The Complete Transformation Of Beth Behrs

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It's no secret that men dominated the world of comedy for a long time, but things are slowly changing. Stars like Tina Fey and Amy Poehler have opened doors for many, and a new generation of female comedy stars is continuing to pave the way for women in this field. One of the brightest is Beth Behrs, who isn't just a comedy actor but also a well-rounded star. Still, sitcoms are her bread and butter, and we love her for it.

"Laughter is one of the most universal things that brings people together, maybe music as well," Behrs told CBS in 2020. "With laughter in particular, there's a release that happens and a lot of times laughter comes out of a release of tragedy. 2 Broke Girls and The Neighborhood dealt with some issues that could be controversial in society that could break people apart, but the laughter brings them together." Behrs has come a long way since she broke into entertainment in the late 2000s — both personally and career-wise — and today, we're taking a closer look at her transformation in the spotlight.

Before Beth Behrs had her big breakthrough with "2 Broke Girls," she was an up-and-coming actor who knew just what she wanted her career to be, and in a 2020 interview with Rose & Ivy, she revealed that Julie Andrews was a major role model of hers. "My parents told me because I don't remember, but when I was three or four years old, I was acting out the part of the movie, on the stairs, when the kids sang So Long Farewell," Behrs admitted, referring to Andrews' adaptation of "The Sound of Music." She added, "When I was four or five, my parents let me audition for community theater and they were like this kid is weird, she is acting out."

When Behrs arrived in Hollywood in her early 20s, her style was simple and girl-next-door-like. Naturally, this had a lot to do with her upbringing. "I grew up in small town Virginia," she told Authority Magazine in 2019. "Growing up I spent time running through the woods and snuggling with my dogs. I loved where I grew up. I loved being out in nature 24/7 and my house my parents built from scratch." While Behrs didn't seem to be a fashion enthusiast just yet, Hollywood's bold world of glamour would soon change that.

In 2011, Beth Behrs landed the role of Caroline Channing on the sitcom "2 Broke Girls," and just like that, her life changed. During a 2021 interview on "The Drew Barrymore Show," she revealed that the show's title was very relevant to her real life at the time. "I was a broke girl," Behrs admitted. "Seven days a week, I was working full-time. ... I didn't even own a pair of high heels. I went to my audition for Caroline Channing in cowboy boots," she said, adding, "I had no money because I was a real broke girl. I went to Nordstrom and kept all of the tags on my clothes and the label on the Steve Madden heels that I got."

Her breakthrough role brought her fame, but Behrs' fashion choices still had a long way to go. The actor experimented with popular trends of the time; however, when looking back at some of her fashion moments of the early 2010s, it becomes clear that her fashion didn't age well. One look Behrs isn't too fond of anymore is the pink dress and voluminous updo she wore to a 2012 Golden Globes after-party. "A poufy, pink, one-shouldered dress and big Frankenstein hair that I wore to a party a couple of years ago," she listed when describing her worst looks (via Oprah.com). "I knew when I was leaving the house that it wasn't right, but it was too late to change. It was like prom in the '80s," she added. Luckily, these particular choices aren't among the 2010s fashion trends that are already making a comeback.

By 2014, Beth Behrs realized that fashion can be fun and look good, and her red-carpet choices became a lot more daring and quirky. Sparkly dresses and layered materials added fun elements to her looks, though she kept her hair and makeup classic and sophisticated. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter that year, Behrs noted that though her style had evolved in recent years, her favorite basics remained her staples. "I grew up in Virginia and NorCal — style is much different than L.A. and New York there — so like jeans, a very hip vintage shirt and boots," she said. "It was kind of the same thing I'm into now, actually, but much less done up."

The actor also shared that cowboy boots were her guilty pleasure. "I got my first pair of cowboy boots from Lady Antebellum," she said, revealing that she got a pair after starring in the country group's music video for "Downtown." Since then, her collection has expanded. "I have like four pairs, which isn't horrible. And I went to a vintage store and got some white funky ones. I have all sorts of funky ones, so maybe I have close to five or six," she explained. More than a decade later, the country-Western aesthetic is the fashion gift that keeps on giving, and Behrs has likely added a few more pieces to her collection since 2014. During this time, Behrs also opened up about her fashion inspirations, naming Audrey Hepburn, Avril Lavigne, and Gwen Stefani as women who had influenced her style — and, really, this wasn't hard to see.

