Only about two percent of the world’s population has natural red hair, so it’s not surprising that the rest of us are a bit fascinated by the few who are born with it, and why so many entertainers choose that color to distinguish themselves from their competition. Today, we celebrate some of our favorites on “Kiss a Ginger Day” for January 12.
Red hair has been a color of choice for many leading ladies, with vibrant shades from strawberry blond to deep auburn, either from nature or a bottle, lighting up both the big and small screens. Several leading ladies from the Golden Era of Hollywood were known for their red tresses, most notably Irish-born Maureen O’Hara and WWII pinup favorite Rita Hayworth. Currently, there are dozens of actresses who are either natural-born redheads or have sported the color for most of their careers, including Jessica Chastain, Amy Adams, Susan Sarandon and Julianne Moore. On the small screen, redheads seem to stand out in comedy, with greats such as Lucille Ball and Carol Burnett becoming icons of the genre.