Shirley MacLaine Looked So Different When She Ditched Her Signature Short Hairstyle

Shirley MacLaine is a Hollywood legend, known for her work in hit films such as "Terms of Endearment" and "The Apartment". But she's always been ahead of her time, from having an open marriage in the 1950s to her other scandalous love affairs. And compared to her fellow Hollywood peers, MacLaine has largely stuck to one signature hairstyle, even as she ages. Her decision to keep her pixie haircut appears to be a wise one, considering it's one of the eight youthful haircuts for older women that will be on trend in 2026. However, that doesn't mean the "Steel Magnolias" star is completely rigid about her haircut.

Jack Mitchell/Getty

As seen in the image above, MacLaine looks almost unrecognizable in this shot taken in 1971. The Oscar winner's pixie haircut has been swapped for long locks, tousled by the wind as she stands on a rooftop and stares into the distance. And it seems the star went for a change when shooting 1972's "The Possession of Joel Delaney", rather than a personal aesthetic decision. 

Despite her brief stint with long hair in the early '70s, Shirley MacLaine evidently remained devoted to her pixie haircut. Although she may be exploratory with her fashion choices, she isn't exchanging her short locks for anything, considering it's one of the trendiest short hair looks for fall 2025. But you may be wondering what the origin story is for MacLaine's signature cut, and the "Postcards from the Edge" star is more than willing to oblige. 

Before MacLaine fully stuck to the pixie cut she's known for today, the six-time Golden Globe winner rocked long hair. Her glossy long locks proved too eye-catching, however, and a stage manager from one of her earliest Broadway musicals took the initiative in a rather abrupt way — dunking her head in a sink and cutting her hair off. "I had long red hair that swished around on stage and drew attention away from the star, Isabel Bigley (which, truth be told, wasn't difficult)," MacLaine recounted with more than a hint of sass in an op-ed for Today. "When he let me up for air, the stage manager chopped off my ponytail and pushed me back onstage. The bowl cut has been my style ever since." Though the initial cut was not her choice, maintaining it over the years has been, along with wearing wigs, all of which save time on styling.