15 Most Famous Real Redhead Actresses

Media

Published: March 12, 2024 11:30 am

Statistically, redheads only make up 1-2% of the global population. It’s safe to say that a redhead is quite rare, at least the natural ones! There are plenty of redheads in Hollywood, but identifying which ones are natural and which have been dying their hair for a role isn’t the easiest. Today, we’ve compiled a list of the most famous natural redhead actresses and detailed a little bit about them. You may be surprised who isn’t on the list (blonde actresses love to be sneaky). Let’s get started.

To compile this list, 24/7 Wall Street put together a list of well-known redheaded actresses, then cross-referenced the actress with any online resources where they talk about whether their hair is natural or not. This significantly cuts down the total number of actresses who are natural redheads, with many well-known actresses famous for their red hair not making the list. Additionally, the list goes from least famous to most famous (although there is a little subjectivity involved there).

15. Marcia Cross

Vetements : Backstage - Paris Fashion Week - Womenswear Fall/Winter 2024-2025 — Marcia Cross is most known for her role in Desperate Housewives but has had many other roles besides.

Marcia Cross is an American actress who is known for her soap opera performances, including The Edge of Night, Another World, and One Life to Live. Cross really hit it big, however, when she took on the role of Bree Van de Kamp on Desperate Housewives, earning the actress three Golden Globe nominations and a Primetime Emmy. She is also a recurring character in Quantico.

14. Carol Burnett

Carol Burnett is one of the most influential women in film and television of the past 100 years.

Carol Burnett is an American actress well-known for her comedy-variety show, The Carol Burnett Show that aired in 1967 for around eleven years. It was the first show to ever be hosted by a woman, cementing her as a pop figure in Hollywood forever. She has seven Emmy Awards, a Tony, a Grammy, and seven Golden Globes. Aside from her show, she was also featured in several movies and television shows plus has an award named after her, the Carol Burnett Award.

13. Holland Roden

Los Angeles Premiere Of Paramount+'s "Teen Wolf: The Movie" - Arrivals — After her breakout role in Teen Wolf, Roden has become a pop sensation.

Holland Rodenis is an American actress who primarily rose to prominence from her role in Teen Wolf. She also acted in the Syfy horror series, Channel Zero: Butchers Block, the Amazon Prime horror series Lore, and the horror film No Escape. Before acting, she studied for three and a half years in pre-med school and was on her way to becoming a cardiothoracic surgeon.

12. Natalya Rudakova

Nolcha Shows During New York Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2016- Backstage — Rudakova was accidentally found by a director while working as a hair stylist in New York.

Natalya Rudakova is an American actress and producer who was born in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Her story is quite unique, as she was accidentally discovered by the director, Luc Besson, while she was a hairdresser at a salon. He gave Rudakova acting lessons, ultimately casting her in a lead role in Transporter 3.

11. Alicia Witt

The Art Of Elysium's 25th Anniversary HEAVEN Gala - Arrivals — Conversation around Witt has increased in light of the blockbuster Dune: Part Two cinematic release, as she was a prominent character in the 1984 adaptation.

Alicia Witt is an American actress who is famously known as a breakout child actress after David Lynch cast her in the 1984 interpretation of Dune. In the film, she played Alia, the sister of Paul Atrieides, and was only eight years old during filming. She was later cast by Lynch in Twin Peaks, and has since played roles in over 15 films and television shows

10. Madelaine Petsch

Swarovski Celebrates SKIMS Collaboration And Unveils NYC Flagship Store — Madelaine Petsch plays an iconic animated figure with red hair in the show Riverdale.

Madelaine Petsch is an American actress who is primarily known for her role in The CW television show, Riverdale. In the series, Petsch plays Cheryl Blossom, a character known for her bright red hair, making the casting choice perfect as Petsch didn’t have to change her hair for the role!

9. Isla Fisher

Isla Fisher is from Scotland, where the rates of red hair are significantly higher than anywhere else in the world.