By the mid-2010s, it was clear that "2 Broke Girls" was going down in sitcom history thanks to its platforming of two powerful lead women characters. Both Beth Behrs and Kat Dennings became a significant part of a new generation of female comedy stars, and with that, they helped reshape the industry, proving that a female-centered comedy show could have immense success.

Behrs' style kept evolving, too, and in 2015, the actor was particularly fond of wearing pants and fun blouses to industry events. The star also became more open about her private life, sharing with People how happy her then-boyfriend, "Mad Men" actor Michael Gladis, makes her. "We cook together. He actually has taught me about cooking. When we met I didn't know where kale was in the grocery store," she admitted. "There's this Indian-inspired chicken saagwala, but we do the healthy version. We use nonfat Greek yogurt instead of cream. And spinach. And we have a very nice bottle of Italian wine." As time passed, Behrs did more interviews and grew more active on social media, letting fans into her everyday life and letting them into her style and relationship like never before.

The year 2016 was a big one for Beth Behrs' personal life, as the actor got engaged to Michael Gladis. Speaking to our sister site The List in 2023, Behrs revealed that the two met at a "Mad Men" party. "This was before ... I think maybe 'Mad Men' had only aired one episode," she said. "I had seen the pilot or something, but ... I met him, yeah, through friends and have been with him ever since." The star also said that the proposal happened in the Big Apple. "We got engaged, yeah, in New York. It was awesome, because I was there doing a play for the whole summer and Michael knew how much we both love New York City," she gushed. "It's such a big part of our relationship as well. We spend a lot of time in New York, so it was very romantic."

Then in her early 30s, Behrs' confidence was evident in her fashion choices. Her favorites at the time seemed to include clothing pieces with mesh or lace, and even years later, her looks from this era are still trendy, especially as these see-through materials have become more popular. In fact, if you want to explore them, we've got you: Learn the right type of bra to wear with a trendy mesh top to help you take the piece from drab to fab.

"2 Broke Girls" got cancelled in 2017 after six seasons, and in her interview with The List, Behrs admitted that the decision came as a shock to her — and that she knew her life would drastically change. "I mean, it was really sad. We were shocked, obviously, everyone was. Because you saw the season finale was not a series finale ... and for Kat [Dennings] and I, it was pretty much our whole 20s and changed both of our lives in such a beautiful way," she said, adding that not having a proper goodbye on set was hard. "There was something about not getting to thank the crew and say goodbye to those people who were with you during one of the most important times of your life ... I wished we had had that way of... saying goodbye to the characters, being able to see what happened to Max and Caroline."

After the show's ending, Behrs began exploring new career opportunities, and in 2017, she released the self-help book "The Total ME-Tox: How to Ditch Your Diet, Move Your Body & Love Your Life." Furthermore, fashion became an even more authentic part of Behrs' life, and it was clear in the outfits she wore. The actor, who once seemed lost in her clothing choices, confidently strutted red carpets in pieces not everyone could pull off. One of her favorite trends for 2017 seemed to be midi and maxi dresses, as she sported them frequently when attending industry events.

In 2018, Beth Behrs began playing Gemma Johnson on the sitcom "The Neighborhood," a show that quickly reestablished the actor as a television staple. Privately, 2018 was also a very important year for the star, who got married to Michael Gladis at a bee-themed wedding ceremony at Moose Creek Ranch in Victor, Idaho. As both actors were also beekeepers, this theme was perfect for them, and we have no doubt that the wedding became a beautiful memory for everyone who attended. Some wedding color schemes and themes naturally stand the test of time, but we love to see celebrities explore more original ideas.

When it comes to Behrs' fashion choices in 2018, the star was all about the power of a pantsuit. However, because the star was confident and bold with her fashion, her pantsuits were everything but classic and boring. Rich, striking colors, as well as delicate patterns and textures, helped elevate the silhouettes, and Behrs often paired them with an intricate top or blouse underneath, proving that fashion is often about mixing and matching pieces one wouldn't necessarily pair.

