Olivia Wilde Looks Nearly Unrecognizable Without Her Signature Brunette Hair

Though Olivia Wilde is better known as a brunette beauty, many fans can likely recall her sporting a bold blond when she appeared as teen Alex Kelly in "The O.C."  back in the 2000s. Given that the character also wore purple streaks, it would be fair to assume that the whole look was the work of hair dye. But the truth is, her fictional character's hair color back then was closer to Wilde's natural hue: blond.

Though it may be surprising to hear, the actor has been dying her blond hair brown for over a decade. The brunette hair that became her signature actually wasn't her choice, as she ditched her natural blond for a gig. "I spent the first couple years of my career as a very blond blond. And then I went brunette for a role, and suddenly all my offers changed — the types of roles people approached me with totally changed," Wilde told Into The Gloss. "When I was really blond, it was always like, 'The really pretty girl,' or 'The sexy hot chick' ... when I went brunette, the roles went to more, 'She's a waitress with a heart of gold, and a tough life,' or 'She's a doctor,'" she continued, admitting she didn't think she'd have been given such diverse roles if she hadn't tried a darker hue.

Much like actor Ariel Winter, who is unrecognizable without her signature brunette hair, Wilde's blond makes her look like a completely different person. It seems Wilde feels like one, too. "I'm a natural blond, but I feel like a brunette," she told GQ (via IOL), adding that she experienced a shift after she darkened her tresses. "I feel people treat me now how I should be treated. People used to be shocked, when I was a blond, that I wasn't stupid," she added. The "Babylon" actor told Into The Gloss she's tried other hair colors, including black, dark red, and even green.

Wilde also felt she stood out a lot more as a blond, though not always in a good way, which is why she has held on to her darkened tresses. "The color I have now feels most like me ... It's probably the closest thing to my natural [color]," she told Into The Gloss of her trademark, casual balayage style (which is different to highlights and babylights, remember) made up of mousey brunette roots and lighter ends.

Of course, this isn't to say the "Don't Worry Darling" director has never worn her natural color. When she walked the red carpet for the Fox TV Network 2003/2004 UpFront Party, her strands were a warm, honey blond shade. It made her look tan and complimented her complexion, bringing a fun and youthful edge to her look. However, we're not holding our breath for the actor-director to return to this hue any time soon — unless it's for a role.