Zooey Deschanel Looks So Different Without Her Signature Bangs

Zooey Deschanel's full bangs are an instantly recognisable part of her look. Not only does the star show off her signature, face framing tresses in her personal life — where she's become a twee trailblazer with her retro outfits – her blunt bangs have also been part of her look on screen. Deschanel rocks bangs in some of her biggest acting roles, including on "New Girl" (where chunky glasses also became her style staple), "Dreamin' Wild," and "500 Days of Summer." But have you ever wondered what she looks like without her signature 'do? She showed us in 2021.

The actor posted a photo on X to address jokey speculation she may have been hiding something underneath her haircut. Deschanel posed with a bare forehead and her long, brunette locks in a center part, writing on the image, "Proof I have a forehead." The star looked drastically different with her whole face on show and proved just how much her rarely seen eyebrows frame her face.

For all the doubters... pic.twitter.com/vKHbvFQ95D

— zooey deschanel (@ZooeyDeschanel) March 26, 2021

Fans couldn't believe how much her tresses changed her appearance, with one even comparing her to Miley Cyrus dressing up as Hannah Montana. "I always made fun of how people didn't recognize Hannah Montana as Miley ... when all she did was change her hair style and color, but this just proved me wrong.. I didn't recognize her till I read the name," they wrote. Deschanel joked about the response of fans to People, saying, "My CIA cover is no bangs."

If you thought you didn't recognize Zooey Deschanel in 2021, wait until you see her in 2001. Two decades before she gave us hair inspo with curtain bangs, a 21-year-old Deschanel appeared at Kiehl's 150th Anniversary Motorcycle Tour looking even more drastically different. 

Not only did she not have her signature blunt power bangs — which became one of the hottest bang trends of 2025 – she wore vintage-style voluminous curls with a light gray bow headband that pushed her locks away from her face. He tresses were much lighter than the super dark brunette she'd go on to wear, though the deep toffee shade complimented her skin tone and gave her a youthful glow. 

The A-lister appeared to speak about that period of her hair transformation on "Today" in 2022, sharing she'd had bangs since she was little but grew them out once. "It didn't look as good," she said. The "Physical" actor shared a similar sentiment with People. "I look better with them ... So, yeah, I'll keep them. I've had them since I was like two years old," she said. Though we disagree (because she clearly looks gorgeous with or without showing her forehead), we probably shouldn't expect to see this star without her staple 'do again.