Hollywood Has Some Notoriously Bad Wigs, But People Say These 11 Are Actually So Good, They Look Real

Kristen Harris / BuzzFeed
·6-min read

Recently, I asked the BuzzFeed Community about the best or most convincing wigs they’ve seen on a TV show or movie.

Here are 11 of their top answers:

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(c) Paramount / courtesy Everett Collection

1. "Definitely Rachel McAdams in 'Mean Girls.'"

"When I was 13, finding out she wore a wig to be Regina was a little like what seeing Santa take the beard off is like for small children."

— genzie

In 2016, her costar Rajiv Surendra told Seventeen, "They had a wig made out of human hair by a very well-known wig maker from this little town called Stratford, Ontario. I don't know if this is actually true, but I remember hearing something about Rachel not wanting to bleach all of her hair. So the front bit was bleach blonde, so that was her real hair, but the wig was fake. 

I remember walking in to the makeup and hair trailer regularly and seeing the wig being washed. They actually would wash it and put this little shower cap thing on it that they would hook the blow dryer onto that would dry the wig. It was like a $10,000 wig."

Here's what McAdams' hair looked like under the wig:
Here's what McAdams' hair looked like under the wig:

Dimitrios Kambouris / WireImage / Via Getty

Here's what McAdams' hair looked like under the wig:

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(c) Columbia / courtesy Everett Collection

2. "100% Robin Tunney's in 'The Craft!'"

"The hairline itself perfectly suited her facial structure, and the color was subtle and flattering! 🤩🥰"

— amymatthewsp

"She had a shaved head from Empire Records. Came here to say this."

— evilgazelle35

"BOTH FANTASTIC MOVIES... THE '90s KICKED ASS, lol! 🙌

But yes, her wig was VERY well done and served positively for her overall appearance. 😁🥰"

— amymatthewsp

Here's what Tunney's hair looked like under the wig:
Here's what Tunney's hair looked like under the wig:

Warner Bros.

Here's what Tunney's hair looked like under the wig:

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Carole Latimer / TV Guide / ©NBC / courtesy Everett Collection

3. "Ted Danson throughout 'Cheers.'"

— tellyourfeetajoke

Danson wore a hairpiece to hide his receding hairline. At first, he wore it at work and at home, but eventually, he grew comfortable enough to not wear it off-set.

In 1991, he told Parade, "Putting the hairpiece on was a hassle. It’s a huge relief to no longer walk around in other people’s image of who I am."

Here's what Danson's hair looked like under the wig:
Here's what Danson's hair looked like under the wig:

Mediapunch / MediaPunch via Getty Images

Here's what Danson's hair looked like under the wig:

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Max

4. "Taika Waititi’s as Edward ‘Blackbeard’ Teach in 'Our Flag Means Death.' It is very natural-looking and just gorgeous (as is Taika)."

— bubblyoctopus866

"That wig was so glorious, it was like a character unto itself."

— moartreatspls

In 2022, Waititi told Entertainment Weekly, "It was very annoying to wear the beard and the wig. No one ever likes it. Also, you can't have a real conversation with someone because all the glue keeps your whole face tight, and as soon as you actually smile properly, it breaks all the glue, and things start peeling off."

Here's what Waititi's hair looked like under the wig:
Here's what Waititi's hair looked like under the wig:

Bsr Agency / Getty Images

Here's what Waititi's hair looked like under the wig:

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HBO

5. "Kate Winslet in 'Mare of Easttown.' Mostly because it's the most natural-looking hair and hairstyle I've ever seen on TV and looks so similar to her real hair."

"I'm not sure why they even gave her a wig anyway!"

— moartreatspls

In 2021, Winslet told Elle, "For this role, we wanted to change me, but not in obvious ways. It's amazing what you can do when you change the hair and change the person's clothes to what you're used to seeing. That brilliant hair is a wig — plus, we added in makeup to put some darkness on my face. Also, if you look closely at the brow, you can see that it's a different shape. I do not touch my eyebrows at all. They are naturally arched. For Mare, we added in these teeny, tiny patches of an eyebrow. This woman developed them for me when I was doing The Reader. They are like little lashes that you glue to your eyebrow, and they completely blend in and disappear."

