16 Famous Redheads Taking the World by Storm 2023

The saying goes “blondes have more fun,” but they just haven’t tried living life with red hair. While being ginger might come with a few setbacks – mainly people teasing you for the color of your hair – being a redhead should be seen as special. As the BBC reports, there are only around 140 million people in the world with red hair. That sounds like a lot, but it’s actually only 1% – 2% of the population. Despite this, there are plenty of famous redheads taking the world by storm with their talents.

Interestingly the majority of famous redheads are women, something backed up by a report found in the National Library of Medicine. So this collection of famous redheads is dominated by talented and attractive women who are using their firey red hair to their advantage. But not all of these redheads are born that way, with some choosing to dye their hair red so they have a different look that might catch people’s attention.

So to celebrate the famous redheads making waves in the world here are 16 of the best. 

1. Jessica Chastain

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When it comes to being a proud redhead, Jessica Chastain is leading the charge. While she did go blonde for the movie The Eyes of Tammy Faye (for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress), Chastain has done her best to stay a redhead, despite finding it hard to secure roles as she told a reporter on the Golden Gloves red carpet in 2017.

“I almost dyed my hair blonde, which I guess is throwing in the towel because I was living in Los Angeles, and I couldn’t get an audition. I thought, ‘Well everyone’s blonde here, so maybe I should dye my hair blonde.’”

Staying red has been good to Chastain. The former Juilliard School graduate has a long list of incredible credits to her name, including The Tree of Life, Zero Dark Thirty, Interstellar, Molly’s Game, and Ava. Chastain continues to be one of the hardest working actresses who always makes interesting decisions when choosing her roles. 

2. Bryce Dallas Howard

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Natural redhead Bryce Dallas Howard got her start on the stage before being cast in M. Knight Shyamalan’s thriller The Village. That movie opened the doors for Howard, whose career has only flourished in the intervening years. She has appeared in critically received movies such as The Help, As You Like It, and Rocketman, while also starring in blockbusters such as Spider-Man 3, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, and the Jurassic World franchise. 

Howard has also dabbled in television, with her most notable roles coming in the Star Wars series The Mandolorian and The Book of Boba Fett. 

3. Lily Cole

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Lily Cole is a multi-talented personality who has tried it all in the entertainment world. First pursuing a career as a model, Cole has also published a book about the impact of climate change, opened a bookstore in London, got involved with the fashion-forward company The North Circular, and taken up acting. 

Although her filmography isn’t stacked, Cole has been in some great movies, including Rage and Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and some must-watch TV, such as Elizabeth I and The Split. Her charity work must also be highlighted, as Cole is all about climate change and environmental issues, causes she cares a lot about. 

4. Ed Sheeran

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When you’re talking about famous redheads, look no further than this fellow. Ed Sheeran is easily one of the most successful musicians in the world. He’s come a long way from busking and playing shows in tiny London pubs. The singer has sold more than 150 million albums worldwide, has won four Grammy Awards, and was named the “artist of the decade” by the Official Charts Company. 

5. Amy Adams

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The first woman on this list with red hair who wasn’t born that way is Amy Adams. Her natural hair color is strawberry blonde. The reason Adams went red was to help her gain better roles in Hollywood. “The minute I went red, it was like, ‘quirky’ instead of flirtatious and dumb,” she told Allure in 2016. “It was really fascinating to see just one element of yourself change people’s perception and that became a very powerful tool for me, even in my acting.”

The change in hair color obviously worked, as Amy Adams has had a massively successful career. Standout roles in The Doubt, The Fighter, The Master, and American Hustle have helped establish Adams as one of the modern greats. 

6. Julianne Moore

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Having won an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and two Emmy Awards, it’s safe to say Julianne Moore is one of the most successful redheads in Hollywood.

Moore has been acting for more than four decades and has done it all. Her filmography is packed with amazing films that include the likes of The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, The Hours, Magnolia, The Big Lebowski, Boogie Nights, and Still Alice. 

7. Nicole Kidman

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Aussie starlet Nicole Kidman has been getting it done for over 40 years. The former Mrs. Cruise rose to fame in the 90s after making waves in the thriller Dead Calm. Roles in blockbusters Days of Thunder and Far and Away with Tom Cruise followed, pushing Kidman into the stratosphere. 

Since then her career has continued on an upward trajectory, with the actress continuing to choose interesting roles that push her to the limit. She’s played a witch in Practical Magic, a bored housewife in Eyes Wide Shut, a dancer in Moulin Rouge, the real-life Virginia Wood in The Hours, and a Queen in The Northman. 

