe that Cynthia Nixon is a natural redhead, the "Sex & the City" actress is actually a blonde. She changed the color to play the fiery Miranda Hobbes and hasn't looked back since.
So to all the redheads out there - famous or not - we salute you! Keep wearing your color with pride and the rest of the world will take notice.