TV’s Top 25 Redheads: From ‘Riverdale’’s KJ Apa to ‘Outlander’’s Sam Heughen
KJ Apa
The hunky Kiwi dyed his brown locks for the role as comic book dreamboat, Archie Andrews on The CW’s Riverdale.
Sarah Rafferty
The actress plays smart and sexy Donna Paulsen on USA’s legal drama
Suits, and shows that red locks are the perfect accessory to any outfit.
Ellie Kemper
Whether she’s charming on The Office or in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Kemper’s fashionable characters aren’t afraid to break redhead fashion rules.
Sam Heughen
Whether Outlander’s Jamie Fraser dons a kilt or is dressed as a member of the French court, our bodices rip for this swoon-inducing redhead!
Christina Hendricks
The Mad Men siren just wouldn’t be Joan without her impeccably coiffed red ’do!
Michael Cudlitz
Red hair has never looked more fearless than on The Walking Dead’s Abraham.
Katherine McNamara
The blonde actress went red for her role as Clary Fray in Freeform’s Shadowhunters: the Mortal Instruments, and reveals, “Clary’s hair is such an integral part to the story, in that it really is an outward expression of who Clary is on the inside. She has such a fire and such a passion, and she’s so fiercely loyal to the people that she loves that her red hair is kind of where that fire escapes into the outside world.”
McNamara also told TV Insider, “It’s a color that I wouldn’t want to repeat for any other character just because it defines who Clary is, and is so indicative of who she is. I wouldn’t think it would suit anyone else but her.”
Madelaine Petsch
Many attribute red hair to being fiery, but Petch’s Riverdale character, Cheryl Blossom, is as cold as ice.
Gillian Alexy
Changing the actress’s hair from blonde to a radiant red for her role on WGN America’s Outsiders was the perfect choice for a character named G’Winveer.
Damian Lewis
We can find Billions of reasons we love this ginger Brit.
Claire Danes
Danes’s naturally blonde locks are perfect in Homeland, but we’ll never forget her as redheaded teen, Angela Chase, in My So-Called Life.
Lucille Ball
TV redheads weren’t even a thing until we fell for Lucy. Even in black & white, Lucy’s head-turning hair is still one thing we love about the TV pioneer.
That 70s Show (Amazon Prime Video)
Mila Kunis was 14 when she first starred as Jackie Burkhart. Laura Prepon was 17 when she portrayed Donna Pinciotti.
Debora Ann Woll
The former True Blood and current star on Netflix’s Daredevil may have been born a pale blonde, but we love her as a feisty redhead!
Emily Beecham
Her tough red-headed character on AMC’s Into the Badlands shares her name with a spider who also has a distinctive red-mark: The Widow.
Rupert Grint
He stole our heart as Harry Potter’s ginger pal, but Grint is currently making his fans swoon as a charming hustler in Crackle’s Snatch.
Lauren Ambrose
The former Six Feet Under star’s copper-colored hair stood out in the drama about a funeral-home owning family.
Molly Ringwald
Best known as a member of the 1980’s cinematic Brat Pack, Ringwald and her lovely locks have transitioned to TV roles in The Secret Life of the American Teenager,Raising Expectations and upcoming episodes of Riverdale.
Conan O’Brien
The late night host’s signature red hair is almost as tall as he is!
Marcia Cross
No one wore a headband better than Desperate Housewives’s stoic redhead, Bree Van De Camp. Now we’re glad to see Cross putting that glare to good use on ABC’s Quantico.
Gillian Anderson
Anderson isn’t a natural redhead, but she rocked it so ravishingly as Dana Scully on The X-Files that we want to believe.
Debra Messing
The Will & Grace actress’ dark red hair isn’t her natural shade, but it’s a gorgeous hue that most brunettes can carry off!
Alyson Hannigan
By the series finale of How I Met Your Mother, Hannigan’s hair had returned to its natural brown state, but we’ll always love her on-point red hair on Buffy the Vampire Slayer!
Jayma Mays
As Glee’s Emma Pillsbury, her parents (including legendary redhead Don Most) were protective of her ginger status.
Cynthia Nixon
Every group of friends has a Sex and the City-inspired Carrie, Charlotte and Samantha; but we’re happy to lay claim as hard working redhead, Miranda Hobbes.
Ever since KJ Apa transformed into one of our favorite comic book characters on Riverdale, TV Insider is seeing red—red hair, that is!
See Also Is This 'Riverdale' Cast Photo Really a Murder-Suspect Lineup?
We’ve gathered a gallery of our favorite TV gingers: actors and actresses who rock the red, whether they’ve dyed their tresses or their signature shade comes au natural.
Who do you think should have made our list?