Here's what Winslet's hair looked like under the wig:
Here's what Winslet's hair looked like under the wig:

Dave Benett / Dave Benett / Getty Images

Here's what Winslet's hair looked like under the wig:

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Cbs Photo Archive / CBS via Getty Images

6. "Paget Brewster on 'Criminal Minds.'"

"My mind was blown when she showed her short gray hair, which she still rocked❣️💖"

— steen73

In 2018, Brewster tweeted, "I cut all of my long, dyed hair off to grow out my real hair. It’s 5 shades of grey and I love it. I will no longer try to look 30 until I’m 70. Suck it, Hollywood."

She rocked her natural gray color for Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 2.

Also, I wear a wig on @CrimMinds_CBS . I cut all of my long, dyed hair off to grow out my real hair. It’s 5 shades of grey and I love it. I will no longer try to look 30 until I’m 70. Suck it, Hollywood. pic.twitter.com/bIaQqpU9Yf

— paget brewster (@pagetpaget) December 19, 2018 ">Here's what Brewster's hair looked like under the wig:

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(c) New Line / courtesy Everett Collection

7. "I feel naive for this one, but almost everyone in 'The Lord of the Rings!' I for sure thought that was Viggo Mortensen's real hair."

"The wigs in that movie are top-tier!

Apparently, Billy Boyd (Pippin) was the only person in the movies who wasn't wearing a wig."

— magicconnch

Here's what Mortensen's hair looked like under the wig:
Here's what Mortensen's hair looked like under the wig:

Gregg Deguire / WireImage / Via Getty

Here's what Mortensen's hair looked like under the wig:

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TM and Copyright (c)20th Century Fox Film Corp. All rights reserved. / Via Everett Collection

8. "Nicole Kidman as Satine in 'Moulin Rouge!' I thought and still think that that was the most beautiful hair I have ever seen! I was so sad to find out it was a wig! That means it isn’t obtainable!"

"I'll never see someone with that gorgeous hair in real life!

Plus, it is unnaturally thick. I should have known, but I didn't. I was crushed."

— lalalace1640

"That's the thing about a good wig  — you shouldn't know it's a wig!

If you think about it, her hair from Moulin Rouge is attainable. It's just ridiculously expensive and requires more upkeep than most other reds."

— k41cd5347a

Here's what Kidman's hair looked like under the wig:
Here's what Kidman's hair looked like under the wig:

David Mcnew / Getty Images

Here's what Kidman's hair looked like under the wig:

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NBC / Via Peacock

9. "The one Kevin Malone [played by Brian Baumgartner] wore to Jim and Pam's wedding on 'The Office.'"

"You'll never convince me that wasn't just Ashton Kutcher in those episodes."

— robert_dunder

Here's what Baumgartner's hair looked like under the hairpiece:
Here's what Baumgartner's hair looked like under the hairpiece:

Justin Lubin / © NBC / Courtesy Everett Collection

Here's what Baumgartner's hair looked like under the hairpiece:

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© Marvel / © Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures /Courtesy Everett Collection

10. "I can't believe Tessa Thompson was hiding neon orange hair (from 'Sorry to Bother You') under her wig in 'Thor: Ragnarok!'"

— Kristen Harris

Here's what Thompson's hair looked like under the wig:
Here's what Thompson's hair looked like under the wig:

Pete Lee /© Annapurna Pictures /Courtesy Everett Collection

Here's what Thompson's hair looked like under the wig:

11. And finally:
11. And finally:

(c) Warner Brothers / courtesy Everett Collection

11. And finally: "Honestly, I have to say Gary Oldman as Sirius Black in 'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.'"

"I thought that was his real hair for the longest time."

— artsyfox31

Here's what Oldman's hair looked like under the wig:
Here's what Oldman's hair looked like under the wig:

J. Vespa / WireImage / Via Getty

Here's what Oldman's hair looked like under the wig:

Note: Some responses have been edited for length/clarity.

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