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She can seriously pull off any hairstyle. We decided it was about time to honor Michelle Williams with a look back at her hair transformation — and it’s killer! The Greatest Showman actress is known these days for her signature shock locks, but she didn’t always rock the pixie cut she wears so well. See how she truly transformed her ‘do in the gallery below!
Michelle Ingrid Williams was born on September 9, 1980, in Montana. That makes her 39!
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Early Start
Michelle got interested in acting when she was very young — she saw a local production of “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” and the rest was history.
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First Appearances
Michelle’s first screen appearance was as Bridget Bowers in a 1993 episode of the television series Baywatch. She made her film debut in Lassie the very next year.
She played Jen Lindley, a New Yorker who relocated to Capeside. She has said that the show was “the best acting class.” Michelle told the NZ Herald, “I feel indebted to it and if there was ever a reunion show, sign me up.”
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Continued Acting
Dawson’s Creek completed its run in 2003, and Michelle continued acting in independent films and relocated to New York. Then, in 2005, she appeared in Ang Lee’sBrokeback Mountain.
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Awards
The movie won three Academy Awards and Michelle gained a Best Supporting Actress nomination. Slant magazine lauded her for “fascinatingly spiking her unspoken resentment for her sham of a marriage with a hint of compassion for Ennis’ secret suffering.”
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Family
Being a part of Brokeback Mountain is also how she met Heath Ledger. They began dating while working on the film and went on to have a child together – daughter Matilda.
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Heath’s Death
Sadly, Heath died at the age of 28 from an accidental drug overdose in his New York apartment in 2008.
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Support
On the 10-year anniversary of Heath’s death, Michelle’s best friend, Busy Philipps, flew to be by her side. She also wrote on her Instagram Story, “I was just driving and I was thinking about my friend Heath who died 10 years ago and this song came on. It came out after he passed away and I remember when it came out, because [I thought] it made me think of him. I just thought he would have liked this song. And for some reason, every time I hear this song… it’s weird.”
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Tough Times
Although Michelle was working on a project when her partner died and she continued filming, she later said, “It was horrible. I don’t remember most of it.”
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Heartbroken
“Please respect our need to grieve privately,” she said in a statement she released at the time. “My heart is broken.”
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Persevered
But Michelle persevered. She continued acting in projects like Shutter Island, Blue Valentine and My Week With Marilyn and kept receiving accolades for her work.
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Broadway, Baby
She even tried her hand at a musical! Michelle took on the role of Sally Bowles in a 2014 revival of Cabaret on Broadway. She once said “it was the hardest work of my life.”
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“Blackbird”
She later starred in a Broadway play, Blackbird, and received a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play nomination for her work. Seems like giving the New York stage a try was the right move!
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“Manchester by the Sea”
In 2016, Michelle starred in Manchester by the Sea. It starred Casey Affleck as Lee, a man who separated from his wife — Michelle’s character — after the death of their children. The role earned her a fourth Academy Award nomination.
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“Greatest Showman”
In 2017, the actress starred in The Greatest Showman, a movie musical, opposite Hugh Jackman. It is easily one of her most successful films to date.
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Marriage
Then, in a bit of a shock to fans, Michelle married musician Phil Elverum in a secret ceremony in the Adirondacks in 2018. Sadly, the couple separated the following year.
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“Fosse/Verdon”
These days, Michelle stars in Fosse/Verdon, an FX miniseries about the personal and professional relationship between Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon. It’s her first lead role on TV since Dawson’s Creek. And good news — she’s already received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series for the part!
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Evolution
Michelle has truly come a long way over her career, and fans have been able to watch her grow from her early Dawson’s Creek days to an actress who can command a stage or screen. It’s not only her hair that’s transformed — but that certainly has evolved, too!
