Inside Michelle Monaghan's Return to White Lotus Blonde: 'I'm Craving That Change Again' (Exclusive)
The actress teamed up with Goldwell to create the perfect summer blonde inspired by her 'White Lotus' character
Updated on June 11, 2025 10:21PM EDT
Michelle Monaghan.Credit :
Tractenberg & Co.; Gonzalo Marroquin/Getty
The White Lotus season 3 may be over, but Michelle Monaghan isn't ready to let go of her blonde hair just yet.
For the third installment of HBO's hit anthology series, the star swapped her usual brunette locks for a sun-kissed blonde to portray Jaclyn, a TV actress on vacation with two friends. Alongside costars Carrie Coon and Leslie Bibb's blonde styles as Laurie and Kate, respectively, the trio sparked an internet frenzy.
"[Show creator] Mike [White] was like, 'I really want all of you to be a big blonde blob,'" Monaghan tells PEOPLE. "Which is why he wanted me to go blonde. We had no idea that the blonde, [Leslie's] bob, all of the things would take hold in the way that they did."
After filming wrapped, Monaghan went back to brunette for some other projects, but now that summer's approaching, she's ready to dive back into blonde with the help of Goldwell.
"I'm craving that change again and that transformation," says the actress. "I just wanted to be lighter and brighter for this summer. I'm really excited to shed the brunette once again and get to play around with being blonde."
This time around, Monaghan is looking for a low maintenance blonde that she won't have to worry too much about while on vacations this summer. "I don't think we'll be as blonde as Jaclyn, but I think we'll be somewhere in between," she says.
Michelle Monaghan after the transformation.
Gonzalo Marroquin/Getty Images for Goldwell
Goldwell colorist Kirby Lago says she's aiming for a "buttery, warm" blonde for Monaghan.
"I'm creating a really soft hazel base and then really popping it with some buttery warm blonde tones," Lago tells PEOPLE. "It'll be really nice on her skin tone."
To create Monaghan's fresh color, Lago relied on a selection of Goldwell products to help maintain her hair's health. "I'm using SilkLift range, it's a really luxurious lifter," she says. "It's got all of the properties in there to help with the hair as you're lifting to really support the bond."
Lago continues, "Then I mix in the Bond Pro as well, which is similar to a bond builder. Then we do a Bond Pro II after every lightning service, and that's another supporting product as well when we're lifting."
When it comes to Monaghan's cut, celebrity hairstylist Harry Josh wants to embrace the star's natural texture. "We're going to shape it up because she likes to wear it naturally curly," he explains. "I'm going to add a couple of layers, do a little bit of face framing."
The actress doesn't like to use a lot of heat on her hair, so Josh is reaching for hydrating Goldwell products like the Goldwell StyleSign Air-Dry BB Cream and the Goldwell StyleSign Blowout & Texture Spray that will "nourish her curls and allow her to air dry her hair" and maintain moisturized, touchable locks.
Healthy hair, the experts agree, is summer's biggest trend — especially when it comes to blondes.
"That's the thing with blondes now, hair needs to look glossy and healthy," Lago says. "Gone are the days of really over-processed blondes that are a matte porous texture. It's really important that the hairstylists are taking the steps to nourish and look after the hair as it's lifting."
"Now all of a sudden it's, 'Wow, I can go this blonde and it can feel soft and touchable and shiny and I don't need to put [extensions] in," Josh adds. "That's a win-win for everybody."