When Did Scott Bakula's Hair Start Turning White?

Now in his late 60s, Scott Bakula has been rocking the salt-and-pepper look for some time, as reflected by his role in the popular TNT series "Men of a Certain Age," which ran for two seasons, from 2010 to 2011. The part marked a shift in the "NCIS: New Orleans" alum's career, as he rose to fame playing manly characters in "Quantum Leap" and "Star Trek: Enterprise." Speaking to WXIX-TV, Bakula said the transition came easily for him. In fact, Bakula felt compelled to take on the character of Terry because the show dared to explore the lives of middle-aged men who seem stuck in the past, and not in spite of it. "He's completely different [from his iconic roles], which is one of the reasons why I took it," he said.

Bakula continued to play wise older characters after starring in "Men of a Certain Age," most notably Special Agent Dwayne Cassius "King" Pride on "NCIS: New Orleans." Over the course of seven seasons, fans of the CBS spinoff show watched as Pride and his team protected the Louisiana city against everything — from terrorists, snipers, and hackers, to torpedoes and diseases. "Pride was bighearted, open, available, susceptible to being misled, making mistakes and going too far, going the extra mile, tracking people down. It gave me a lot of juicy stuff to do," Bakula told TV Insider. But before he entered middle age and adjusted his career accordingly, Bakula's hair was already turning white — we're talking many years before he started acting.

Even though Scott Bakula boasted a full head of dark blond hair for most of his career, the actor has also carried a bit of white in his bangs since childhood. Per his IMDb biography, Bakula's mother noticed a white streak above her son's forehead when he was just 4 years old. At the time, she believed the boy had gotten paint in his hair after helping the neighbor with a project, the bio detailed. But the fleck of white hair was here to stay. While the feature adds charm to Bakula's handsome face, it also earned him some hurtful nicknames in his youth. "Unfortunately, when I was younger I had this streak of white hair in the front of my head, so I not only had all the Dracula references, I had 'Grandpa' and 'skunk' and 'stinky,'" Bakula told Vulture in discussing his Dracula-rhyming last name.

While the coloration in the hair might seem related to early graying, it is actually caused by a condition called poliosis, which can affect both adults and children, as Healthline explained. The bullying he suffered as a child left a mark, but Bakula has learned to look on the bright side. "I really was made to suffer. But you know, it made me strong," the actor told Trek Today in 2002. It seems that adults have been better equipped to appreciate the special trait, as evidenced by the Facebook page dedicated to Bakula's white streak.

Slowly, Scott Bakula's childhood white streak across the front of his hair blended into the rest of his graying hair. The tuft finally feels at home — and so does Bakula. The actor has not been making a big deal about adding digits to his age, as he explained to Vulture in 2010. Turning 50 "wasn't a big dramatic thing for me. I met some friends in New York, we saw some shows and went to some good restaurants and had a ball. I was in the middle of shooting 'Enterprise' and had a nice paycheck coming in every week. I was in a good place then," Bakula said.

In an interview with WXIX-TV, Bakula nonchalantly discussed entering middle age. "Getting old is part of life," he said, simply. Bakula also displayed slight shock when his physician ventured he would likely go on to become a centenarian. "My doctor told me when I turned 55, he said, 'Well, welcome to the second half of your life.'" Bakula was caught by surprise, as he figured he had been living the second half of his existence for a while. "I said, 'Really, 110?'" he asked, grimacing. Bakula has nothing to fear, as time has been kind to him. The actor looks as great as ever, even as he nears his 70th birthday, which he will celebrate on October 9, 2024.