Drew Barrymore's Stunning Hair Transformation, In Photos

We don't fault anyone who finds a hairstyle that works for them and rides it 'til the wheels fall off. If it ain't broke ... you know the rest. But Drew Barrymore is one celeb who's never been afraid to switch up her look, particularly her hairdos. Since we first met her back in the early '80s as a darling 6-year-old in the classic Spielberg flick "E.T.," Barrymore's hair has been one of our favorite mile markers, transporting us era through era. 

Among other high points, we're still thinking about her natural undone waves in the late '80s, that cheeky blond bob in the '90s, and the time she went red in the 2000s. Of the child stars who grew up to be gorgeous, Barrymore is one of the most beloved, and she doesn't seem to be letting up anytime soon. Her talk show, "The Drew Barrymore Show," has been going strong since 2020, and the star is still stunning on the red carpet and beyond — head to toe.

We all know the Hollywood tales of child actors plucked from obscurity, but that's not Drew Barrymore's origin story. She was born into an entertainment royal family of sorts, which included 19th-century Broadway stage performers and Old Hollywood screen actors. In the early '80s, a young Barrymore bounced around glitzy events rocking an adorable mullet-like shag with short, face-framing front pieces that grew longer in back. It's such a sweet little kid look, and in the photo on the left, from November 1980, it even looks like she maybe cut those micro bangs herself. Childhood rite of passage, amirite? 

By the time the late '80s rolled around, Drew Barrymore was a teenager sporting collarbone-length hair in a natural shade of chestnut brown, styled in loose waves. The snap on the left is from the Children's AIDS Foundation Benefit in June 1989, and we're obsessed with the side toss. Earlier that year, in March, Barrymore attended the Academy Awards with a half-up, half-down hairstyle. She had that timeless thing down, because easy, barely-done waves like these are definitely among the '80s hairstyles that celebs are still rocking today.

Who could forget Drew Barrymore's cheeky little blond bob from the early '90s? The iconic hairstyle is firmly on the list of Glam's favorite celebrity hair moments from the '90s. In the left photo, Barrymore was at an art exhibit in Hollywood in October 1991 rocking the chopped look styled with a soft blowout. By October 1992, when she hit the red carpet for the premiere of "Reservoir Dogs," the actor's hair was blonder, more piece-y, and so deliciously punk-rock.

In the late '90s, Drew Barrymore had absolutely nailed the angry girl pop-rock aesthetic with her choice of hairstyles. In the left photo, while at the New York City premiere of "The Wedding Singer" in February 1998, Barrymore showcased a chin-length bob with upturned ends and baby bangs. The fringe made another appearance in March 1998 at the Academy Awards in Los Angeles, but that time, she styled her hair in tight, girly curls and popped in a few daisy decorations. And we're so loving the merlot-colored lips and the thin brows in both pics. Swoon. 

In 2003, Drew Barrymore — along with castmates Cameron Diaz and Lucy Liu — was on a mega press tour for "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle," and, for her part, Barrymore rocked long blond beach waves for much of it. The shot on the left was snapped when she hit the red carpet for the New York City premiere in June. Earlier that same month, in the photo on the right, we see her at the Los Angeles premiere. In both, her hair is super sexy in a carefree, early 2000s way. We're so here for the air-dried texture and the multidimensional tone that looks sun-kissed instead of salon-primped.

By the time we got into the late 2000s, Drew Barrymore had returned to her auburn roots, rocking a red-brown hue that's definitely one of her signature hair colors. In February 2007, Barrymore attended a benefit in New York City sporting mid-length hair styled with a middle part and voluminous, bouncy curls. Later that year, in May, photogs caught her headed into the "Late Show with David Letterman" in New York City showing off her fiery tresses in dreamy waves.

Drew Barrymore's hair had a little bit of everything going on in the early 2010s — in the best possible way. The actor's hair in her strawberry-blond color era had hints of gold, brown, and red, for a look that suited the actor's approachable energy. On the left, her pic was snapped while at the second annual Baby2Baby Gala in November 2013 and shows her rocking a silky-soft blowout. Her 'do was just as sleek and vibrant when she signed copies of her book, "Find It in Everything," in Los Angeles in January 2014. 

One of our favorite Drew Barrymore hair eras happened in the late 2010s, when the "50 First Dates" star seemed to be all about '70s-style soft shags. The saucy style — with messy layers that look like they need little more than a few finger fluffs — never fails to deliver. In the left pic, Barrymore attended a conversation with Vanity Fair's Mike Hogan in New York City in March 2018, rocking blond hair and piece-y strands. By November 2019, she had adopted a longer, ombre look for the Breakthrough Prize red carpet. 

In the 2020s, Drew Barrymore has been showcasing her red-tinged brunette locks with a mid-length cut that demonstrates how easy and relaxed can also be chic and sophisticated. On the left, Barrymore was in Austin, Texas, in 2023, interviewing drivers ahead of the F1 United States Grand Prix, rocking soft barrel curls. She wore a similar style and minimal makeup when she walked the red carpet at CBS Fest in Los Angeles in 2025.