Mel’s hair may look luscious on Virgin River, but according to actress Alexandra Breckenridge, it’s a constant battle on set of the popular Netflix series.
'Virgin River' Star Alexandra Breckenridge Reveals the Secret Behind Mel's Strawberry Blonde Hair
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Published Sep 14, 2022
Courtesy of Netflix
The This Is Us alum, 40, sat down for a recent interview with New Beauty and shared the secret behind Mel’s gorgeous blonde hair on Virgin River: endless maintenance.
“When we first did the haircut, I had blonde hair with dark roots. I saw the character as strawberry blond, with this long, flowing hair—like Amy Adams in Sharp Objects,” she said. “That’s what we were going for originally, but I don’t have that kind of hair, so it’s hard to maintain it.”
Courtesy of Netflix
Breckenridge explained that Mel’s hair requires constant attention, adding, “Typically, I get hair extensions, and we keep doing the color over the season to get the right tone. It’s not easy. Sometimes, it just looks different even after post-production—the contrast is different, the root color can look heavy and dark. We’ve been working hard to dial that in as we get along. It’s funny how hair changes ever so slightly every now and then.”
She also listed her go-to hair products: “I used Oribe products for styling, and we use L’Oreal for my color. We use L’Oreal Professional between 9 and 9.3, which is strawberry blonde for my hair.”
Courtesy of Netflix
Breckenridge admitted that the main difference between Mel and Sophie (her This Is Us character) is their hair. “It sounds so minor, but I think it really does help get me into character,” she said. “I had blonde hair over the break when I went to do This Is Us, so we had to change me back, and it felt like such a big transformation.”
Breckenridge continued, “I was like, ‘Oh, yes. This is Mel. I’m officially back into character from Sophie to Mel.’ They’re both kind of similar characters, but they definitely have their differences. I think that the hair and the wardrobe help get all that across.”
