If you're considering a short haircut, it helps to go in with an exact sense of your vision, particularly if you're planning to cut several inches of hair. That's where celebrities come in. Some of our most iconic actors, singers, and personalities have rocked super-short hair, from Audrey Hepburn's classic, boyish pixie to Janelle Monáe and Cara Delevingne's modern iterations on short hair.
Though a super-short haircut may sound restrictive in terms of style, there's actually a lot of variety and possibility on offer. Without further ado, here are 32 ultra-short haircuts on celebrities to show your stylist.
Charlize Theron
Charlize Theron has had a few versions of this short, blonde pixie throughout her long career (sometimes she slicked it back, other times she wore it with a ton of volume). I love this version: we can see her darker roots, and she has a little extra definition.
Ginnifer Goodwin
Ginnifer Goodwin has often worn her hair in a pixie cut, but this modern iteration—blonde on top, visible roots, shorter and darker sides, a little bit of choppiness in the cut—is a cool variation. If you don't want to go two-tone, try out the cut first.
Doja Cat
Doja Cat has given us a wealth of short hair inspiration. I happen to love this version, with her hair brushed forward and some spiky micro-bangs. It's a little edgy (and probably not for everyone), but should you want a cool twist on a short cut, this is a great option.
Katy Perry
Katy Perry loves to switch up her look, and when she gave us an all-blonde pixie cut, it felt very in keeping with her vivacious persona. I actually like this version a tiny bit better, because it matches her brows and makes the whole look seem cohesive.
Kate Hudson
Kate Hudson is normally known for her long, blonde hair, so when she gave us a cut that was much shorter (this is from 2018), it was a cool surprise. Because this is a little longer than others on this list, its upkeep is a tiny bit easier—it'll grow out for a few weeks nicely, in other words.
Pixie Geldof
The more modern version of a short cut has surprising features. On Pixie Geldof, for example, that means a cool color, center part, interesting layers (this is long in the front and has a little length in the back, too), and a little messiness in the styling.
Zoë Kravitz
Zoë Kravitz has had short cuts at various lengths, from a shaved head all the way to a long bixie (pixie and bob hybrid). I like this soft version with some curl to it that still maintains a bit of the edginess that the star is known for. This cut would grow out well, so long as you maintain the front pieces.
Rowan Blanchard
The Girl Meets World actor is rocking a cool cut here. If you like to slick your hair back and are comfortable using products, these longer pieces (which can include some length at the back or not) will help you feel like you still have substantial layers.
Elsa Pataky
This long pixie haircut has much longer pieces at the top and front than others on this list. Here, the cut looks wavy and romantic on Elsa Pataky (particularly with the deep side part and bangs), and it can work on a person with straight hair or waves.
Tati Gabrielle
If you want to go with the most exciting short haircut you can think of, this multicolored bowl-shaped 'do on Tati Gabrielle (actor on The 100 and You) is a great choice. If you're dying your natural hair it may require upkeep, though, so if you want to experiment with color, try a temporary hair dye first.
Kate Mara
I love these layered waves on Kate Mara. It can be tricky to pull off a short hairdo with 2B waves and above, so getting a cut that's optimizing your curls and using the right products—including gel and pomade for volume—will help obtain the right shape.
Winona Ryder
We had a few celebrities with iconic pixies in the '90s, and Winona Ryder was one of the best. It was a sort of modernized Audrey Hepburn cut—short and a little spiky, but still deeply feminine. The micro-bangs might be a lot for some people, but it's still a classic 'do.
Anne Hathaway
Anne Hathaway often wears her hair long, but I loved her pixie cut (which she debuted around the same time she appeared in Les Miserables, in which her hair was cut off on camera). She has good volume, so she can pull off a choppier cut with some angled face-framing pieces.
Janelle Monae
Janelle Monae gives her fans great hair inspo—and this hairdo, which is just a little longer than a buzz cut, is no exception. I love that her stylist separated some curls in front of her face; it gives some visual interest and dimension even when the hair is very short.
Ruby Rose
Ruby Rose's short but layered pixie is an important part of their look. On top of the volume she already has, adding highlights for some extra depth makes their hair look even thicker. The result is exceptional volume on top and short shaved sides.
