Brie Larson has made a bold hair change — and it’s all part of the preparation for her latest role.
Larson, 35, showed off her freshly shaved head in a post shared via Instagram on Saturday, February 1.
“The most special and energizing time,” the actress captioned the post, referring to her time on stage in the West End play Elektra. “Made this video to give a taste of what the last few months have been for me as we prepare for our West End debut. I have never been in rigorous rehearsal process, and the play we created is wholly unique. Working with this incredible team of cast and creatives has changed my life! We built this show together and love performing. We are a lucky bunch!”
The video included rehearsal moments featuring Larson on stage, showcasing her completely shaved head. The actress also speaks to the camera, explaining that she made the video “as a way to get inside ‘Elektra’ the play.”
”Just to look at the rehearsal space,” she explained. “Just to kind of get a vibe of how we’ve had to build this show from the ground up.”
Larson added that the team is “honoring” the source material for the play, which is based on the Greek myth of Electra. “These plays didn’t have specific locations and sets,” she continued. “We’re kind of honoring that in our own way by doing it in an empty theatre along with some other contemporary items like a blimp.”
This is the second dramatic hair change Larson has debuted since beginning work on the play. In November she showed off a new pixie cut in a photo shared on Instagram. The style change was a significan tone, as Larson previously wore her hair blonde and cut to her bust.
Larson opened up about the play in an interview with The Telegraph published January 31. “It’s amazing how often she says the word ‘no’,” she said of her character. “I sometimes don’t think she even knows why she is saying no. But it’s the most repetitive and enduring part of her. She’s just like: No!”
Elektra is directed by Tony nominee Danish Fish and based on Anne Carson’s translation of the Greek tragedy by Sophocles. Larson’s character is furious with her mother, Clytemnestra, who killed her father Agamemnon.
“She is basically inconsolable, unwilling to see the good,” Larson also told the outlet. “But that’s partly what makes playing her such a profound experience. There is no part in the play where you have to set up a way for the audience to like her. The play is not trying to explain itself. It’s just – this is the text, this is how I feel, and I want you to hear how I feel. And she refuses to apologise for that. You don’t tend to see female characters who do that anymore.”
Elektra opened in London’s West End on January 24. The play will run until April 12.
