Actor Joey King, known for her roles in The Kissing Booth trilogy shaved her head three times for her acting roles. She shaved her head for her role in the television series The Act and the films The Dark Knight Rises and Wish I Was Here. King is one of the many female celebrities who shaved their heads for their roles.
Speaking about her shaved head, Joey King said that every woman should shave their head at least once in their life. King said, “I’ve never felt more free or more in tune with my beauty. I couldn’t hide behind my hair.”
King shared that while she had no regrets about shaving her head, people mocked and criticised her for the new look. However, King happily embraced her short hair. “I actually felt more confident; I felt very powerful… People like to insert themselves in other people’s business when it doesn’t actually matter. Me having a shaved head for a project really upsets you that much?”
Joey King is not the only celebrity who has shaved her head and faced criticism and judgement from people. Here’s a look at other celebrities who shaved their heads.
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Celebrities Who Shaved Their Heads
Nandita Das
Actor and director Nandita Das took part in Deepa Mehta's film Water and shaved her head for the role. However, several delays in the film’s shooting due to controversies resulted in her quitting the film. The film explored the lives of widows at an ashram in Varanasi, and Nandita Das and Shabana Azmi were set to play pivotal roles in the film and shaved their heads, but they opted out of the film following delays.
Anne Hathaway
The actor Anne Hathaway shaved her head for her role as Fantine in the musical film Les Miserables. While she chose to shave her head for a role, she mentioned, “I’m just so pleased with how I look, so I now quite like having short hair”.
Hathaway said, “I did it for a film, so it really wasn’t about me and my security”.
Persis Khambatta
The late Indian model and actor Persis Khambatta is best known for her role as Lieutenant Ilia in the film Star Trek: The Motion Picture. In 1965, Khambatta won Femina Miss India 1965, making her the second winner of the Femina Miss India. She shaved her head and went bald for her role in Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
Natalie Portman
Actor Natalie Portman began her acting career at the age of 12 and is known for playing roles such as Padme Amidala in the Star Wars prequel trilogy and Jane Foster in Thor.
Portman had to shave her head onscreen for her role as Evey Hammond in the 2016 film V for Vendetta. She said, “I was really excited to shave my head – it’s something I’d wanted to do for a while and now I had a good excuse. It was nice to shed that level of vanity for a girl.”
Millie Bobbie Brown
Millie Bobbie Brown rose to stardom when she was cast in the Netflix series Stranger Things. Brown played the role of Eleven and shaved her head when she was 12 years of age. She said, “Shaving your head is so empowering, you don’t need hair to be beautiful. You are beautiful with or without.”
Brown added that after shaving her head, she could not hide behind her hair.