Audrey Tautou
This short cut on Audrey Tautou is romance personified—her curls make for impressive shape and volume. There's a ton of layering going on here, which makes for a complex cut that may not work for everyone. But this tousled and teased look is also highly chic.
Zendaya
We've never been worried about Zendaya's ability to pull off a daring haircut (whether it's her own strands, extensions, or a wig). This platinum long pixie makes the star look youthful but daring; the long bangs but symmetrical shape make it a modern twist on a classic.
Kristen Stewart
This haircut on Kristen Stewart is just a fraction longer than a buzzcut, with longer pieces towards the front but the rest of the hair short. That plus the frosted tips makes this an extremely detailed and intricate cut that nevertheless looks amazing on the star.
Viola Davis
These coiled curls on Viola Davis were a head-turning moment for the actor, after she decided to wear her natural hair instead of a wig on the red carpet. For someone with 4B or 4C hair, this simple short cut is a stunning and an ultra-flattering shape.
Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus has had a myriad of short haircuts over the course of her career, but I'm partial to this one. It doesn't have the intense volume of some of her other cuts, but it's still edging close to being a mohawk, thanks to the shaved sides and longer middle.
Natalie Portman
It's no surprise that this iconic cut made the list: when Natalie Portman had her head shaved (on camera!) as the lead in V for Vendetta, it immediately turned heads. Portman looked incredible, walking the red carpet essentially bald with just a little bit of peach fuzz.
Amandla Stenberg
This asymmetric cut is stunning on Amandla Stenberg, who often wears her hair intricately on the red carpet but looks just as incredible when it's simple. The pretty auburn color is a nice touch to highlight her curls, but it would work equally well without it.
Coco Rocha
Coco Rocha has always had innovative, quirky style (both on the runway and off, since she's a literal supermodel). I happen to love this short pixie with a longer tuft in the back—basically a mini-mullet—that makes for a surprising, counterintuitive cut.
Valorie Curry
Valorie Curry (The Boys, Veronica Mars) has sometimes worn her hair in a pretty pixie—and wore it that way when she played Charlotte in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2. Even though that movie is over a decade old, the cut remains eternally elegant, particularly with the red hair.
Halle Berry
Halle Berry was the undisputed pixie queen of the '90s (and long beyond that decade!). Short hair lovers can look to her as a wealth of inspiration, but I love the short, soft version of her signature cut, with her side-sweeping bangs and defined curls.
Cynthia Erivo
Cynthia Erivo is proud to call herself "Black, bald-headed, pierced, and queer," and her red carpet looks are a beautiful display of that. This short, short cut, dyed blonde and matching with her jewelry, is an incredible 'do that would be a stunning short cut.
Sienna Miller
This was right around the time Sienna Miller played Edie Sedgwick in Factory Girl, and this pulled-back version of the model's signature '60s look was instantly iconic. The long layers on the top and crown of the head, with shorter hair at the nape, is still incredibly chic.
Scarlett Johansson
Scarlett Johansson really rocked this short, shaved 'do (the better to show off her many earrings!). It looks great from the front, but you really see just how much of her head is shaved from the side. Not for the faint of heart, but this cut is cool.
Audrey Hepburn
Any list of short hair on celebrities would be incomplete without Audrey Hepburn. Her hair was reportedly quite fine, so the shorter hair was partially a choice of utility. But once she went with the shorter hair (including as a plot point in Roman Holiday) she became inextricably linked to the cut.
Lupita Nyong'o
Lupita Nyong'o has given us a multitude of complex, ornate updos on the red carpet. But this simple hair (worn to a photocall of A Quiet Place: Day One) with a deep side part is just as stunning. Nyong'o has long embraced her short hair, saying, "In my adolescence, I always had long hair and it was relaxed. As of the age of 19, I just got really fed up with always going to the salon...so, I just one day decided to cut it off, and I cut it all off!”
Cara Delevignge
This is one of Cara Delevignge's signature hairdos (and one she regularly returns to). I like this white-blonde, super-short version, in part because the slightly longer top looks mohawk-inspired. It's simultaneously effortlessly cool and just a little bit soft.
Rihanna
Rihanna wore this short cut to a Fenty launch party in June 2024. Watching her walk the red carpet in her natural curls was an absolute treat, and felt like a callback to when she wore her hair short in previous years. It's the perfect style and length for the singer, actor, and entrepreneur.
