Why Zooey Deschanel’s Change in Hair Color has Everyone Talking

In the early 2000s, Zooey Deschanel briefly went blond and the transformation was pretty dramatic. Known for her role as Jess Day on “New Girl,” Zooey’s lighter locks completely changed up her look. If you compare her brown hair to her blond hair in side-by-side photos from 2001 and 2002, the difference is striking. In the 2001 photo, taken at a Sundance Film Festival party, Zooey sported a lob haircut with highlighted blond hair. Plus, she ditched her signature bangs and instead styled her hair in a middle part.

Fast forward to 2002 at the “Big Trouble” film premiere, and Zooey looked like a whole new person with her dark brown locks and bangs. Those blue eyes really stood out against the darker hair color, giving off some serious Snow White vibes. The brunette brought out a much bigger contrast in Zooey’s features compared to the blond hair, which is probably why she’s mostly stuck with the darker shade over the years.

While Zooey may have toyed with going blond again, like when she wore a blond wig for an appearance on the show “Physical,” she typically sticks to her brunette roots. She mentioned in a 2019 chat with StyleCaster that she had to dye her hair blond for a screen test before landing the role in “Elf.” Despite the temporary change, Zooey is back to her dark brown hair, which she joked about in a 2024 Instagram post, asking fellow brunettes if they also had a blond phase.

So whether or not Zooey Deschanel decides to shake things up with her hair color in the future, it looks like she’s happy sticking with her signature brunette look for now.