Mandy Moore’s New Bangs Are Giving Rebecca Pearson Energy

Save her 2011 stint as a redhead, Mandy Moore’s hair transformations rarely throw us for a loop. She’s played around with every shade of brown and taken blonde for a test run circa Princess Diaries (and yet again in 2021). Her cuts run the gamut: There was her early 2000s pixie, more recent curtain bangs, and of course her go-to long layered look.

So that all begs the question: Why does the Walk to Remember actress’ most recent cut and color have the internet spiraling? It involves a darker chocolate hue, shorter length and curtain bangs—yes. But the combination of all three has fans reminiscing on the early Rebecca Pearson days as the new ‘do looks straight out of a scene from This Is Us season one.

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That wasn’t necessarily the inspiration. It seems that the Princess Diaries star just wanted to switch things up—a little seasonal refresh, if you will. Her go-to stylist Ashley Streicher just so happened to be traveling through Pasadena and it was the perfect opportunity to change up her style. “I’ve been itching for a hair change for a loooooong time and lucky for me, my sweetest @streicherhair was in town and fit me in. Love you, Ash,” Moore captioned an Instagram post of her new look. Streicher, the hair mastermind herself, echoed the sentiment, taking to Instagram stories to share the transformation photo. “I love this ma’am and her new fun hair,” she wrote.

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It took less than 24 hours for the comparison comments to start rolling in. On the one end, were the ever loyal This Is Us fans mourning the show’s ending. “Giving me This Is Us Season 1 vibes,” one fan wrote, while another said, “It’s a very Rebecca Pearson look!!!” On the other side of the spectrum came a wildly different, albeit highly accurate, look-a-like comparison: Jacyln Smith in the 1970s Charlie’s Angels series. A few people even pointed out an Anna Foster resemblance from Chasing Liberty in 2004.

But regardless of whether Moore now looks like Rebecca, Jacyln, or Anna, her new look is stunning—and perfect for Spring.

Samantha Holender is the Senior Beauty Editor at Marie Claire, where she reports on the best new launches, dives into the science behind skincare, and shares the breakdown on the latest and greatest trends in the beauty space. She's studied up on every ingredient you'll find on INCI list and is constantly in search of the world's glowiest makeup products. She's constantly tracking the biggest nail and hair trends to pop up in the beauty space, going backstage during fashion weeks, tracking celebrity looks, and constantly talking to celebrity hair stylists, nail artists, and makeup artists. Prior to joining the team, she worked as Us Weekly’s Beauty and Style Editor, where she stayed on the pulse of pop culture and broke down celebrity beauty routines, hair transformations, and red carpet looks. Her words have also appeared on Popsugar, Makeup.com, Skincare.com, Delish.com, and Philadelphia Wedding. Samantha also serves as a board member for the American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME). She first joined the organization in 2018, when she worked as an editorial intern at Food Network Magazine and Pioneer Woman Magazine. Samantha has a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from The George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs. While at GWU, she was a founding member of the school’s HerCampus chapter and served as its President for four years. When she’s not deep in the beauty closet or swatching eyeshadows, you can find her obsessing over Real Housewives and all things Bravo. Keep up with her on Instagram @samholender.