8. Christina Hendricks

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Mad Men gave many actors their start, including ravishing redhead Christina Hendricks. Sorry to break it to you, but Hendricks is another fake redhead. She is actually blonde but has been dying her head red since she was a teenager. 

Named the “Sexiest Woman in the World” by Esquire’s female readers in 2010, Hendricks’ career is full of great roles in movies such as Drive, Dark Places, and Toy Story 4, along with TV shows Kevin Hill, Another Period, and Solar Opposites. 

9. Ron Howard

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The father of Dallas Byrce Howard (who has already made an appearance on this list) is an accomplished actor and director. While older generations will remember him as Ritchie Cunningham on Happy Days, younger movie fans will know him as the guy who directed Apollo 13, Ransom, and A Beautiful Mind. 

Howard is one of the most successful redheads on this list whose movies are always anticipated by fans and critics, often going on to become smash hits at the box office. 

10. Alyson Hannigan

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Rising to fame as Buffy’s best friend and practicing witch Willow Rosenberg in Buff the Vampire Slayer, Alyson Hannigan doesn’t actually have red hair. She has dyed her normally brunette locks throughout most of her career. Shocking, right? 

The American Pie and How I Met Your Mother actress explained the reasoning behind her change of color in an interview with PopSugar. “Joss [Whedon] had us all over to his house. Charisma [Carpenter] and Sarah [Michelle Gellar] and I all had brown hair at the time. Joss said, ‘All of your hair is kind of the same shade. Does anyone want to be red?’ I went for it.”

11. Sophie Turner

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Game of Thrones gave many young actors and actresses the chance to strut their stuff on the small screen. One redhead who took advantage of her time on the show is Sophie Turner. On the show, she played one of the Stark children, Sansa Stark. But did you know her hair is actually blonde?

It was dyed for the show, with Turner reverting to her natural color after it ended. Despite this, she’s still a famous redhead in our eyes. 

12. Rupert Grint

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Another child actor who has crossed over into the mainstream is former Harry Potter star, Rupert Grint. While he might not be at the level of co-star Daniel Radcliffe, he’s still more than a capable actor.

Grint first got noticed by audiences while playing Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter series but has well and truly moved on from that experience. Some of his most notable post-Harry Potter work has come in the movies Wild Targets and Cherrybomb and television shows Snatch, Sick Note, and Servants. 

13. Emma Stone

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Emma Stone is another blonde who prefers being a redhead. Speaking to Refinery29, Stone’s longtime colorist Tracey Cunningham explained that the reason Stone wears red so well is that she “looks like a redhead.” Makes sense. She went on to say, “I think there’s something about those genetics that make the red shade look so gorgeous with her skin tone and her eyes.”

Going red has certainly had an impact on Stone’s career, with the actress becoming a mega success thanks to movies Superbad, The Help, Crazy, Stupid, Love, Cruella, and La La Land. 

14. Vincent Van Gogh

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Arguably the most well-known redhead in the world, Vincent van Gogh was a Dutch-post impressionist painter who created some of the most spectacular artworks in the world. He is responsible for such masterpieces as The Starry Night, Vase With 15 Sunflowers, and his numerous self-portraits. 

Like so many artists of that time, van Gogh’s work wasn’t popular while he was alive, with the painter struggling with mental illness until his tragic suicide at the age of 37. 

15. Karen Gillan

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Although she’s only in her early 30s, Karen Gillan has been putting the work in for many years. The Scottish personality began acting in the local British entertainment industry in the early 00s, with her first major role coming in the rebooted Dr. Who series. This resulted in Gillan landing the lead role in the supernatural horror movie Oculus. A moderate success, the movie opened doors for Gillan in Hollywood.

She has since starred as Nebula in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, Martha in the rebooted Jumanji flicks, and Sam in the action surprise Gunpowder Milkshake. Gillan continues to fly the flag for redheads around the world as her movie career just keeps on getting better. 

16. Tilda Swinton

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Tilda Swinton is as underrated as they come. For almost four decades the British actress has been wowing audiences with her award-winning performances in a wide range of movies covering all genres. She made her bones in the UK where she spent 15 years before finally giving Hollywood a crack.

Swinton has won an Academy Award and two BAFTA Awards but is yet to get her hands on a Golden Globe Award, despite three nominations. While you could recommend any of her near 100 movie and TV credits, some of our favorites include The Beach, Constantine, Micahel Clayton, We Need To Talk About Kevin, Only Lovers Left, and The French Dispatch. 

Categories: Entertainment
Source: Tekmonk Famous Biography