What's Meryl Streep's Natural Hair Color?

Meryl Streep's high cheekbones and smile may be consistent, but the actor is somewhat of a chameleon when it comes to her hair. In "The Devil Wears Prada," her character sports a fashionable, side-swept silver-white pixie cut.  Meanwhile, her character on "Big Little Lies" had a mousy brown bob. In "Don't Look Up," she wore her hair in long, blond barrel curls that went past her shoulders. 

With all these variations, one can't help but wonder: What is Meryl Streep's natural hair color? Looking back at side-by-side pics of Streep from her Hollywood beginnings to now, we can see that the color she most often has is blond, indicating this is likely her original shade. 

Avalon/Getty

One of her most notable looks wearing her natural hair color was at the 1989 Academy Awards. Streep arrived to the ceremony with a nomination for best actress for her role in "A Cry in the Dark," and her hair a straw yellow color tied into a ponytail with a side-swept part. Her cheeks were flushed with blush, and she wore red lipstick that made the warmth in her tresses pop. 

Although Meryl Streep is most associated with blond hair, these days, the Oscar-winning actor has become one of many celebs who have embraced their natural gray hair. During the 2026 "Devil Wears Prada 2" press tour, she appeared on the red carpet with her hair fully silver, paired with an iconic red cape outfit.Prior to that, fans were already praising the star's natural hair. "I hope when mine goes gray, it looks like that," wrote one Reddit user in response to a photo of the star shared on the platform.

Though Streep herself has not commented much on her choice to embrace her gray hair, the star has notably avoided caving into pressures to alter her appearance. According to E! Online, she once shared back in 2010 that she had no plans of getting any work done to make herself look younger. "I really understand the chagrin that accompanies [aging], especially for a woman, but I think people look funny when they freeze their faces," she said. In any case, whether it comes to her face or her hair, Streep is arguably a role model for keeping things natural.