Like everyone else, Beth Behrs had to slow down as the COVID-19 pandemic put almost every aspect of her life on hold, and it was during the lockdown that the actor fell in love with gardening. "So for like five or six years, I have had this dream of starting a flower garden but you know it takes time and research and I always thought I was a brown thumb and killed everything I owed," she revealed to Rose & Ivy in 2020. "On the second day of quarantine, I got one pot of flowers and now it has exploded on my deck. Gardening became my spiritual practice and meditation because it was bringing me so much calm and joy during this time." Embracing gardening as a mindfulness exercise can potentially have mental health benefits, so it definitely gets our stamp of approval.

Outside of kicking off her passion project, Behrs revealed that she likes to explore a variety of hobbies and interests, as that's how she prevents life from getting boring and predictable. One of her favorite ways to explore new worlds is by reading. "I read all of the time, I like non-fiction, but right now before bed, I am re-reading The Secret Garden," she explained to Rose & Ivy. "I also stay curious by pursuing interests. I think as an actor, it's really important to have outside interests and being a connoisseur of everything in the world, in order to be the best artist you can be, so staying curious is part of my job."

As the world slowly returned to normal, Beth Behrs decided to prove once and for all that her fashion sense isn't to be messed with. The star has come such a long way since her red-carpet beginnings, and in 2021, she solidified her spot as a red-carpet pro in a beautiful baby-pink gown, which she wore to the 2021 Emmy Awards. The beautiful Georges Hobeika gown and its floor-length sheer sleeves ensured all eyes were on Behrs, who added a clutch by Edie Parker and heels by Tamara Mellon to the look. While the Emmys has certainly had its fair share of inappropriate outfits over the years, Behrs' stunning pink number shows how glamorous red-carpet fashion should be done.

Privately, 2022 was another happy year, as her daughter with Michael Gladis was born. "Welcome to the world, Emma George Gladis. Our hearts are so full. We are overjoyed," the star shared on Instagram alongside an image of the family's hands.

Perimenopause is still a term many aren't familiar with — folks don't tend to understand what they should know about perimenopause because it's kept so hush-hush, as many women-centered topics are. As such, folks across the globe were thankful to Beth Behrs when she opened up about her experience. "I'm about to be 39, and I'm in perimenopause," she told Glamour in 2024. "It's been a three-year journey trying to figure out what was going on with me and not getting answers," the actor said. "But nobody's first thought is perimenopause when you're this young. I was always told, 'You're fine.' Or, specifically from male doctors, 'You're too young for perimenopause.' Now I know that, no, your late 30s is not 'too young.'"

Speaking openly about this has undeniably helped many familiarize themselves with perimenopause — and potentially even go to a doctor if they notice symptoms. "I started waking up in the middle of the night with what I thought were fevers, but it felt different from a typical fever," Behrs explained. "It almost felt like I had a sunburn going up my whole body. And it wasn't sweaty. ... But it was affecting my sleep, and I was getting really bad insomnia, along with really heavy periods and heavy fatigue." She might have been dealing with perimenopause symptoms on the regular, but Behrs' public appearances certainly didn't show it. The actor always looked perfectly put together, and her fashion choices were chic and simple, showcasing a more refined fashion era for the sitcom star.

Now about to enter her 40s, Beth Behrs is proving that life simply gets better with age. Knowing yourself more plays a significant role in one's happiness, and Behrs definitely seems like she knows what she wants — and always goes for it. When we first got to know her, she was a 20-something-year-old who was trying to figure things out, and since then, her evolution has been remarkable in all spheres of life. Her style changes have gone from girl-next-door fashion to classic Hollywood glamour, including sharply tailored suits and long, elegant dresses. 

However, just because she's perfected her style doesn't mean Behrs hasn't remained relatable. The actor's transparency in interviews and on social media is refreshing, and she's undeniably paving the way for young sitcom stars who now have another strong and funny woman to look up to. Behrs is proof that even as your career blossoms and your go-to outfits change, you can still be true to yourself and connect with others. Now, if you're in for some more evolutions, check out Jennifer Love Hewitt's complete transformation.

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