MSNBC Star Rachel Maddow Is Unrecognizable With Long Hair

Rachel Maddow has one of the most distinct looks in the television news world, and part of that is due to her signature short hair. Since launching her eponymous talk show on MSNBC in 2008, Maddow has rocked her cropped cut and has kept it pretty much the same over the years. In fact, she became so known for her pixie cut that a fan account called Rachel Maddow Hair Day was created on X, formerly Twitter, to rate the political commentator's daily 'do. "BAM! Silky smooth Friday vibes. Not the usual tidal wave formation. This is more like a current, flowing smoothly through the sea of fabulousness. Finger guns bonus. 10/10," the account wrote in July 2021.

If fans are hoping for a change-up, they're going to be disappointed. "I don't look good with long hair. My face is kind of the wrong shape for it," Maddow told Howard Stern in 2017. "I look like this on purpose," she added. Luckily, the digital peeps at Static were able to use Photoshop to give the television show host not one but two makeovers to satisfy her fans' curiosity. It's safe to say that both looks are quite a departure from Maddow's regular style, and if she ever wants to go incognito, long hair is the way to go.

Rachel Maddow, who looks so different makeup-free, has worn her short hair in her naturally dark brown shade with a few salt-and-pepper strands sprinkled in. These days, celebs like Sarah Jessica Parker and Jamie Lee Curtis are proudly sporting their grays, so it's not a surprise Maddow has gone that route as well. However, the photo editors at Static Media wanted to give the on-air personality a bit of a color shakeup and gave her a red dye-job along with shoulder-length hair.

The lighter hair, coupled with the bangs, instantly made Maddow look years younger. And the highlights surrounding her face brightened up her whole look. Even if she would never grow out her hair, perhaps she'd consider going auburn for a bit. It makes sense that Maddow looks good with lighter strands, as she revealed to Us Weekly that she was naturally blond when she was younger. "I used to have long, straight blonde hair. When I cut it off in college, I was as surprised as anyone when it grew back, and all of a sudden, I looked like Rick Santorum," she shared. Perhaps that was the start of Maddow's path to dark, short hair, and she never looked back.

Just for fun, Static photo editors gave Rachel Maddow another hairstyle, but this time they kept her dark color, with just a slightly lighter chestnut shade. With the side-swept bangs and shoulder-length curls, Maddow looked nothing like her former self. The loose waves softened up her features and gave her hair more volume, but after seeing the liberal commentator with a short cut all these years, the glam look just did not fit.

Fans may be surprised to learn that Maddow once rocked a more feminine style. BuzzFeed unearthed her high school yearbook picture, and Maddow indeed had blond hair all those years ago. Not only that — she wore it in a side part that fell to her shoulders and dressed herself up in pearls. As a busy political news host on MSNBC with a staggering net worth, it's no wonder Maddow likes to keep her hair short and simple. But if she ever grows it out, "The Rachel Maddow Show" viewers are definitely going to do a double take.