Isla Fisher is an Australian actress, although she was originally born in Scotland. Her first prominent role was that of Shannon Reed on the television show Home and Away, although she has since become known for much more significant roles, including Mary Jane in Scooby-Doo, Wedding Crashers, The Great Gatsby, Now You See Me, Nocturnal Animals, and much more. She is also married to Sacha Baron Cohen.

8. Sadie Sink

FIJI Water At The 28th Annual Critics' Choice Awards — Sink is known for her role in Stranger Things and recently performed on a Taylor Swift music video, All Too Well.

Sadie Sink is an American actress who came to prominence from her Broadway roles as Annie in Annie and Elizabeth II in The Audience. Since then, the role she is now most known for is Max Mayfield in the Netflix series Stranger Things. She recently earned a Critics’ Choice Movie Award nomination for her role in The Whale.

7. Julianne Moore

Moore is one of the most famous red-haired actresses in film today.

Julianne Moore is an American actress who has been in hit movies and television shows since the early 90s, famously portraying emotionally troubled women. She earned a Daytime Emmy from her role in the soap opera As the World Turn, eventually playing roles in The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Boogie Nights, the End of the Affair, Far from Heaven, The Hours, The Big Lebowski, Crazy, Stupid, Love, and many more. Moore has earned multiple nominations for the Acadamy Awards, Golden Globes, and SAG, winning at least one award for each of them.

6. Bryce Dallas Howard

2023 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Hosted By Radhika Jones - Arrivals — Bryce Dallas Howard is the daughter of Ron Howard, an award-winning director, although as an actress she is more well-known than her father.

Bryce Dallas Howard is an American actress who rose to fame after being noticed by director M. Night Shyamalan, who cast her in the film The Village. She has since played roles in major blockbuster hits, including Spider-Man 3, Terminator Salvation, Twilight, The Help, Jurassic World, and many more.

5. Jessica Chastain

Few actresses are as well-known for their red hair as Jessica Chastain.

Jessica Chastain is an award-winning American actress who starred in multiple breakout roles in 2011, including Take Shelter, The Tree of Life, and most notably, The Help. She has since reached commercial success with films like Interstellar, The Martian, and It: Chapter Two.

4. Kate Mara

Los Angeles Special Screening And Q&A Of "The Smell Of Money" — Kate Mara changes her hair color for many of her films, but is a natural redhead most of the time.

Kate Mara is an American actress who is maybe most well known for playing Zoe Barnes in the television show House of Cards. Besides her role in the show, she has also played major roles in movies like Brokeback Mountain, We Are Marshall, Shooter, Transsiberian, The Martian, Fantastic Four, and more.

3. Lindsay Lohan

Lindsay Lohan Celebrates Her Birthday At Wet Republic At MGM Grand — Lindsay Lohan is maybe the most famous redheaded child star of all time.

Lindsay Lohan is an American actress who started her career as a child actress and starred in the film The Parent Trap. Lohan is well-known for her red hair, which is likely part of her Irish heritage. She went through a period of struggle for a few years and was in and out of rehab facilities, but has recently landed a multi-picture deal with Netflix and has already released one titled Falling for Christmas.

2. Reba McEntire

Reba is a triple threat: actress, country star, and redhead. Watch out.

Reba McEntire, oftentimes just shortened to Reba, is an American actress and country singer. She was the star of the self-titled television series, Reba, although she is more famous as a country singer, often being dubbed “the Queen of Country.” She’s won a Grammy and has created some of the most popular television shows and albums around.

1. Nicole Kidman

Prime Video's "Expats" New York Premiere — Nicole Kidman isn’t just a famous redhead; she’s one of the most famous actresses in the world!

Nicole Kidman is an American-Australian actress and among the most famous women alive today. She is regarded as one of the highest-paid actresses in the world and has won an Academy Award, a BAFTA, two Emmys, and six Golden Globes. She started rising to prominence during her roles in films like Far and Away, Eyes Wide Shut, and Cold Mountain. She would later move to larger roles, including Moulin Rouge!, Paddington, Aquaman, The Killing of the Sacred Deer, and more. She’s also been a prominent television star, with many roles in shows and an award-winning one in Big Little Lies. Also, who can forget her stunning performances 15 minutes before every AMC movie for the past few years?