You May Not Recognize Sarah Pidgeon Before Her Love Story Hair Transformation

If you watched the TV series "The Wilds" or the 2025 remake of "I Know What You Did Last Summer," then seeing Sarah Pidgeon with dark tresses wouldn't be jarring. But for fans who have only been introduced to the Detroit native via her role as Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy in "Love Story," seeing her as a brunette may cause you to do a double take. Pidgeon is among the celebs who are nearly unrecognizable with their natural hair color. Pidgeon's a natural dark brunette, and to help the casting team get a better idea of how well she could fit the role, her team photoshopped her hair from brown to blonde. Clearly the tech wizardry worked, as Pidgeon was awarded the (up to this point) career-defining role. Interestingly, Pidgeon's hair switch-up mimicked her character's real-life hair trajectory as well.

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Bessette-Kennedy's natural hair color was a medium brown, but she lightened it to her signature blond as her relationship with John F. Kennedy Jr. progressed. Her colorist from the 1990s, Brad Johns, revealed to Vogue that his client wanted to change her hair back to dark right before her wedding to JFK Jr. Although there are pros and cons to reverting back to your natural hair color, in this instance, Bessette-Kennedy's colorist insisted she stick with the blond, and he won the debate. For the colorists behind Pidgeon's hair, it mercifully meant one less transformation required.

For "Love Story" fans, the story of how badly the initial team captured Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy's look has practically become lore. In case you missed the drama, Ryan Murphy's production company released an early image from the New York-based set, showing Sarah Pidgeon as Bessette-Kennedy walking down some steps. There was an uproar because the hair (well, wig really) looked completely off. 

Bessette-Kennedy's long blonde locks were a signature element to her look; to get them wrong would be a crime against fashion and beauty history. Looking at pics of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy that showcase her simple yet chic beauty looks, we know that nailing her hair and makeup were critical to capturing the essence of the icon. A new team of pros was quickly called in to fix the issue, with Pidgeon's resulting look a much more accurate portrayal of CBK's signature tresses. 

In the process, Pidgeon seems to have acquired a new look that suits her well, but time will tell if she stays with her Carolyn blond or adds another chapter to her transformation story.