Drew Barrymore's Hair Evolution—From Child Star to Talk Show Host

At just 7-years-old, Drew made her acting debut in ET: the Extra-Terrestrial. Her natural curls, complemented by her flower accessories, shined at the London premiere of the hit film.

Nothing says the ‘80s quite like this look. The pre-teen sported loose curls and wispy bangs for her new headshot. 

As Drew moved to her teen years, she showed off a short lob that grazed her shoulders along with a looser curl pattern and darker roots. 

By the ‘90s, Drew did a complete 180 with her look. She sported lighter locks and a deep side part and paired her new do with a bold lip and fluffy brows for the Longtime Companion premiere. 

The Poison Ivy star began experimenting with her hair and going shorter than ever before for the 50th Golden Globe Awards. Her wet bob featured textured layers, face-framing tendrils and a blonder base that gave off major rockstar vibes. 

The ‘90s star swapped her natural curls for a tighter pattern, which reminds us of the classic French style and truly accentuates her face shape. 

As she continued to rock shorter haircuts in the early ‘90s, Barrymore dabbled in new hair colors, too. At a red carpet event, she added contrasting blonde money pieces that were pinned back to bring more attention to her voluminous red bob. 

Speaking of new hair colors, the 21-year-old went from blonde to black the following year. With her bold red lipstick and razor thin brows, she showcased every signature 90s look all at once.

By the late ‘90s, Drew was ready to reinvent herself. During Premiere Magazine’s annual “Women in Hollywood” luncheon, the actress presented piecey layers and a wavy fringe that added shape and body to her hairstyle. 

Drew brought back floral accessories for the 70th Annual Academy Awards, proving you’re never too old to add some playfulness to your hairstyles. 

As the Never Been Kissed star was becoming a rom-com queen, she returned to her roots. At the Los Angeles premiere of the 1999 film, Barrymore rocked loose blonde curls and long tendrils that perfectly framed her face. 

A new year meant a new chapter for the actress. At the 6th annual Blockbuster Entertainment Awards, she sported a golden bronde color and soft cascading waves. 

As soon as we got used to her shoulder-length ‘do, Barrymore returned to wearing shorter styles the following year. We especially loved this sleek bob paired with her signature floral accessory because it was such a contrast to what she wore during the previous awards season. 

By this time, the Charlie’s Angels star started taking her layers up a notch. At the 14th Kids Choice Awards, Drew walked the red carpet with a flipped out layered bob and a side swept bang. While she won the award for Best Actress, she really won for best hairstyle of the night. 

The action star was ready to begin her brunette era—with a touch of blonde to brighten things up during the Confessions of a Dangerous Mind premiere in New York. 

No matter how many hair colors Drew tries, she never strays too far away from blonde. This time around, she grew out her hair to give off major beach vibes. 

Let’s face it, Drew can rock blonde and brunette hair. Exhibit A: This glamorous updo she wore to the 77th Annual Academy Awards, which she paired with a rosy pink lipstick and a smoky eye that truly elevated the look. 

The Fever Pitch star loves a good curl and this look she wore for a VIP screening of the 2005 film is proof. The barrel curls offer movement and a playful bounce that match the vibe of a rom com like this one. 

Other than experimenting with hair colors, Drew also enjoys rocking a fringe every now and then. At the Curious George premiere, she added some volume to her brown locks and a side swept bang that brought the look together.  

While Drew usually wears her hair down most of the time, she went with a sleek low ponytail and minimal makeup for a Sony Gala dinner in 2006, which brought all the attention to her stunning black gown. 

Whenever Drew is on the red carpet, you can expect her to serve a solid look—like this royal-inspired braided updo. Add some nude lips, shimmery eyeshadow and heart-shaped diamond earrings and she’s the belle of the ball.

We love a curly-haired Drew, but there’s something about this sleek look that we’re head over heels for. She showed off these smooth golden tresses at the Rodeo Drive Walk Awards. 

The movie star channeled her inner Marilyn Monroe and sported a voluminous bob to the 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards. 

In 2009, Drew made her directorial debut and starred in Whip It. She rocked a blonde lob with bold black tips for an edgy finish that paid homage to her badass character in the flick.  

For the LA premiere of Whip It, the director kept her short cut relaxed, tousled and brushed back. 

Drew won the award for "Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series" at the 67th Annual Golden Globes for her performance in Grey Gardens, but in our eyes, she was also a true winner on the red carpet with this low bun style that complemented her sequin gown. 

The winning streak wasn’t over as she took home “Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor” at Screen Actors Guild Awards—along with a voluminous beehive that needs an award itself. 

By 2011, Drew was looking to spice things up with a new hair color. We love how she balanced out her new deep red shade with nude makeup for the Natural Resources Defense Council’s Ocean Initiative Benefit. 

This is right around the time when we started to see the Big Miracle star's favorite style emerge: ombré. At the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, she sported dark brown roots and blonde tips that blended seamlessly into her curled locks. 

As time went on, Drew returned to her natural hair color and added a bit of shine to her loose curls for the LACMA 2013 Art + Film Gala.

At the 71st Annual Golden Globe, the movie star proved a side part looks ultra glamorous on the red carpet. 

At the European premiere for her rom-com Miss You Already, Drew showed off a voluminous braid that paired nicely with her minimal makeup and statement drop earrings. 

Her signature ombré looks even better with voluminous waves that cascade just below her shoulders. 

In 2017, Barrymore became our favorite TV zombie. On the red carpet, her hair spoke volumes. At the Santa Clarita Diet photocall, the star showed off her new hair color and sleek locks. 

As we noted, Drew rarely keeps her hair down. However, the half-up, half-down style she wore to the Los Angeles premiere of her Netflix series gave us the best of both worlds.

The Netflix star has gone through many iterations of blonde, but this ultra-light shade seems to be her favorite. Just take a peek at this red carpet look in New York City. 

In 2020, Drew launched her daytime talk show and sported a brunette ‘do that definitely had us tuning in daily. 

The talk show host has made dark brown her staple hair color over the last few years and we’re not mad about it. 

Earlier this year, Drew sported her lengthy brunette mane on the red carpet of the Time100 Gala (ya know, where she was named one of the most influential people in the world).