Any time a real-life icon is reimagined for the screen, diehard fans are going to have strong opinions, and Sarah Pidgeon’s transformation into American socialite Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy is living proof. Earlier this summer, the first images from Ryan Murphy’s American Love Story—which centers around CBK and JFK Jr.‘s complex relationship—hit social media, and outrage over Pidgeon’s white blond hair immediately arose, even from Bessette-Kennedy’s own hair stylist.
After much discourse and a good gloss or two, it seems that Pidgeon’s CBK hair color is finally sorted, as the Stereophonic actress appeared at the premiere for I Know What You Did Last Summer rocking a much more accurate blond ‘do.
Sarah Pidgeon Goes From Platinum to Honey Blond for Role as Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy
When the promo photos for American Love Story first dropped, the editors at Vogue immediately reached out to Bessette-Kennedy’s longtime colorist Brad Johns for his thoughts, and the celebrity stylist was honest that the color was all wrong. “No one would believe that Carolyn in the ’90s would ever have that color from me,” he told the outlet. “It’s too 2024.” Johns went on to explain that he used a chunking technique to create the famous publicist’s “toffee” blond, and Pidgeon’s one-dimensional, bright blond from the promo had totally missed the mark.
While we haven’t seen much more behind-the-scenes content from Murphy’s ALS, Pidgeon’s recent red carpet appearance proves that they’re paying close attention to the public discourse. Stepping out in a nude Prada ensemble, Pidgeon’s hair was noticeably upgraded, now featuring those quintessential Bessette-Kennedy “chunks” of blond spliced with deeper toffee tones for a much more ‘90s look.
