The Best of Brunettes: 14 Amazing Brunette Actresses

By Amanda Mae Meyncke | Case Study In Hotness | December 4, 2012

Dealing with funerals and interments and all sorts of terrible things this past week has wiped me out, and so I thought we’d do something a little more fun. Beautiful and talented women! Movies they starred in! Yes, I think this is what is traditionally known as “phoning it in,” but come on. There’s a picture of Cobie Smulders wearing a very cunning hat somewhere in this post. With the promise of such pleasures ahead, who could complain!

I’ve dyed my hair since I was in high school, first a mildly aberrant version of red, (nothing too wild or boundary pushing), and then a series of red, blonde and brunette ventures ever since then. In college it became necessary to dye my hair as stress began to whittle away at my naturally brown hair, and I deal with solid grey in the front, now. So I dye it a lot, but nothing fancy. Too poor for fancy. Brunette tends to feel the most like home, but I loved my blond hair. It’s been every length from super long to Mia Farrow short, and I loved it all. Hair should be fun, a playground of sorts, because it’ll just grow right back so what’s the harm?

I’ve made a non-comprehensive, but somewhat extensive list of the best brunettes in Hollywood and their best films. I tried to stick to those who are best known as brunettes, though most of the women on this list have switched at one point or another for a role. From “quirky” to drop dead bone-chillingly gorgeous, they’re all here.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead

Best Known For: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, but you should really see her astounding performance in Smashed.

Lizzy Caplan

Best Known For: TV’s “Party Down,” “True Blood”

Emilia Clarke

Best Known For: “Game of Thrones”

Cobie Smulders

Best Known For: “How I Met Your Mother” and now, The Avengers.

Lacey Chabert

Best Known For: Mean Girls, and “Party of Five,” but she’s in a million things and crazy talented, and I directed a movie she was in and she’s aces.

Emily Blunt

Best Known For: Devil Wears Prada, Looper, The Young Victoria (which, fun fact, is probably the movie I’ve seen the most next to American Psycho and Notting Hill.)

Lake Bell

Best Known For: No Strings Attached, “How to Make it in America” awww, remember that show guys?

Melanie Lynskey

Best Known For: Heavenly Creatures? But that’s not fair. Ever After, and plenty of other films. Incredible, lovely, talented.

Zooey Deschanel

Best Known For: TV’s “New Girl” but you should really see All the Real Girls, because it will change your mind about her. She can act. I don’t know why she doesn’t do it more often.

Jessica Findlay Brown