25 Most Iconic Hairstyles In Hollywood History

Uma Thurman’s Sleek Bob - Pulp Fiction (1994)

There’s something hypnotic about Uma Thurman as Mia Wallace, the sharp bob, the dark lipstick, the mysterious smirk. That blunt black cut turned her into a pop-culture icon overnight. It’s simple, edgy, and effortlessly cool, a hairstyle that could only belong in Quentin Tarantino’s world of chaos and cool.

Princess Leia’s Double Buns, Carrie Fisher - Star Wars: A New Hope (1977)

You can’t think “space buns” without picturing Princess Leia, or Carrie Fisher’s fierce presence under those twin coils. George Lucas based the look on Mexican revolutionaries to give Leia’s buns a rebellious edge. It symbolised everything her character stood for!

Zendaya’s Big Curls - The Greatest Showman (2017)

Zendaya’s lush curls in The Greatest Showman were pure spectacle; voluminous, radiant, and full of movement. As trapeze artist Anne Wheeler, her hair became an extension of her performance: daring, dynamic, and utterly captivating. Zendaya brought a fresh, modern energy to period glamour!

Reese Witherspoon’s Blonde Blowout - Legally Blonde (2001)

Reese Witherspoon’s glossy blonde hair in Legally Blonde became the ultimate symbol of feminine power wrapped in pink confidence. Every curl, every bounce screamed: “Don’t underestimate me.” The style balanced California charm with Ivy League polish, creating a beauty moment that still feels relevant in every “smart and stylish” era since.

Olivia Newton-John’s Permed Curls - Grease (1978)

When Sandy let her hair down, or rather, curled it up, everything changed. Olivia Newton-John’s transformation scene made that bouncy perm a global sensation. Tight curls, tight pants, and endless confidence.

Mia Farrow’s Pixie Cut - Rosemary’s Baby (1968)

Mia Farrow’s pixie cut in Rosemary’s Baby was a cultural reset. It was radical, androgynous, and hauntingly beautiful to her character’s unraveling innocence. The Vidal Sassoon chop caused such a stir that it made headlines at the time. Gone were the bombshell curls of the ’60s; in came the cropped, boyish cut that whispered rebellion. It’s been copied by everyone from Twiggy to Emma Watson!

Marilyn Monroe's Blonde Bob

One look at those platinum curls and you instantly know: Hollywood legend. Marilyn’s buttery-blonde waves defined sensuality for an entire century. They framed her face like light itself; proof that sometimes, a hair colour can become an era.

Margot Robbie’s Colourful Pigtails - Suicide Squad (2016)

Before Barbie came Harley. Margot Robbie’s bubblegum-blue-and-pink pigtails were chaos wrapped in curls — messy, fierce, unforgettable. The look blurred the line between villainy and style, sparking a cultural takeover from cosplay to Halloween.

Kirsten Dunst’s Powdered Towers - Marie Antoinette (2006)

Kirsten Dunst wore hair that defied gravity, quite literally. Each foam-padded masterpiece was a pastel confection of aristocratic excess. By the end of filming, Dunst joked her hair was “fried straw,” but on-screen, it was pure Versailles fantasy.

Keira Knightley’s Windswept Curls - Pirates of the Caribbean (2003)

Keira Knightley’s tousled curls were pure pirate chic; salty, sensual, and full of spirit. Her hair moved with the ocean breeze and sword fights alike, making Elizabeth Swann equal parts royal and rebellious.

Jennifer Aniston’s “The Rachel” - Friends (1994)

The cut that launched a thousand salon appointments. Jennifer Aniston’s layered, honey-highlighted shag became the ‘90s haircut. Playful, effortless, and endlessly copied, “The Rachel” is proof that sitcoms can create style history.

Jackie Kennedy’s Bouffant

Refined yet relatable, Jackie Kennedy’s bouffant was pure political chic. The volume, the precision, the elegance, it was America’s answer to Parisian poise. She wasn’t just First Lady of the United States; she was First Lady of Fashion.

