Julia Roberts's Most Iconic Hair Looks Of All Time

Although the mention of Julia Roberts is likely to conjure thoughts of her big, curly hair from the early 1990s, the actress has experimented with far more looks than just that. While her curls certainly have become famous in their own right — because not many people are willing to let their naturally curly hair just do its own thing — it's Roberts's willingness to spice things up, especially when she was younger, that makes her a true hair icon.

If you're looking for something new to do with your hair for fall 2024, then maybe it's time to take a walk down Roberts' memory lane of hair. Besides doing unnatural hair colors — such edgy looks are more Florence Pugh — Roberts has done it all. Short, long, big, curly, wavy, platinum, copper, dark brown, and even a mullet, Julia Roberts just might be the hair inspiration you've been looking for all these years; you were just too distracted by her lovely smile to realize it. 

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Julia Roberts was known for her big curls both on and off screen. When her character, Vivien, first appears in the 1990 film "Pretty Woman," Roberts is wearing a platinum, bobbed wig which she takes off after sleeping with Edward, played by Richard Gere. The next morning Vivien walks into the dining room and while pointing at her big curls says, "Red," to which Edward says, "Better." It was these mermaid-like locks that became synonymous with Roberts, as well as the characters she played.

While the thought of combining bangs and a mullet might seem a bit baffling, the 1990s was certainly a different time. On June 1, 1994, Julia Roberts and John Malkovich appeared together to announce their upcoming film "Mary Reilly," about a maid who falls in love with Dr. Henry Jekyl, played by the forever-talented Malkovich.

While Princess Diana never went quite as blonde as Julia Roberts did in 1995, the cut is plucked from one of Diana's most iconic hairstyles. This also wasn't the first time Roberts rocked a short, near-platinum 'do. She had a very similar cut in 1990 that pretty much matched her then-partner Kiefer Sutherland. 

For the 2000 film "The Mexican" co-starring Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts donned a curly bob that was a deeper, brighter shade than her usual red. Although "The Mexican" didn't do particularly well amongst movie critics, Roberts's hair was undeniably amazing. By the following year, she'd grown it out and darkened it quite a bit, making it a fantastic complement to her Oscar win for "Erin Brockovich" in 2001.

Although Julia Roberts has done a lot of experimenting with her hair in both color and cut, over the past few years she's kept it long and wavy. While sometimes she lightens it, she's been returning to her roots more often than she did when she was younger. In September 2022, Roberts attended the Clooney Foundation for Justice Inaugural Albie Awards with her hair amber and long. As always, she was a picture of hair perfection.