The Gorgeous Evolution Of Bernadette Peters' Curls

Bernadette Peters is an actor, singer, and author with a long and flourishing career. Most notably, Peters has received acclaim for her work on Broadway with three Tony awards under her belt. What really deserves its own Broadway show, however, is the evolution of the star's iconic curls. After all, we've seen so many different sides to them over her decades-long career that it certainly feels like the time to give them their own spotlight.

Many automatically associate big, bouncy curls with Peters by default, but you might be surprised to learn that Peters once felt like her hair held her back early on in her career. Needless to say, the actor eventually pushed through that phase, and once her natural texture came out to play there was no going back. She embraced her now iconic red, bouncy ringlets and we couldn't be more grateful that she did. Below, take a look at the actor's epic curl evolution in photos over the years.

It's hard to imagine a time where Bernadette Peters didn't rock her iconic ringlets. But, according to an interview the actor did with TV Guide, there was a time when she wanted straighter hair to fit the beauty standard of the '60s. "You know, Twiggy was the look then, and I was not cuttin' it," she said. "I was wearing all those falls to try to make my hair look long and straight." In this photo taken in 1960, Peters appears to have been one of the celebs who rarely let their natural curly hair out to play.

By the late 1970s, Bernadette Peters was ready to embrace her natural curls. This portrait of the star taken in 1979 shows the bigger, bolder curls we're used to seeing from Peters. In a 1981 interview with the Boston Globe she talked about this shift. "I said: 'This is what I am and this is it,'" she shared. "See, I didn't care by then. I wasn't getting work the other way so I decided to be myself ... there's only one of you in the world" (via Bernadette-Peters.com).

By the '80s, Bernadette Peters was done trying to conform to Hollywood's typical beauty standards. Instead, she decided to be bold. She wore a half-up half-down voluminous style (an '80s hair trend you can still wear today) to the 1987 Academy Awards that fully showed off her natural texture. This type of hairstyle was popular back then, and Peters really used the opportunity to make it work for her already gorgeous locks.

This photo of Bernadette Peters, taken in 1995, shows the emergence of the curls we've come to know and love from her. Not only are they noticeably tighter and more defined, she's also rocking her fiery red hair color here. At this stage, her curls looked a lot healthier and bouncier after her hair-straightening era came to a close. This vibrant red hue also works beautifully for her curls and gives her such a unique look.

By the mid 2000s, Bernadette Peters' curls became less sculpted and polished, but in the best way possible. At Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre in 2010, the actor opted for a softer, looser look that felt more natural than the crisp definition she rocked in the '90s. She once told The Guardian that she swore by a few key products, like a leave-in conditioner and a curling iron, to give her hair extra hydration and a naturally-tousled look.

While Bernadette Peters usually keeps her curls long, there was a time in 2016 when the actor chopped a few inches off her hair and it looked stunning. It can be tough sometimes to find cuts that will complement super curly hair, but Peters' shoulder-length one is perfect here, especially for thicker textures. It adds a bit of volume without being too short. She also completed this shorter chop with a flattering side part that frames her face so well.

Bernadette Peters was spotted at the 2026 Tony Awards wearing a curly hairstyle reminiscent of her '90s era. Here, she's wearing her hair up for the occasion, but her curls are ultra-defined and springy once again. Seeing Peters rock everything from looser, natural curls to ringlets and a shorter cut proves she can pull off any curly style with ease. She's versatile in her career, but even more versatile when it comes to her hair — the mark of a true chameleon.