Halle Berry’s Textured Pixie

Halle Berry’s pixie was reinvention itself. Short, spiky, and effortlessly cool, it showed how femininity can be fierce and minimal at once. She became the face of short hair, redefining glamour strand by strand.

Florence Pugh’s Blunt Bob - Don’t Worry Darling (2022)

Retro-perfect and razor-edged, Florence Pugh’s bob hid chaos beneath calm. It embodied 1950s perfection; sleek, stiff, and suffocating, until it didn’t. The style was Stepford beauty reimagined for modern feminist horror.

Farrah Fawcett’s Feathered Fringe - Charlie’s Angels (1976)

Voluminous, sun-kissed, and feathered to perfection, Farrah Fawcett’s hair moved. Literally. One head flip and the world fell in love. It’s been copied by everyone from 1970s teens to 2020s influencers; proof that bounce never goes out of style.

Elvis Presley’s Pompadour

The King’s swoop had its own fan club. Jet-black, slicked, and sky-high, Elvis’s pompadour was pure swagger. It wasn’t just rock’n’roll hair, it was rebellion styled with Brylcreem. Long live the quiff.

Elizabeth Taylor’s Cleopatra Wig, Cleopatra (1963)

Jet-black and beaded with gold, Elizabeth Taylor’s Cleopatra wig was less a costume and more a coronation. The precision-cut fringe and braids oozed power. It didn’t just define a film, it crowned Taylor as Hollywood royalty forever.

Diana Ross’s Glamorous Curls

No one owned curls like Diana Ross. Her mane was theatre; luscious, bouncy, and full of confidence. From Motown to disco, her big hair became synonymous with diva energy. It wasn’t styled; it commanded attention.

Brigitte Bardot’s Messy Beehive

Brigitte Bardot turned imperfection into seduction. Her tousled, half-up beehive redefined sex appeal; loose, undone, and dangerously chic. The look said, “I woke up like this” decades before it became a hashtag.

Audrey Tautou’s Chic Bob - Amélie (2001)

Amélie’s cropped bob and baby fringe became shorthand for whimsical charm. Audrey Tautou’s Parisian pixie-meets-bob captured the magic of her character; shy, romantic, and quietly mischievous. To this day, one glimpse of that haircut and you can practically hear Yann Tiersen’s soundtrack.

Audrey Hepburn’s Regal Chignon - Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)

Hepburn’s perfectly structured updo; tiara perched, micro-bangs sharp, became the symbol of cinematic sophistication. Dubbed “the Audrey updo,” it’s part chignon, part beehive, entirely timeless. It didn’t just elevate Holly Golightly, it redefined Hollywood elegance. Over 60 years later, we’re still not over it.

Anne Hathaway’s Cropped Cut - Les Misérables (2012)

Anne Hathaway’s emotional head-shaving scene as Fantine wasn’t just heartbreaking, it was history-making. Her short, fragile pixie became a raw symbol of sacrifice and survival. Gone was the Hollywood gloss; in its place, vulnerability and humanity. Hathaway’s brave transformation earned her an Oscar, but more importantly, it reminded us that beauty can live in imperfection.

Angela Davis’ Afro

Angela Davis’s natural afro wasn’t crafted by stylists, it was shaped by revolution. In an era when Black hair was politicised, her voluminous curls became a symbol of pride, power, and protest. It wasn’t just a look; it was liberation made visible. Decades later, it still stands for unapologetic identity.

Julia Roberts’s Voluminous Waves - Pretty Woman (1990)

Big, bouncy, and fiery red, Julia Roberts’s curls were practically a supporting character in Pretty Woman. They reflected Vivian’s untamed charm and confidence, the ultimate glow-up before glow-ups were a thing. Those voluminous waves made “red hair, don’t care” a whole personality.

David Bowie's Spiky Ziggy Stardust Hairdo

David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust era gave us one of the most unforgettable hairstyles in music and film culture; that sharp, fiery red mullet. It was punk before punk, glam before glam, and perfectly matched Bowie’s otherworldly persona. The style screamed art, and showed how hair could be more than a look; an identity.