Though Olivia Wilde is widely recognized for her brunette look, her natural hair color is actually blond. Many fans may remember her sporting light locks as Alex Kelly on The O.C., a role from the early 2000s. With added purple streaks, it seemed like the result of heavy dyeing. But in reality, the blond base was close to Wilde’s natural shade.
Wilde has been dyeing her hair brown for over a decade. Surprisingly, the change wasn’t a personal choice but a career move. “I spent the first couple years of my career as a very blond blond,” she told Into The Gloss. “Then I went brunette for a role, and suddenly all my offers changed.” According to Wilde, being brunette opened the door to more serious and varied roles. As a blond, she was often cast as “the sexy hot chick.” As a brunette, she was offered deeper characters — from waitresses with complex lives to medical professionals.
The shift in appearance also changed how people viewed her. “I’m a natural blond, but I feel like a brunette,” she told GQ (via IOL). She added, “I feel people treat me now how I should be treated. People used to be shocked, when I was a blond, that I wasn’t stupid.”
Over the years, Wilde has tried other colors too, including black, dark red, and even green. But she keeps returning to her signature brunette style, often a soft balayage with darker roots and lighter ends. “The color I have now feels most like me,” she said. “It’s probably the closest thing to my natural [color].”
Despite the positive attention she received for her honey blond hair at the 2003/2004 Fox UpFront Party, Wilde seems unlikely to return to blond unless a role requires it. For now, the actor and director has embraced her darker shade — both as a personal identity and a professional advantage.
