Twilight: Why Rosalie Wore A Wig After The First Film
The reality of staying faithful to book adaptations can be brutal, especially in the world of fantasy. Fans of highly successful book series often insist the actors match their book descriptions, which means going through some growing pains. Jennifer Lawrence's hair was famously damaged when she played Katniss Everdeen in "The Hunger Games." Dying her blond hair to brown for two films destroyed her hair, causing her to cut it off.
It was the reverse for Nikki Reed in "Twilight." An actor with distinctive dark hair, she had to bleach it in order to gain Rosalie's iconic blond tresses. Unlike Lawrence, the process only lasted one movie before Reed experienced repercussions.
"Most of my hair fell out, which is why they wigged me," she explained to People. "It's hard on the hair." Though the "Thirteen" actor admitted to missing playing the reserved vampire, dying her hair is not something she is nostalgic about. After five films, Reed is free from the incredibly high standards that playing Rosalie put on her.
Playing Rosalie came with a lot of pressure
Nikki Reed may have not been fans' dream casting for the role of Rosalie, but initially, the actor was ready for the challenge. Described with naturally blond hair and pale skin in the books, turning into Edward Cullen's (Robert Pattinson) foster sister was time-consuming. According to Times Union, it took over 30 hours to fully transform, but fan support for the film was important to Reed, and she didn't want to disappoint them.
"That's why I did it initially," Reed explained. "I really wanted the fans to understand that I was dedicated, and I was going to do whatever I needed to do, even at the expense of my hair falling out." But this decision came at a cost. Turning into what the books describe as "the most beautiful woman in the world," Reed doubted her self-confidence. "When you're cast to play that character with that description, there's an inevitable amount of external and internal criticism. Suddenly, you're wondering if you're able to play that, and you're listening to the rest of the world say, 'That's not who I would describe as the most beautiful woman!'"
Since then, Reed developed a more healthy relationship with her image. Instead of sacrificing for a role, Reed told Yahoo she redefined her perspective. "I remember thinking to myself, I need to write my own story about what that meant to be the most beautiful woman in the world."