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Soap Stars’ Most Startling Transformations, From a Young & Restless Leading Man Becoming a Silver Fox to a Bold & Beautiful Knockout Chopping Off Her Locks
Tuesday, November 10th, 2020
Only The Young and the Restless’ Eric Braeden (Victor) ditching his iconic ‘stache would be more surprising than these changes were.
Things are always changing on our soaps, right? Characters swap partners so fast, you’d swear they were taking part in a never-ending square dance. They switch jobs quicker than you can even find one in the real world. Sometimes they even trade shows. (Just ask Sally Spectra, who just crossed over from The Bold and the Beautiful to The Young and the Restless).
But if one thing is constant, it’s by and large the characters’ appearance. They grow, evolve… in some cases, devolve. But Days of Our Lives‘ Ben isn’t likely to deal with his grief over Ciara by growing out a mullet. Nor is there much of a — make that any — chance that General Hospital’s Robert is going to sprout a mustache, not even for Movember.
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So when a character — or their portrayer — does make a major change to their appearance, it’s a big deal. We’re all like, “Wait… what… whoa… wow.”
Take, for instance, the audience’s reaction to The Young and the Restless’ Christian Jules LeBlanc (Michael) revealing over the summer that he’d gone au naturel with his hair. “Can you look any sexier than you do now,” marveled hmitchell123. “The silver makes you look so hot.”
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Of course, there was a dissenting opinion or two; someone always has to quibble on the Internet. (And Michael’s mom, Gloria, had to put in her two cents!) But for the most part, LeBlanc’s new ‘do was regarded as a major hit. And his successful transformation from sly fox to silver one — OK, still sly, too — got us to thinking about other actors who’ve made us look twice by overhauling their looks. Wanna take a peek at the ones that we think have the biggest wow factor? Just click on the photo gallery below and feast your eyes.
Image: CBS screenshot, Howard Wise/JPI
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<p>The <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> actor went wild and woolly during Ridge’s time off the canvas in 2023. Apparently, the feds wouldn’t let him visit the barber while they were working together to take down Sheila.</p>
Image: ABC screenshot (2)
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<p>In August of 2022, the <em>General Hospital</em> ingenue traded Trina’s trademark braids for straightened hair that framed an expression that was at once lovely and concerned.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI, Howard Wise/JPI, Paul Skipper/JPI
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<p>Sometimes a new look can symbolize a fresh start — and heaven knows <em>Days of Our Lives</em> drama magnet Nicole has needed a few of those!</p>
Image: NBC/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, John Paschal/JPI
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<p>It would be wrong of us to admit that we kinda-sorta miss the mullet that the dimpled actor sported in the early years of his run as <em>Days of Our Lives</em>’ Justin, right? Glad we asked. We wouldn’t have wanted to accidentally type that out loud.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI, Howard Wise/JPI
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<p>You could probably date these images of the <em>General Hospital</em> star by the long and the short of her hairstyles as Elizabeth. But the one thing you <em>couldn’t</em> date? The actress herself. Her beauty, radiated as it is from within, is timeless.</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI (3)
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<p>Color us intrigued by the way the glamtastic chameleon who plays Paris on <em>The Bold and the Beautiful</em> always seems to have a different answer to the question of “Hue do you think you are?”</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI (2)
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<p>Plot twist! While <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> was all about Steffy’s shooting in the spring of 2022, Paris’ portrayer scored a direct hit with braided extensions that went on for so long, we couldn’t fit them in one photo!</p>
Image: CBS screenshot, Howard Wise/JPI
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<p>Well-played, <em>Bold & Beautiful</em>. In the fall of 2021, the show gave Hope sleek bangs, which — if they grew even a smidgen — the character could use as an excuse for not being able to see through dad Deacon and his latest round of How Much Trouble Can One Guy Make.</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI (2)
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<p>Whether <em>The Bold and the Beautiful</em> has Thomas sporting a goatee and longish hair or a baby face and close cut, shirts are optional. And thankfully, the character rarely exercises that option.</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI, CBS
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<p>When the fan favorite returned to <em>The Young and the Restless</em> after Hilary’s demise, she was given bangs to distinguish her old character from her new one, Amanda. But after a while, everybody kinda seemed to decide, “Eh, they’re twins; so what if they look exactly alike.”</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI, Jill Johnson/JPI
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<p>Aw, they grow up so fast. Just look at the well-coiffed leading man that <em>Bold & Beautiful</em>’s Liam grew into after he bid adieu to not only <em>General Hospital</em> but Dillon’s adorably untamed head of hair.</p>
Image: CBS screenshot, Howard Wise/JPI
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<p>In the fall of 2021, the Emmy winner generated a whole new kind of “buzz” with his close-cut new ’do.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI (2)
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<p><em>Days of Our Lives</em>’ Lani not only ushered into the world twins — who were, per Salem rules, immediately kidnapped — she reverted to the former look that unbraided her hair and framed her portrayer’s face in a beautifully soft way.</p>
Image: ABC screenshot (2)
