Great Hair Day

Vanessa Hudgens and Dakota Fanning Cut Their Hair for Critical Acclaim

By Sasha on

(Pacific Coast News and Bauer Griffin)

Vanessa Hudgens (Albert Michael/Startrakphotos.com)
It's a tried and true strategy: A gorgeous actress sheds her glamorous look in favor of grit for a role and subsequently lands an Oscar. We can name more than a few including Charlize Theron, Halle Berry and Hilary Swank (twice!).

Now, it seems Hollywood's younger set is giving the tactic a go. Dakota Fanning and Vanessa Hudgens have both signed on for unexpected, emotionally trying roles with rugged exteriors that they hope will win them critical acclaim.

Dakota has been spotted with a pixie-cut wig for her turn as a leukemia patient fulfilling her last wishes in Now Is Good. Vanessa on the other hand chopped off her hair—literally, she did it herself—for her role in the indie flick Gimme Shelter. The movie sees the High School Musical alumn playing the role of a pregnant teenager who is turned away by her Wall Street tycoon father and forced to survive on the streets. Both films are grittier than either girl has ever done and we're interested to see how they turn out.

What do you think, will these makeunders work in the girls' favor?

See Vanessa Hudgens' lookbook: