Zooey Deschanel's Bottle-Blond Transformation For Elf Ruined Her Natural Hair

Zooey Deschanel has a long list of acting credits to her name, but "Elf" has got to be one of her most iconic. Deschanel is known for her vintage brunette hair, a winter 2024 color trend we're still appreciating, so her blond tresses in the film made her almost unrecognizable. Still, there was a reason for the changeup. During an interview on Alex Cooper's "Call Her Daddy" podcast, which was released on Wednesday, December 17, the "New Girl" star revealed that she had dyed her hair blond for a screen test to play a pop star and ended up keeping the color when she landed "Elf at the request of its filmmakers. 

Unfortunately, the constant maintenance required to go blond caused hair breakage and damage. After telling Cooper that she would never go that light again, Deschanel stated, "I would wear a wig, because [dyeing is] not great for your hair ... My hair is like really stiff in the movie because it was ... bleached, and then it was highlighted." There was also an issue with her "Elf" extensions, with Deschanel adding that some of her hair was "ripped" from her head once they were removed.

Deschanel can beautifully rock both blond and brunette looks, but she clearly prefers the latter. While looking back at her early-2000s hair for Allure in December 2012, she shared, "I would literally wake up and see blonde hair in front of my face and I'd be like, 'Who am I?!' When I got my hair back to brown, I remember my sister going, 'Thank God you're back.' My sister would dye her hair, and it would fit her a lot more to be a blondie. It was just weird for me." Still, that wasn't the last time Deschanel went blond for a role, and we hope for her hair's sake that she wore a wig.

Zooey Deschanel is almost unrecognizable without bangs, but add a curly blond 'do to the mix and she's a completely different person. In November 2023, the She & Him singer shared an Instagram snap of her in character for the drama series "Physical," and she looked so different. Deschanel had her bangs swept to the side and styled in messy waves, while also sans her signature glasses. If she hadn't posted the picture herself, we wouldn't have known it was her. One Instagram user, jokingly or not, thought she was another famous face and replied, "What's Sarah Michelle Gellar got to do with this?" Another answered, "I thought it was her at first, too! The bangs make such a [crazy] difference."

While Deschanel has been rocking her natural color for some time, it seems she has thoughts about switching up her 'do. "To all my fellow natural brunettes: did you also have a blonde phase?? Is this universal???' she asked fans on Facebook in March 2024. One wrote, "Not naturally but I bought a blonde wig and loved it." That definitely sounds like a healthier option for Deschanel's hair.