What does a celebrity do when they drop the one thing that’s effectively become their calling card? For some stars, dropping a beard is more than a hair care choice it’s an entirely new image that gets fans doing double takes. Facial hair can define an identity, soften a face, or add features a little bit grit, so when it’s dropped, the change can be shocking.
In Hollywood and elsewhere, the beard has been as much a signature role or number one song as has been a trending hashtag or Instagram selfie. From NFL champions to Oscar recipients, there have been more than enough marquee players shocking the public by going bald for it sometimes for a role, sometimes for a cause, and sometimes simply because. The reactions? From affection to flat-out disbelief.
Here’s a glimpse at nine stars whose beardless time was so dramatic that they were close to becoming completely different individuals.
1. Jason Momoa’s Six-Year Shave
Most famously ruggedly masculine in his roles on “Aquaman” and “Game of Thrones,” Jason Momoa hadn’t shaved in more than six years until July 2025. In an Instagram social media post, he videotaped himself shaving to help sell his eco-friendly water company Mananalu, characterizing the process as, “Haven’t shaved in six years, and here we are again.” The experience was two-for-one, as part of a campaign to eliminate single-use plastics, when Momoa explained the deal with Boomerang Water to create a closed-loop bottling facility.
Auctions were left in awe after the transformation, with some noting he appeared noticeably younger. The actor declared in the video, “God damnit, I hate it!” but endured the change for his fresh role in “Dune Messiah” as well as his environmental campaign. It was a look of Momoa beardless that has shaped characters from Khal Drogo to Arthur Curry.
2. Travis Kelce’s Uncommon Clean-Cut Grooming
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has worn it all from mustaches to scruff, but is almost never clean-shaven. That’s why his clean-shaven look during a 2021 game against the Arizona Cardinals left X users in a tizzy one joked, “Need a ‘GrowFundMe’?”
In 2025, Kelce shaved his Super Bowl beard short when he dated Taylor Swift on her Eras Tour in Sydney, wearing the style with an edgy Louis Vuitton ensemble. Although his beard is frequently changing, the clean shave is a showstopper, particularly for those who are accustomed to his game-day signature style.
3. Zach Galifianakis in ‘The Beanie Bubble’
For years, Zach Galifianakis’ unkempt beard was his comedic persona. So when Apple TV+ released the trailer for “The Beanie Bubble,” fans were shocked to see him clean-shaven playing toy titan Ty Warner. Decider even ran with the headline, “Zach Galifianakis Shaved His Iconic Beard and Honestly? It’s Creeping Us Out.”
The transformation wasn’t just for shock effect Warner was famously clean-shaven, and Galifianakis went the distance in the role. The transformation brought out his willingness to go outside of his normal weirdo persona, delivering a performance that was both sweet and unsettling.
4. Prince Harry’s Wedding Beard Drama
Prince Harry’s red beard has been a signature since 2015, but maintaining it for his 2018 wedding to Meghan Markle was not easy. In his book “Spare,” Harry disclosed that he had to seek the permission of Queen Elizabeth II to sport it with his military uniform because beards were prohibited in the army. She granted him permission, saying it made him more relaxed.
The move is said to have angered Prince William, who was commanded to shave his own beard before his wedding. Harry called the beard his “shield to my anxiety,” illustrating how beards are strongly linked with confidence and identity.
5. Charlie Hunnam’s ‘Shantaram’ Sacrifice
Charlie Hunnam’s shaggy beard became one with his Sons of Anarchy and The Gentlemen character. For his Apple TV+ show Shantaram, however, he shaved it all away. Hunnam explained to People in an interview that it was “the bigger sacrifice” than shaving his hair, going on, “This is my protection and I like looking at myself in the mirror more with the beard.”
The shave was deliberate his character, Lin Ford, had to look smooth and unshaven. Shaving made him more noticeable to the fans who were accustomed to viewing his rough good looks.
6. Joe Manganiello’s Pandemic Switch-Up
Whereas lockdown found some other celebrities letting their beards grow, Joe Manganiello went in the opposite direction. His then-wife Sofia Vergara took a photo of him without his beard in April 2020 and people said, “Beards are like a weave or makeup to men!!! He looks so different.”
Manganiello mentioned nothing about the change, but the difference was striking for “True Blood” and “Magic Mike” viewers accustomed to his looks. The beard came back, but that beardless moment is one of his most controversial style changes.
7. Drake’s SNL Beard Backlash
When Drake shaved off his neatly trimmed beard prior to hosting “Saturday Night Live” in 2016, the internet judged him quickly. His since-deleted Instagram selfie of a newly clean chin spawned the hashtag #DrakeBeard, with one fan proclaiming, “Drake shaving off beard without consulting opinion of public is rude as hell.”
The scandal aided in proving how much a part of his persona the beard had become since his pre-bearded “Degrassi” era. The shave, though short-lived, solidified the rapper’s face hair on the pop culture radar.
8. David Harbour’s Gas Station Reveal
David Harbour’s beard has been as varied as his filmography, from Hopper’s mustache on “Stranger Things” to a full beard in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That is why it shocked fans in November 2021 paparazzi photos in which he was clean-shaven and bald filming Netflix’s “We Have a Ghost.”
The change was for the role, but took away the bristle to which the audience had grown accustomed. The beard was shed, and Harbour’s appearance was scarcely recognizable without it.
9. The Weeknd’s Post-Breakup Mustache
The Weeknd’s beard has been a cornerstone of his gaunt, brooding look for years. In September 2019, however, shortly after he broke up with Bella Hadid, he traded it in for a neat mustache. It was a sudden change that made the headlines, with people commenting on how different his demeanor appeared.
Although it was not a shave, the chopped-down facial hair was sufficient to create buzz and gossip over whether it was a renovation-split. Either way, it showed how minor changes can redefine a celebrity’s image.
Facial hair may be no big deal to some, but for these celebrities, it’s a defining feature that can factor into how the world perceives them. Whether it’s shaved for a character, for a cause, or for a clean slate, losing the whiskers can be a dramatic declaration and one fans won’t soon forget.
