Stars have shaved their heads for all kinds of reasons. Tom Cruise did it for his role in "Minority Report," and Bruce Willis shaved when male pattern baldness took over his scalp.
Melissa Etheridge, however, lost her hair during chemotherapy treaments for breast cancer in 2004. She performed at the 2005 Grammy awards with her head still bald, wowing audiences with her empowering performance.
At Notre Dame, "celebrities" like football players Dayne Crist and Mike Anello will shed their locks for the St. Baldrick's Foundation to raise money for pediatric cancer research.
The head-shaving extravaganza will take place today, Thursday and Friday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. in LaFortune Student Center.
"Shavees" might be making the most drastic change, but the less bold can still help out. Students, faculty and staff can also donate hair for Pantene Beautiful Lengths or buy colored hair extensions to benefit Memorial Hospital.
For you ladies (and some guys) with long locks going under the clippers, don't worry. You can look as awesome as these celebrities while still supporting a great cause.
Demi Moore
In 1997, Demi Moore boldly shaved her head for her role as tough Navy SEAL trainee Jordan O'Neil for the movie "G.I. Jane." The movie is the fictional story of the first female to undergo Navy SEAL training and chronicles O'Neil's struggles against sexism, physical challenges and politics. Everyone expects her to fail, as men have a 60-percent dropout rate in the rigorous program, but Jordan is determined to prove everyone wrong. Moore's bare-headed look for the movie was almost as daring as her character's actions, and just as Jordan succeeded, so too did Moore in pulling off her new ‘do. She proved a "tough" look can also be a feminine one.
Natalie Portman
If you want to sport a shaved head with style and grace, look no further than Natalie Portman as an example. After cutting off all her hair for her role in "V for Vendetta," Portman managed to not only get through red carpets and awards season without wearing any wigs, but also looked more beautiful than ever, landing on the top of many best-dressed lists. With her hair grown out to a pixie cut, she drew many comparisons to Audrey Hepburn at the Golden Globes in 2006. Portman's lack of locks was so inspiring to some that there is even a band called "Natalie Portman's Shaved Head."
Sinead O'Connor
Irish singer/songwriter Sinéad O'Connor is known for three things: "Nothing Compares 2 U," her super-short buzzcut and making political statements. On Saturday Night Live in 1992, she tore a picture of Pope John Paul II in half to criticize the Catholic Church amidst a sexual abuse scandal. She has donned her bald look for a long time, and what began as a feminist statement against the traditional view of women has become habit. The Guardian has quoted O'Connor saying, "I don't feel like me unless I have my hair shaved. So even when I'm an old lady, I'm going to have it."
Sofia Vassilieva
Her white-blond hair made Sofia Vassilieva the perfect choice for the title role in "Eloise" TV movies and as Patricia Arquette's daughter in the CBS series "Medium." She's since grown her hair out into a sweet pixie cut, but in the 2009 drama "My Sister's Keeper," Vassilieva shaved off her goldielocks for her role as Kate Fitzgerald, a teenage leukemia patient. (Cameron Diaz also appears bald for a portion of the movie, but she was only in a skullcap.) Dakota Fanning was originally slated for Vassilieva's part, although she bolted when she found out she'd have to shave her hair —but Vassilieva was game for the change.
