Natasha Lyonne Made the Most Subtle Change to Her Hair in Poker Face Season 2
The actress made a slight change when she returned to play Charlie Cale in Season 2 of the Peacock series.
When one thinks of Natasha Lyonne, they immediately imagine her fiery red, curly hair. But did anyone notice that her hair was different in Season 1 of Poker Face?
It turns out, the actress was inspired to change her well-known shade to a different hue for the debut season of the Peacock series after creator Rian Johnson noted that he envisioned her character, Charlie Cale, being a blonde. "So we went back to her blonde color, which was a feat because she has been coloring her hair red for so long and we had such a tight turnaround to make her a blonde. I think I had like four hours. So my friend Joy and I were slapping on bleach and luckily the color lifted out,” Hair Department head Marcel Dagenais told IndieWire in 2023.
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Lyonne's Charlie Cale is a rugged rocker type that doesn't live by the expectations of society. So, Dagenais took inspiration from similar figures that are trendsetters in their own right, particularly Fleetwood Mac's Stevie Knicks, whose mullet evoked this "raw and real" vibe Dagenais was going for.
And voilà, Charlie Cale's signature look was created — though Lyonne has since reverted to her red locks for Season 2.
Natasha Lyonne's hairstylist's tips to achieve her Poker Face look
For Poker Face Season 1, Charlie had a shag mullet with lots of volume at the top and straighter ends. And though the cut looks naturally chic, it's actually achieved using a fair amount of product and extensions. Dagenais said the team ultimately chose to add a bit of length with hair extensions, which really completed the look. "I was like, ‘Let me just try this.’ I threw them in. And Rian and Natasha were both like, ‘Boom, that’s it.’ It was this a-ha moment," Dagenais said.
In the upcoming Season 2 of Poker Face, Lyonne returns to her red locks and shows off her natural curls.
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In 2019, Dagenais told Refinery 29 they dyed Lyonne's hair with a gloss, which is an alternative to longer lasting hair dyes. This is a good alternative for blondes like Lyonne who want to experiment with their style with little commitment. But it will come off in the shower, as Lyonne had to learn the hard way.
"She was like, 'It's turning my towels orange!' That’s a warning, actually — it’s very heavily-pigmented, so if you do use it then expect your white towels to be a little orange. One day I actually went out and got her a set of black towels, like, 'Problem solved!'" Dagenais revealed.
Natasha Lyonne's curly hair routine
Dagenais said that Lyonne is naturally blessed with curly locks, which she likes to work with when it's freshly washed and wet. Curly girls know that the time to set your curls is when you're right out of the shower. As Dagenais explained to Refinery 29, "For curly hair, I don't like to mess with it too much. The more you fuss with it, the larger it becomes. So Natasha would come in every day with wet hair."
Then, Dagenais added various products to increase shine and give the curls shape before letting the hair dry. The hairstylist recommended not to "mess with it when it’s drying," but if you're on a time-crunch it's OK to use a blowdryer with a diffuser attachment.
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Lyonne herself shared in an interview with Vogue that she learned early on the best thing to do with curly hair is to brush it with a wide-toothed comb while conditioning your hair in the shower.
She also shared that she used to fight with her curly hair because of the way people viewed her when she wasn't wearing it straight, adding that she used to feel like people took her more seriously when she took a flat-iron to it. Now, she doesn't feel that way anymore.
"It puts my soul at so much ease when I think about little girls, the idea that maybe they'll be able to spare themselves, an inch of suffering around that. That's so needless," she reflected. "Also, that's such a more boring and lamer world."
How can you watch Season 2 of Poker Face on Peacock?
New episodes of Poker Face stream exclusively on Peacock. The second season begins with a three-episode premiere on Thursday, May 8. Then new episodes will stream weekly every Thursday after that. You can catch up on all of Season 1 right now!
