This Stranger Things Star Has A New Look — & It's SO Different

When she’s starring as Nancy Wheeler in Stranger Things, Natalia Dyer fits every stereotype of what the naive “good girl” of the story should look like, from the ringlets and flushed cheeks to her uniform of pastel cardigans and conservative knee-length plaid skirts — which she occasionally swaps out for a more practical combo of jeans and flannel shirts for Demogorgon-hunting purposes.

Needless to say, the actress is not her wide-eyed (yet surprisingly badass, when the situation calls for it) character, and her offscreen style is much more modern and edgy than Nancy’s buttoned-up '80s vibe. This week, Dyer ditched the tousled brunette lob she's been sporting IRL and surprised us with an even less Nancy-approved look during an appearance at the Young Hollywood Studio in Los Angeles: a blunt, shoulder-grazing cut, complete with brow-length bangs and a new, much lighter caramel-blonde color. It's a big change... but it's a good one.

With the second season of the hit series dropping on Netflix this coming Friday, we can probably expect to see a lot more of Dyer's new look as she makes the press rounds for the show. But we don't see Nancy switching up her look any time soon — unless, of course, she decides to embrace her grungy monster-hunting wardrobe full-time. It's not totally out of the question, considering she seems to be spending a lot more time with that Jonathan Byers...