Drew Barrymore's Hair Evolution—From Child Star to Talk Show Host

Whether we’re swooning over her iconic kiss scene with Sam in Never Been Kissed, enjoying her homeware collection or tuning into her talk show, Drew Barrymore has shown us that she has range. With over three decades in the industry, it’s no surprise her hair has been through many changes over the years as well. From pixie haircuts to switching between blonde, brunette and auburn locks, she’s clearly not afraid to dabble in new looks. Check out Drew Barrymore’s complete hair evolution below.

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1982: E.T. Stardom

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At just 7-years-old, Drew made her acting debut in ET: the Extra-Terrestrial. Her natural curls, complemented by her flower accessories, shined at the London premiere of the hit film.

1987: Pre-Teen Curls

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Nothing says the ‘80s quite like this look. The pre-teen sported loose curls and wispy bangs for her new headshot.

1989: Lovely Lob

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As Drew moved to her teen years, she showed off a short lob that grazed her shoulders along with a looser curl pattern and darker roots.

1990: Bleach Blonde

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By the ‘90s, Drew did a complete 180 with her look. She sported lighter locks and a deep side part and paired her new do with a bold lip and fluffy brows for the Longtime Companion premiere.

1992: Bleach Bob

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The Poison Ivy star began experimenting with her hair and going shorter than ever before for the 50th Golden Globe Awards. Her wet bob featured textured layers, face-framing tendrils and a blonder base that gave off major rockstar vibes.

1993: Award Show Curls

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The ‘90s star swapped her natural curls for a tighter pattern, which reminds us of the classic French style and truly accentuates her face shape.

1995: Raving Red

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As she continued to rock shorter haircuts in the early ‘90s, Barrymore dabbled in new hair colors, too. At a red carpet event, she added contrasting blonde money pieces that were pinned back to bring more attention to her voluminous red bob.

1996: Back to Black

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Speaking of new hair colors, the 21-year-old went from blonde to black the following year. With her bold red lipstick and razor thin brows, she showcased every signature 90s look all at once.

1998: Luncheon Layers

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By the late ‘90s, Drew was ready to reinvent herself. During Premiere Magazine’s annual “Women in Hollywood” luncheon, the actress presented piecey layers and a wavy fringe that added shape and body to her hairstyle.

1998: Flower Power

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Drew brought back floral accessories for the 70th Annual Academy Awards, proving you’re never too old to add some playfulness to your hairstyles.

1999: Blonde Beauty

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As the Never Been Kissed star was becoming a rom-com queen, she returned to her roots. At the Los Angeles premiere of the 1999 film, Barrymore rocked loose blonde curls and long tendrils that perfectly framed her face.

2000: Y2K Waves

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A new year meant a new chapter for the actress. At the 6th annual Blockbuster Entertainment Awards, she sported a golden bronde color and soft cascading waves.

2001: Blockbuster Bob

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As soon as we got used to her shoulder-length ‘do, Barrymore returned to wearing shorter styles the following year. We especially loved this sleek bob paired with her signature floral accessory because it was such a contrast to what she wore during the previous awards season.

2001: Flipped Out Fun

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By this time, the Charlie’s Angels star started taking her layers up a notch. At the 14th Kids Choice Awards, Drew walked the red carpet with a flipped out layered bob and a side swept bang. While she won the award for Best Actress, she really won for best hairstyle of the night.

2002: Brunette Beauty

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The action star was ready to begin her brunette era—with a touch of blonde to brighten things up during the Confessions of a Dangerous Mind premiere in New York.

2003: Beachy Waves

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No matter how many hair colors Drew tries, she never strays too far away from blonde. This time around, she grew out her hair to give off major beach vibes.

2005: Glamorous Updo

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Let’s face it, Drew can rock blonde and brunette hair. Exhibit A: This glamorous updo she wore to the 77th Annual Academy Awards, which she paired with a rosy pink lipstick and a smoky eye that truly elevated the look.

