Keri Russell Laughs About Backlash From Felicity Haircut 26 Years Later

26 years later, Keri Russell laughs concerning the backlash that sparked from her haircut on Felicity. Created by J.J. Abrams and Matt Reeves, Felicity aired from 1998-2002 on The WB. Russell toplined the college-age drama as Felicity Porter, who navigates life and love as she attends the fictional “College of New York.” Russell and Felicity have been identified for her iconic mane of curly hair, which the actress and character infamously chopped off in Felicity season 2, which created an surprising outrage from viewers.

On Think about Leisure’s Instagram, Keri Russell remembers in amusement at how Felicity’s haircut was an concept offered to her by J.J. Abrams. Russell shearing off Felicity’s trademark locks led to “hysteria,” with strangers coming as much as her on the road commenting on her seems to be. Learn Keri’s quote and watch the Instagram video under:

J.J. known as me over the summer time. We had shot the primary season of Felicity, and he mentioned, “We’re arising with the storylines for subsequent yr. We’ve got this concept that the boyfriend breaks up with you, after which, like school women do… you go and lower your hair. Would you be prepared to do this?” I mentioned, “Yeah, after all.” And so we did it, and there was this loopy backlash. I didn’t count on all of the hysteria. Strangers did come as much as me on the road and say issues like, “You have been so fairly earlier than you chop your hair.”

Keri Russell’s Felicity Haircut Backlash Defined

Felicity’s Hair Turned A Pop Tradition Punchline

Felicity’s haircut got here in Felicity season 2, episode 3 after her large breakup with Ben (Scott Speedman). As Keri Russell recalled, J.J. Abrams determined to chop Felicity’s hair after Russell performed a joke on her government producer by donning a boy’s wig. After initially freaking out that his star had lower her voluminous hair, Abrams determined to have Russell and Felicity do it within the sequence. The backlash was surprising by Russell, Abrams, and The CW community, which obtained offended letters about Felicity’s haircut.

In 2016, Keri Russell revealed on Late Evening with Seth Myers that she obtained dying threats over her haircut.

Keri Russell’s haircut in Felicity season 2 was a water-cooler second in late Nineteen Nineties popular culture. Even individuals who didn’t watch Felicity have been conscious of Russell’s haircut, which turned a punchline on late-night TV, and was lampooned on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and Gilmore Women. The CW claimed the haircut was the reason for Felicity‘s falling rankings, though altering the present’s timeslot to Sunday nights in season 2 led to Felicity shedding a 3rd of its viewership, as reported in Time.

Our Take On Felicity’s Haircut 26 Years Later

Keri Russell Moved Onto New Roles After Felicity

Keri Russell seems to be again with amusement at all the hullabaloo over Felicity’s haircut in 1999. Regardless of the haircut and Felicity‘s cancellation in season 4, Time named Felicity one of many All-Time 100 Greatest TV Exhibits in 2007, and Felicity Porter was ranked among the many 100 Biggest Characters of the Final 20 Years” by Leisure Weekly. On account of the backlash, nevertheless, The WB Community instituted a “no haircut” coverage for its actors within the wake of Felicity’s controversy.

After all, Keri Russell grew her hair again, and have become a Golden Globe winner and four-time Emmy nominee for starring within the critically acclaimed spy sequence The People. Russell additionally appeared in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and headlines The Diplomat on Netflix. Trying again at Felicity’s haircut, it was a watershed second for Keri Russell and the sequence, and lots of viewers members soured on Felicity post-haircut. 26 years later, there’s speak of rebooting Felicity, which Keri Russell can be recreation for, however do not count on one other haircut if it occurs.

Supply: Think about Leisure Instagram, Time