Actress Allison Janney Is Embracing Her Natural Gray Hair: ‘It’s Heaven'

Many women in the movie biz are now ditching the hair dye and opting to show off their natural locks.

(L) Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images (R) Instagram/allisonbjanney

By WomenWorking Correspondent

February 3, 2022

Posted February 3, 2022

We love that more and more women are opening up to the idea of embracing their natural hair. If men can get away with being called "silver foxes" and described as "aging like fine wine," why can't women do the same?

Fortunately, many are fighting this double standard and ditching the hair dye to show off their natural locks as they age. Celebrities like Jamie Lee Curtis, Jane Fonda, and Helen Mirren are paving the way. Allison Janney has followed suit, inspired by a fellow Oscar winner.

The usually-brunette actress told PEOPLE TV's One Last Thing host Jeremy Parsons that she decided to "do a Helen Mirren thing" during the pandemic when she was at home and her hair started to appear gray. "It started out with just COVID choices, you know. I was in Ohio for five months of the pandemic," the Mom star revealed. "My natural color started growing in—which is gray. And then I thought, you know, I've always wanted to cut it off and do a Helen Mirren thing. I just wanted to try it." "I just get very brave with my hair," she added. To which Parsons replied, "Well, it's fantastic!"

As for the inspiration herself, Mirren admitted that she originally stopped coloring her hair because she's "lazy." "Honestly, I'm so lazy about my hair!" Mirren, 75, previously told PEOPLE. "It's a lot of work and as wonderful as many hairdressers are, I don't want to sit in a salon for hours. I just can't be bothered with that. I think women were just so terrified of having white or gray hair because it immediately put them into a different category," Mirren shared. "And of course, you are in that age group. I'm sorry, but you are! So, why not just embrace it, go along with it and welcome it? Make it a positive thing as opposed to a negative thing."

Helen Mirren on gray hair, 12-minute workouts, and her secret to a life well-lived. https://t.co/7pOsW87nWo pic.twitter.com/Pk8he8LkJi
— Vogue Runway (@VogueRunway) October 5, 2021

Even Jane Fonda was first seen showing off her gray locks at the 2020 Oscars sporting a gray pixie cut. Celebrity colorist Jack Martin was the hand and brains behind the 82-year-old actress' cool new do at the time. “She showed me her inspiration and immediately decided that I was the guy for the job,” Martin told PEOPLE. He also said that the Grace and Frankie star was loving the idea of showing off her gray hair. While some women let their hair gray naturally, others get a little help from a stylist. The “icy silver blonde” shade took seven hours to create. “If you meet Ms. Fonda in person, you’ll witness her strong personality and her simplicity at the same time,” Martin said. “She is someone who is very far from being nervous about a hair makeover…She’s the kind of person who is not afraid of change.”

While speaking to Drew Barrymore on The Drew Barrymore Show, Allison Janney also admitted going natural was far easier. "I cannot tell you how amazing it is to feel free. Free from hair colour and hair extensions and hair tape and blah blah blah," she explained. "To be able to run my hands through my hair and hopefully sometime a man will be able to run his hands through my hair and just appreciate it. It’s heaven. I am enjoying this new chapter in my hairdo world," she concluded.