Emmy Rossum Embraces Natural Curls as Symbol of Wholeness

Emmy Rossum is celebrating her natural curls, viewing them as an integral part of her identity. The actress shared her perspective during the WSJ Magazine Innovator Awards 2026 red carpet.

"Yeah, but I like that," Rossum told Page Six Style when asked about her hair in humid weather. "I embrace my wholeness, my whole ethnicity, my specificity of texture. I think it’s important to step fully into who we are and not, you know, make ourselves smaller than we need to be."

Rossum, who appeared at the event in a sparkling black Hermès gown, has been showcasing her natural curls in the Hulu series "Furious." She told People at the show's premiere in July that there is an "emotional intent" behind this embrace of her authentic self.

"I think it’s important for me to feel empowered in my authenticity and my uniqueness," she explained. "And every time someone says that they like it, even though that shouldn’t be making me feel better, it does."

This shift comes after years of chemically straightening her hair. In a 2022 Instagram video for Vogue, Rossum reflected on how her perception of her hair had evolved. "What I love about curly hair, I think that it projects a confidence," she said. "For so many years, I straightened my hair. I keratin-ed my hair. I would flat-iron and blow-dry and try to kind of contort this into a different ideal of beauty."

She added, "And finally, embracing my natural hair is something that now makes me feel so unique." The actress cited the birth of her daughter in 2021 as a catalyst for this change. "I also had a daughter, and I was like, you know, I should just start wearing my hair the way it is," she told Kelly Clarkson on her talk show. "Why should I tell her that she should make her hair look [like] anything other than how it grows out of her head?"