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<p>When the Emmy winner who plays Sonny on <em>General Hospital</em> altered his appearance, it was for storyline reasons. Amnesia not only caused “Mike” to forget who he was, it stripped him of any interest in a close shave or Grecian Formula.</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI, Sean Smith/JPI
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<p>When a 2011<em> Young & Restless</em> storyline necessitated that Sharon go on the lam and hang out with a veterinarian, her blonde-bombshell portrayer went all in, dyeing her hair auburn and making like Dr. Dolittle.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI, Aaron Montgomery/JPI
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<p>Though the <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> dynamo hasn’t altered her image much in all the years that she’s played Steffy, she <em>has</em> lightened up and gone dark now and then — with her hair, that is. (As you can very well see.)</p>
Image: Sean Smith/JPI, John Paschal/JPI
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<p>There was also that brief period during which the Emmy winner chopped off her trademark long locks and convinced her hair to become the living embodiment of Ricky Martin’s hit, “She Bangs.”</p>
Image: Aaron Montgomery/JPI, ABC, CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection (2), Sean Smith/JPI
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<p>Much like the only thing you can predict about the Emmy winner’s performances — whether as Carly on <em>As the World Turns</em>, Diane on <em>The Young and the Restless</em> or Ava on <em>General Hospital</em> — is that they will be riveting, the only thing you can predict about her hairdo will be that it will be tres chic.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI, Jill Johnson/JPI
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<p>OK, maybe it isn’t <em>so</em> shocking that the <em>Days of Our Lives</em> vet would have mellowed out his spiky ’90s hairdo over the years. He has, after all, grown up before our eyes as bad boy-turned-family man Lucas.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI, Howard Wise/JPI
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<p>If ever we need a reminder that<em> The Young and the Restless</em>’ Chelsea has a dark side, all we need to do is refer to these images — a glorious memento of the spell during which the schemer applied almost-black magic to even her hair.</p>
Image: ABC/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, JPI (3)
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<p>There are key cutters who don’t change locks as often as this <em>General Hospital</em> leading man, whose former <em>One Life to Live</em> character Todd went from shaggy to shorn before indulging Franco’s blond ambitions and adopting a ’do that was as serious as Drew, the old pal whose memories he temporarily housed in his head.</p>
Image: Monty Brinton/CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Sean Smith/JPI
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<p>Dimples for days? Check. Million-dollar smile? Check. OK, some things <em>never</em> change. But over the course of his long run as <em>The Young and the Restless</em>’ Nick, Joshua Morrow <em>has</em> altered his look, going sexily scruffy and transforming himself from the boy next door to a man among men. (Yes, along the way, the show also switched Victorias, from Heather Tom to Amelia Heinle.)</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI (2)
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<p>The Emmy winner didn’t so much “go dark” in 2003 as take on a whole new role. That was the year that <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> minx Amber discovered that she had an identical twin with a very different colorist.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI (2)
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<p>We call this pair of images “Long Story Short.” We also call it not the least bit surprising that the actress who plays<em> Days of Our Lives</em>’ vengeful Eve looks as striking with a pixie cut as she does with shoulder-length locks.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI (2), Ray Christian/JPI
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<p>The <em>Young & Restless</em> leading lady has always been ready for her closeup, whether Lily has been going straight or wild, or getting brash and sassy. We suspect it helps when one has a face that couldn’t take a bad picture if it tried.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI, Ron Tom/ABC/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
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<p>At last! Proof positive that the Emmy winner who plays Jason on <em>General Hospital</em> hasn’t <em>always</em> had the same hairstyle. As the photo on the right illustrates so beautifully, it does, occasionally, grow out. #mindblown</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI, CBS
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<p>Whether working her trademark long hair or locks that are as short as Phyllis’ fuse, the <em>Young & Restless</em> Emmy winner is always red-hot. Well, technically, kinda <em>strawberry-blonde</em>-hot, but you know what we mean.</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, John Paschal/JPI
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<p>As<em> The Bold and the Beautiful</em> progressed, Stephanie more and more dropped the pretense that she was going to tolerate any BS. As she did, her portrayer shed inch after inch of her glorious hair.</p>
Image: ABC screenshot (2)
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<p>“Cut!” took on a whole new meaning on the set of <em>General Hospital</em> in February 2021. To show his support of stepfather Franco during his cancer battle, Cameron had pal Josslyn take a pair of clippers to to the fantabulous mop top that had always been his calling card.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI (2)
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<p>Never let it be said that only Audrey Hepburn can pull off her iconic pixie cut. Not only does the <em>Days of Our Lives</em> leading lady pull it off as Sarah, she pulls it off <em>beautifully</em>. Then again, with cheekbones that enviable, Godfrey could probably even rock a mullet!</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI, CBS screenshot