2005: Brown Barrel Curls

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The Fever Pitch star loves a good curl and this look she wore for a VIP screening of the 2005 film is proof. The barrel curls offer movement and a playful bounce that match the vibe of a rom com like this one.

2006: Side Swept Bang

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Other than experimenting with hair colors, Drew also enjoys rocking a fringe every now and then. At the Curious George premiere, she added some volume to her brown locks and a side swept bang that brought the look together.

2006: Low Pony

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While Drew usually wears her hair down most of the time, she went with a sleek low ponytail and minimal makeup for a Sony Gala dinner in 2006, which brought all the attention to her stunning black gown.

2007: Braided Updo

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Whenever Drew is on the red carpet, you can expect her to serve a solid look—like this royal-inspired braided updo. Add some nude lips, shimmery eyeshadow and heart-shaped diamond earrings and she’s the belle of the ball.

2007: Sleek and Straight

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We love a curly-haired Drew, but there’s something about this sleek look that we’re head over heels for. She showed off these smooth golden tresses at the Rodeo Drive Walk Awards.

2009: Old Hollywood

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The movie star channeled her inner Marilyn Monroe and sported a voluminous bob to the 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards.

2009: Director 'Do

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In 2009, Drew made her directorial debut and starred in Whip It. She rocked a blonde lob with bold black tips for an edgy finish that paid homage to her badass character in the flick.

2009: Brush Back Babe

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For the LA premiere of Whip It, the director kept her short cut relaxed, tousled and brushed back.

2010: Golden Glam

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Drew won the award for "Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series" at the 67th Annual Golden Globes for her performance in Grey Gardens, but in our eyes, she was also a true winner on the red carpet with this low bun style that complemented her sequin gown.

2010: Beehive Beauty

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The winning streak wasn’t over as she took home “Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor” at Screen Actors Guild Awards—along with a voluminous beehive that needs an award itself.

2011: Auburn

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By 2011, Drew was looking to spice things up with a new hair color. We love how she balanced out her new deep red shade with nude makeup for the Natural Resources Defense Council’s Ocean Initiative Benefit.

2012: Ombré

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This is right around the time when we started to see the Big Miracle star's favorite style emerge: ombré. At the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, she sported dark brown roots and blonde tips that blended seamlessly into her curled locks.

2013: Honey Blonde

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As time went on, Drew returned to her natural hair color and added a bit of shine to her loose curls for the LACMA 2013 Art + Film Gala.

2014: Side Part Style

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At the 71st Annual Golden Globe, the movie star proved a side part looks ultra glamorous on the red carpet.

2015: Fishtail Fun

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At the European premiere for her rom-com Miss You Already, Drew showed off a voluminous braid that paired nicely with her minimal makeup and statement drop earrings.

2015: Blowout Babe

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Her signature ombré looks even better with voluminous waves that cascade just below her shoulders.

2017: Santa Clarita Diet

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In 2017, Barrymore became our favorite TV zombie. On the red carpet, her hair spoke volumes. At the Santa Clarita Diet photocall, the star showed off her new hair color and sleek locks.

2017: Half Up Half Down

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As we noted, Drew rarely keeps her hair down. However, the half-up, half-down style she wore to the Los Angeles premiere of her Netflix series gave us the best of both worlds.

2019: Beach Blonde Returns

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The Netflix star has gone through many iterations of blonde, but this ultra-light shade seems to be her favorite. Just take a peek at this red carpet look in New York City.

2021: Talk Show Tresses

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In 2020, Drew launched her daytime talk show and sported a brunette ‘do that definitely had us tuning in daily.

2022: Beautiful Brunette

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The talk show host has made dark brown her staple hair color over the last few years and we’re not mad about it.

2023: Time100

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Earlier this year, Drew sported her lengthy brunette mane on the red carpet of the Time100 Gala (ya know, where she was named one of the most influential people in the world).

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