10 Times Actors Shaved Their Heads And Instantly Became More Badass

Bald guys packed with muscle are always 10 times more intimidating than those with hair. It’s a stereotype that can easily be found in action blockbusters. Once a character loses their hair mid-movie, they are going to change very drastically. Many actors shaved their heads and sacrifice their beauty for their tough roles, and they did an amazing job bringing their characters to life.
A shaving scene mostly happens before the characters go into a fight. If the character appears shaven, it’s a sign that nobody should mess with them. So here are 10 times actors shaved their heads and instantly level up their badassness in the movie.

1. Ellen Ripley In Alien 3

Source: 20th Century Fox/ Courtesy of Everett Collection

Sigourney Weaver was one of the first actresses to shave off her luscious locks for a part. Her performance as Ellen Ripley quickly become one of the most memorable badass female characters in Hollywood history. Weaver even shaved her head a second time for the reshoots. That’s real dedication right there!
If you have seen the film, you would have known about Ripley's toughness. She got the brains and courage, otherwise, she wouldn’t have become the only survivor of the alien attack. The shaven head was what turned her from a typical final girl to a badass action star.

2. Imperator Furiosa In Mad Max: Fury Road

Source: Warner Bros. Pictures/ Courtesy of Everett Collection

Furiosa is one of the toughest characters in Mad Max: Fury Road and in movie history. Furiosa’s head was cleanly shaven and covered in black war paint, which added an instant military authority presence to her character. It’s the perfect haircut to portray her characteristics and her purpose in the movie. Without the shaven head, we doubt that Furiosa would have looked as badass as she was.

3. Evey In V for Vendetta

Source: Warner Bros. Pictures/ Courtesy of Everett Collection

This scene in V for Vendetta must be one of the most intense sense where actors shaved their heads for their roles. It’s intimidating for the actress to lose their hair before the movie, but it’s ten times scarier when they have to do it in front of the camera.
Evey’s head being shaven marks the change in her character development. She went from a scared girl to a powerfully liberated woman who conquered her traumas and move on to the future. Natalie Portman did an amazing job bringing the character to life, and she was brave enough to do the shaving scene justice too.

4. Cressida In The Hunger Games: Mockingjay

Source: Lionsgate/ Courtesy of Everett Collection

Before The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, we knew Natalie Dormer as one of the most beautiful women on Game Of Thrones. She played Margaery, who weaponized and used her sex appeal as a strategic advantage.
However, Cressida was a completely different kind of danger. Take one look at her and you know she isn’t to be messed with. This shaven look suits her character perfectly. She is a survivor of the battlegrounds, and she can march around a war zone totally unfazed. If that isn’t badass, then we don’t know what is.

5. Bane In The Dark Knight Rises

Source: Warner Bros. Pictures/ Courtesy of Everett Collection

Bane is one of the most infamous villains in the Batman series. He can beat Batman into a pulp while taunting him like it’s no big deal. Tom Hardy is several inches shorter than Christian Bale, but he makes a very intimidating Bane in the Dark Knight Rises.
Thanks to his cleanly shaven head and the iconic mask that covers most of his face, he appears to be more powerful than Batman. The bald head made his body look much bigger, which created a disproportionate size effect that made him more dominant.

6. Charles Bronson In Bronson

Source: Vertigo Films/ Courtesy of Everett Collection

Another famous bald role of Tom Hardy is Charles Bronson, the famous British criminal who is called "Britain's most notorious prisoner.” Hardy gave such an amazing performance that Bronson praised him himself. Not only did the actor shave his head, but he also did actual prison workouts and followed a lot of Bronson’s habits in real life.

7. Jordan In G.I. Jane

Source: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution/ Courtesy of Everett Collection

In G.I. Jane, Jordan has to fight back against the sexist instructors in a rigged system. She successfully becomes a member of the Navy SEALs. She defies all the stereotypes that are put on women by shaving her head, an act that shows how much she is willing to sacrifice for her job and her dedication to the training program. You instantly know that she is gonna be a fierce fighter when she loses her locks.

8. Norah In Underwater

Source: 20th Century Fox/ Courtesy of Everett Collection

Kristen Stewart ditched her lovely feminine image and went for the tough look in Underwater. Her character, Norah, was trapped in the dangerous depths of the sea. Nora has to constantly put on and take off helmets, so a buzzcut makes more sense than her long brown hair. This look suits her character perfectly. It gives Nora an air of immediate toughness and ruggedness, which is essential to the movie.

9. Obadiah Stane In Iron Man

Source: Marvel/ Courtesy of Everett Collection

It’s hard to imagine Jeff Bridges as some evil guy after The Big Lebowski and his other comedy movies. However, he nailed the role of Obadiah Stane, the power-hungry CEO of a billion-dollar company and the main antagonist in Iron Man 1. Jeff has to say goodbye to his iconic long hair, but it’s worth it in the end. His Obadiah Stane was incredibly intimidating.

10. Max In Elysium

Source: Sony Pictures Releasing/ Courtesy of Everett Collection

In Elysium, Matt Damon looks very different from how we typically see him on screen. He shaved his head and was covered in tattoos. The actor also packed on a lot of muscle after his workout program. Damon needs to look tough and intimidating for this role, and Max is definitely someone you don’t want to mess with.
Those are 10 times actors shaved their heads and instantly became 10 times more badass. Speaking of actors who aren’t afraid to sacrifice their beauty for a role, check out our previous post about movie stars who have to gain weight for million-dollar roles here. They have some very questionable methods, and some might even creep you out!