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<p><em>The Young and the Restless</em> veteran set the Internet ablaze over the summer of 2020 when he revealed that when next we saw Michael Baldwin, his lush brown locks would be gray — and he himself would be epitomizing the term “silver fox.”</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI, J. Graylock/JPI
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<p>As far back as her stint as Cassie on <em>Guiding Light</em>, the Emmy winner has been occasionally cutting short her voluminous mane. But even now that she’s playing Carly on <em>General Hospital</em>, it still takes us a minute — sometimes even a hot minute — to adjust.</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI (2)
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<p>After <em>The Bold and the Beautiful</em> exposed Thomas for the demented rat fink that he is, he supposedly slunk off to do some work on himself. Unfortunately, all we could tell that he’d done was grow out his hair and sprout a sexier-than-we-wanna-admit-it-is beard.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI, Tammie Arroyo/JPI
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<p>Soap fans had seen the actress as a blonde before, as wiggy Patty on <em>The Young and the Restless</em>. But we were more accustomed to her brunette self (as Patty’s alter ego Mary Jane and shrink Emily). As a result, it was a revelation to see her lighten up as <em>Days of Our Lives</em>’ Kristen.</p>
Image: Aaron Montgomery/JPI, Brian Lowe/JPI
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<p>Death becomes him. But then, what doesn’t? After <em>The Young and the Restless</em>’ Malcolm was presumed doomed after a fateful drive over a rickety bridge, his portrayer returned to the soap with a radical new look that really did little to hint at the chip he’d begun affixing to his shoulder.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI (2)
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<p>Unlike most soap stars, the <em>Young & Restless</em> and <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> Emmy winner often changes her look, bobbing her hair and growing it out, going blonder than blonde and then dark again. So in a way, her style is a lot like her performances as Victoria in the past and Katie in the present: She always keeps us guessing what she’ll do next.</p>
Image: ABC/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, John Paschal/JPI, Dee Cercone/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
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<p>Nobody ever had to tell the <em>General Hospital</em> Emmy winner who played Robin that change was good. Length… color… cut… the hairdo- and redoer switched it <em>all</em> up over the years, as she took her beloved character from the cutest kid in daytime to a heroine for the ages.</p>
Image: Lisa Rose/JPI, Jill Johnson/JPI
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<p>Now <em>that’s</em> commitment. Despite the quality and quantity of amazing blond hair that the Emmy winner had always rocked, he shaved his insanely well-shaped head to accurately play out JR’s cancer battle on <em>All My Children.</em></p>
Image: Sean Smith/JPI, Jill Johnson/JPI
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<p>Soap viewers accustomed to seeing the actress fill in for Kirsten Storms as <em>General Hospital</em> fashionista Maxie were stunned to discover what a brunette bombshell she was after she joined <em>Days of Our Lives</em> as Theresa.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI, Tammie Arroyo/JPI
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<p>Usually, it’s the director on a soap set who yells, “Cut!” So fans of <em>The Young and the Restless</em> were taken aback when Ashley’s portrayer did so, shedding what looked to be what? Pounds and pounds of luxurious blonde tresses.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
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<p>Nothing short of a paper bag could detract from the magnificence of the<em> Days of Our Lives</em> alum’s fancy face. Nevertheless, we were all like, “Wait, what, <em>whoa</em>!” when Hope’s portrayer bobbed her legendarily long locks.</p>
Image: Brian Lowe/JPI, John Paschal/JPI
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<p>Over the decades, the <em>Young & Restless</em> Emmy winner has gone from strawberry-blonde to pretty-darn-blonde to red-hot with her hair. Yet nothing prepared us for the instance in which Lauren’s portrayer chopped off the tresses that had for so long framed her face. She was still gorgeous, of course. But c’mon! </p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI, Jill Johnson/JPI
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<p><em>The Young & Restless</em>’ Christian Jules LeBlanc got all the credit for going au naturel with his hair color, but hello?!? The <em>Days of Our Lives</em> leading man who plays John distinguished between black (well, brown) and white well before him.</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI (2)
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<p><em>The Young and the Restless</em>’ Elena lost more than a boyfriend when Devon showed her the door to his penthouse; shortly after, she also lost several inches off her hair, resulting in a mod pixie cut that was never short of enchanting.</p>
Image: Paul Skipper/JPI (2)
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<p>There’s literally nothing you could do to <em>Days of Our Lives</em>’ former Bo Brady that would make him any less handsome. But we can’t deny that we were always a little taken aback anytime he shaved off his character’s trademark scruff.</p>
Image: Doug Piburn/JPI, Howard Wise/JPI
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<p>Though when the soap-hopper began her daytime career (as Robin on <em>All My Children</em>), she’d done so as a blonde, she’d been a brunette for so many years that we thought we were meeting a long-lost Logan sister when she returned to <em>The Bold and the Beautiful</em> in 2018 as a suddenly blonde Taylor Forrester.</p>
Image: ABC screenshot, Jill Johnson/JPI, ABC
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<p>When the going gets tough, the tough get… scruffy? So it seemed on <em>General Hospital</em> when Dante returned to Port Charles saying, in essence, “Now beard this!” (right). Later, though, after a lifetime of metaphorical close shaves, Sonny’s firstborn got one for real (left).</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
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