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Rainbow Brights: Kelly Ripa, Helen Mirren and More Stars Who Dyed Their Hair Bold Colors

Over the rainbow! Some naysayers might think that neon hair colors are only for the young, but it’s just not true. Celebrities including Helen Mirren, Cher, Madonna and more have proven that bright dyes work at any age.

Mirren often appears on red carpets with her hair in various shades of gray and white, but the Oscar winner isn’t afraid to go bold every once in a while. The U.K. native has tried out pink hair on more than one occasion, debuting the look for the first time in February 2013 at the BAFTAs.

Though the iconic stage and screen actress is known for her work in serious dramas like The Queen and Gosford Park, her pink hair inspiration came from a decidedly more lighthearted place: America’s Next Top Model. “This girl had her pink hair, and I noticed because it came out really quickly,” the Tony winner told the BBC in 2013. “So, there she is with really pink hair, and then five days later it’s all gone. So, I thought that would be cool — I might have a go at that.”

The Trumbo actress gave pink hair another try in 2019 when she appeared at the Cannes Film Festival with her hair dyed a slightly more subdued shade of the hue. The salmon shade went perfectly with her rose gold Elie Saab Haute Couture gown, proving that “unnatural” hair colors can work in even the most formal settings.

Cher, an all-time hair icon, has always been known for trying out various colors and styles, but the “Believe” singer’s trendsetting looks are sometimes just a result of going with the flow.

“My hair is not that important,” the Moonstruck star told Into the Gloss in June 2019. “When I did [1985’s] Mask, they asked me to make my hair from black to red. The guy that turned it from black to red, I don’t know, didn’t have two brain cells to rub together, and he did a really terrible job. It started breaking, and I went into a wig.”

After that, the Burlesque actress decided to cut her hair short because it was so damaged from all the color. She later decided to color it black on the sides with blonde in the middle, despite the fact that a hairdresser told her it wouldn’t look good like that.

“I said, ‘Well, the worst that can happen is I won’t like it,'” Cher recalled. It is, after all, the only way to approach a bold dye job: just try it.

Keep scrolling for a look at celebrities who’ve tried different shades of the rainbow over the years.