Viola Davis Wore Two Different Bobs in the Same Weekend

Proof that the bob is versatile.

a black woman wears a teal gown while presenting at an awards show
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Viola Davis is a woman of many talents. She's a seasoned actress, she's an EGOT winner, and she also just reminded me that you can never run out of ways to style a bob.

On Feb. 28, Davis appeared at the 57th NAACP Image Awards in Los Angeles, where she was honored and presented with the Chairman's Award. She showed up wearing a strapless, deep burgundy Marmar Halim gown that featured a thigh-high split and a matching cape, but it was her hair and makeup that blew me away. The bob has become a go-to hairstyle for Davis while attending red carpet events over the last few years, but the bob she wore on Saturday was much different from the others. This time around, her hair was jet black, and it was cut into a very blunt bob that stopped just above her chin. It also featured a set of thick blunt bangs to match. Per Instagram, her hair for the night was styled by celebrity hairstylist, Jamika Wilson.

As for her makeup, Davis chose to go the monochromatic route with a deep red lipstick blended with dark lip liner and a dark, berry-toned blush on her cheeks.

a black woman with short, dark hair wears a burgundy gown and poses in front of a light blue backdrop at an awards show

Viola Davis at the 57th NAACP Image Awards.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Of course, that wasn't all we saw of her bob. With two major award shows in one weekend, Davis obviously had to switch things up. Just a day later, she attended the 2026 Actor Awards and swapped her blunt bob and bangs for a slightly longer bob with soft curls and a side part.

a black woman with a dark bob haircut poses in front of a yellow background at an awards show

Viola Davis attends the 2026 Actor Awards on March 1.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The bob was the haircut of 2025, and per hair experts, set to evolve as more people hop on the short hair bandwagon in the next few months. What Davis wore to the NAACP Image Awards could be considered a micro bob, aka the chin-grazing cut has been popping up all over red carpets and runways over the last few weeks. After a brief break from short hair, Gabrielle Union returned to her bob during a press tour for her new film while Love Island's Olandria Carten popped out wearing a micro bob during Paris Haute Couture Week last month. According to hairstylists, the micro bob is one of many haircuts that'll be on everyone's beauty vision board this spring.

“The micro bob 2.0 is a super-short bob that hovers between cheekbone and jawline, and cut almost like a helmet in the best way, with a sharp perimeter, and a precise line,” celebrity hairstylist, Gregory Patterson, previously told MC. “Think of this bob as the ‘LBD’ of haircuts this season: minimal, strongly architectural, and very, very intentional.”

If the micro bob (or, really, any variation of the bob) is on your list of haircuts to try this spring, read ahead for some styling tips.

Danielle Jackson
Senior Beauty Writer

Danielle Jackson is the senior beauty writer at Marie Claire. She has nearly a decade of experience covering beauty, lifestyle, and entertainment and was previously the senior beauty editor at Women's Health, where she thoughtfully covered topics related to skincare, haircare, aesthetics, and wellness. Before that, she spent three years as an assistant beauty editor at PS, and in the years since, her work has appeared in titles like Vogue, InStyle, Glamour, and more. Danielle graduated from the University of Georgia with a BA in English, and has lived in Brooklyn for almost ten years. When she's not writing, you can find her reading romance novels and talking about sunscreen. You can find her on Instagram @danielleknecole.