11 Rare Photos of Classic Blonde Bombshells as Brunettes—Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield, Grace Kelly and More

It turns out most of Hollywood's iconic blondes weren't actually born that way!

By Abbey Bender July 11, 2025

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Marilyn Monroe with her natural hair color in 1947 Michael Ochs Archives/Getty

The blonde bombshell is one of Hollywood’s most enduring archetypes, and icons of classic film, including Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield, Lana Turner and Marlene Dietrich, to name just a few, became sex symbols thanks in large part to their lustrous locks. While these women are eternally associated with their hair color, it may surprise you to learn that they all started as brunettes. We all know that the entertainment industry has a tendency to rely on artifice, and this truth extends to hair color.

Read on to see rare photos of classic Hollywood beauties rocking their natural brunette hair early in their careers.

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1. Marilyn Monroe

Silver Screen Collection/Hulton Archive/Getty

It’s no exaggeration to say that Marilyn Monroe is the most iconic blonde of all time. The Gentlemen Prefer Blondes star was a model in her teen years, and when she was starting out, she still had dark hair. This 1941 shot captures a 15-year-old Monroe before she got her hands on any hair dye. Even as a brunette, she has serious star power, and her smile is absolutely enchanting.
2. Jayne Mansfield

Hulton Archive/Getty

During the height of Monroe’s popularity in the ’50s, the film industry rushed to capitalize on her success and Jayne Mansfield was one of the best-remembered of the blonde bombshells who emerged in her wake. Like Monroe, Mansfield, the mother of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star Mariska Hargitay, was also a natural brunette, as seen here.
3. Lana Turner

John Kobal Foundation/Getty

The Postman Always Rings Twice femme fatale Lana Turner was one of the defining blondes of the ’40s, but when she was famously discovered while sipping a soda at the counter of Schwab’s Pharmacy at 16, she had dark hair, as you can see in this 1937 shot from around the time she started out.
4. Marlene Dietrich

Irving Chidnoff/John Kobal Foundation/Getty

German star Marlene Dietrich was known for her smoldering screen presence and sexual ambiguity, and her blonde hair made the perfect contrast to her sharp suits. The actress was so associated with blondeness that she even starred in a 1932 movie called Blonde Venus, but in this early portrait, you can see her naturally dark shade.
5. Jean Harlow

© Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty

Jean Harlow played vampy roles throughout the ’30s, and was one of the earliest stars to be called a blonde bombshell. While she starred in a 1931 film called Platinum Blonde and claimed to be a natural blonde, she started out with way darker hair than you’d expect.
6. Betty Grable

Sasha/Hulton Archive/Getty

Betty Grable was the reigning pin-up girl of World War II, and her sex appeal was such that in a classic bit of Hollywood lore, she had her legs insured for $1 million. Like Monroe, her costar in the 1953 comedy How to Marry a Millionaire, Grable was known for her blondeness but naturally brunette, as seen in this 1933 portrait, taken when she was 17 and going by the name Frances Dean. In an interview, the star said, “There is a psychological effect when the color of your hair is right. I’ve had mine every color, even black.”
7. Grace Kelly

Bettmann/Getty

Grace Kelly is synonymous with classy blonde elegance, and she was an unforgettable Hitchcock Blonde in Rear Window (1954), Dial M for Murder (1954) and To Catch a Thief (1955). Here, the actress-turned-real-life-princess shows off her God-given haircolor in a 1947 picture taken when she was an 18-year-old model.
8. Janet Leigh

Silver Screen Collection/Getty

Janet Leigh was another famed Hitchcock Blonde thanks to her role in Psycho (1960), but in this 1955 shot, Jamie Lee Curtis’ mom looks lovely with dark hair (and a fabulous metallic blouse).
9. Mae West

Bettmann/Getty

Mae West, who was the rare classic star to break through when she was already in her 40s, was beloved for her sexual innuendos and bawdy blonde charisma. In this 1920 photo, a pre-movie star West sports a halo of brunette waves. West was always ahead of her time, and it’s hard to believe this shot of her with her natural hair color is over 100 years old. Fittingly, a 2020 documentary about the star was titled Mae West: Dirty Blonde.
10. Mitzi Gaynor

Michael Ochs Archives/Getty

Mitzi Gaynor, the star of musicals like There’s No Business Like Show Business (1954) and South Pacific (1958), was known for her perky blonde charm, though she quipped, “It’s so much trouble! I didn’t realize how fast hair grows! I have to have my roots lightened every five days. I wouldn’t advise anyone to go blond, not unless they thought three times about how much time it takes and how very expensive it is.” In this early portrait, she looks just as adorable as a brunette.
11. Brigitte Bardot

Silver Screen Collection/Hulton Archive/Getty

French vixen Brigitte Bardot was a crossover star in the ’50s and ’60s thanks to her roles in films like . . . And God Created Woman (1956) and Contempt (1963). Bardot wore her hair long and tousled, and first dyed it blonde for the 1956 film Nero’s Mistress. The look suited her so well that she kept it for the rest of her career, but in this 1955 shot, you can see her naturally dark tresses.

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