Dakota Johnson Is Almost Unrecognizable With Her Natural Hair Color

Since Dakota Johnson took the world by storm in the "Fifty Shades of Grey" franchise, she has established herself as not only a talented actor but also a raven-haired fashionista. Known for her signature dark-brown tresses and eyebrow-grazing bangs, Dakota wins style points for her hair and beauty moves, as well as her red-carpet 'fits. So, it probably comes as a shock to hear that her natural hair is actually blond. Early photos from Dakota's life show her with dark-blond locks, which gradually became darker as she grew older and more famous. 

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Though it probably comes as a surprise, the truth is Dakota has never tried to hide her natural hair color. She actually grew up in the spotlight as the daughter of actors Melanie Griffiths and Don Johnson, and then during the early days of her career, she explored various blond shades. It wasn't until 2014, when she morphed into Anastasia Steele for the "Fifty Shades of Grey" movies, that she changed course and embraced brunette locks. "I did Dakota's hair for a Gucci event in LA last year," recalled hairstylist Mark Townsend in a 2015 interview with W Magazine. "She had just found out she was cast in Fifty Shades of Grey a few days before — at this point she had no bangs and her hair was blond — and I've been doing her hair for all her major events since then." Townsend added that Dakota, who has naturally straight hair, now shapes her look around a "signature fringe" and a deep-chocolate tone, though she occasionally switches it up. Dakota Johnson's inappropriate talk-show outfit may haunt her, but she definitely isn't embarrassed about her early experimentation with blond hair.

Despite Dakota Johnson openly rocking her naturally dark-blond hair when she was a child, gracing the spotlight with her famous parents, fans have mostly forgotten those early years. And we can't blame them: Since 2014, Dakota Johnson has repeatedly opted for brown hair, occasionally experimenting with lengths and highlights but never really straying from her new go-to color. The only time she's ever reverted fully to blond was for the film "Daddio" in 2023, in which she wore a blond bob that threw fans for a spin. But following the film, the actor quickly reverted back to brown. 

Throwback photos from the noughties show that Johnson's natural blond is much darker than the bright color she sported for the 2023 film. Mousier at the roots, it hovers somewhere along the boundary between brown and blond, a far cry both from the dark mane she wears as Anastasia Steele but also the blond she used to have when she first started acting. Notably, in 2010's "The Social Network," which was one of her first films, she had dirty-blond hair with dark roots, keeping the same energy for "21 Jump Street" two years later. While she does suit fair tresses, it's easy to see why she made the change — the contrast of her darker hair, blue eyes, and pale-white skin creates a signature look that stands out in Hollywood.

Dakota Johnson may be one of the celebs who are nearly unrecognizable with their natural hair color, but there are plenty of others who are just as surprising: In particular, Billie Eilish's natural hair color is so different from her signature look.