Throughout history, all sorts of myths and stereotypes have revolved around redheads. Some claimed they don’t feel pain, others claimed they don’t have souls.
Fortunately, with growing awareness and acceptance for red hair, thanks to movements like Love Your Red Hair Day and other redhead festivals, the world has started to not only accept people with red hair but to prize them for being rare. Now is probably the best time to flaunt your unique MC1R gene.
Even when statistics show that people with red hair comprise only 2% of the world population, several redheads have been able to make a name for themselves and gained fame in all walks of life. Let us look at ten famous redheads.
Redheads in Showbiz
There are several redheads in the showbiz industry. We are often so impressed by their performances that we forget to notice their hair color.
Chuck Norris
Chuck Norris did not learn Martial Arts; Martial Arts learned Chuck Norris. We have all heard countless Chuck Norris jokes and memes. But some of us hardly notice that he is a redhead. We probably know him because of his world-famous memes, but Chuck was a trendy actor from the 1970s to the 1990s. He is also a martial arts expert, and his action scenes are responsible for all the memes he has been in.
Conan O’Brien
The name O’Brien might ring a bell that Conan is a redhead, and he is. With more than 28 million followers on Twitter, this comedian is most known for his late-night talk show, which he has continued to host on American television since 2010.
Adele
The Grammy-winning singer has always impressed people with her sense of style and fashion. She is seen wearing a different hair color every time you see her. However, her childhood pictures were released by The Mirror, showing that she is a natural redhead.
Redheads in Sports
From wrestling to basketball and even snowboarding, redheads have proven to be unique sports performers.
Mark Calaway, aka The Undertaker
The Undertaker is a 6’10” titan and has been responsible for some of the greatest matches and memorable moments in WWE. Many find it hard to believe that he has red hair. He has been coloring his hair and facial hair black for that dark persona he depicted in the wrestling world for decades. If you want to see the Undertaker how he looked initially, you can check out Mean Mark from WCW.
Bill Walton
If you are a fan of the NBA, you must have heard of Bill Walton. The Hall-of-Famer, now turned basketball commentator has a considerable fan base. His colorful commentary makes other critics sound optimistic. His red hair has faded with time, but it was pretty vibrant when he was a player in the NBA.
Shaun White
Shaun White is an icon in both skateboarding and snowboarding. He has won multiple medals in both sports, which makes him the only person to win medals in both Winter and Summer X Games. His red hair is as famous as his achievements in sports.
Redheads in History
There have been many influential personalities with red hair throughout history. Some were scientists and inventors, some writers, and some were powerful monarchs.
Mark Twain
Mark Twain was a writer, entrepreneur, and humorist. He is known for famous novels, such as Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. He was a committed advocate for abolishing slavery since no one had fancy smartphones to snap pictures of Twain to show his natural hair color.
Queen Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I was the Queen of England from 1558 to 1603. She could read and write seven languages. There have been multiple myths revolving around her, and her whole life, even from early childhood, was full of controversies. Her portrait reveals she had red hair.
Galileo Galilei
Galileo di Vincenzo Bonaiuti de’ Galilei is a renowned historical astronomer who made significant contributions to astronomy, motion science, and material science and developed several scientific methods. He is also known for discovering the four largest moons of Jupiter. We know he is a redhead because texts from history read that he could have taken his freedom back when he was arrested for controversial theories, but the stubborn redhead refused.
Alexander the Great
Also known as Alexander III of Macedon, Alexander the Great was the king of Macedon in 336 BC. However, during his short monarchy of 13 years, he proved himself to be one of the greatest military generals in history. His empire stretched from Macedonia to Egypt and from Greece to what is now known as India. Several texts depict that his hair was of a unique red tint.
Final Thoughts on Famous Redheads
Redheads have made a name for themselves in all areas of life. Whether it is the showbiz industry, sports, politics, or even science and technology, there is always a shining star from among the gingers.
Even with all the myths and stereotypes surrounding them, they never failed to prove themselves and their capabilities throughout history, and continue to do so until this day.
