When Did Anderson Cooper’s Hair Turn White?
Anderson Cooper has been one of the major faces of news media for decades now.
Though he became a household name through his on-the-ground reporting of major events from Hurricane Katrina to the Iraq War, his openness about being a gay man and his continued even-handed and often dry coverage of current events has made him into a beloved figure. On top of all of this, Cooper is instantly recognizable: his slim figure and blue eyes make him look quite sharp, and, of course, there’s his strikingly white hair. Cooper has had white hair for years, even when he was quite young, to the point where it’s hard to imagine his hair any other color! When exactly did Anderson Cooper’s hair turn the bright white we recognize today?
Anderson Cooper has been a journalist since the 90s
Today, we know Anderson Cooper as a CNN anchor. However, in the early 1990s, Cooper was on an almost DIY journalism path, making his own independent reports in countries like Myanmar and Vietnam and covering events ranging from student protests to daily life and culture. These reports impressed the small news company he worked for, Channel One, and he traveled to more locations to cover various wars and conflicts.
In 1995, he was hired by ABC, anchoring and hosting various shows. However, he really hit his stride in 2001 when he joined CNN as a news anchor. Since then, he’s been known for his show Anderson Cooper 360 as well as hosting the New Year’s Eve special, for continuing to travel to report on the ground, and for appearances on other shows and even some documentaries.
Beyond news coverage, Cooper is known for being quite stylish
Anderson Cooper always looks incredibly well put together in nearly every appearance he makes, from well-tailored suits to tee shirts that look fitted themselves. The neatly styled white hair and his rectangle glasses add an air of erudition to his appearance. In fact, Cooper has been well-dressed since before he even became a journalist.
The style seems to be something that runs in the family. According to an article from Huffington Post, Cooper’s mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, was herself a fashion designer, and his father, actor and author Wyatt Cooper, was no slouch himself. On top of this, he was actually a model for some time before entering journalism, modeling for companies like Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein. Cooper was surrounded by style and elegance from a young age, and carries it with him to this day.
Cooper’s hair went white very early
One of the most distinctive features of this news anchor is his bright white hair. Though Cooper is young-looking, he’s had this white hair for a long time. He’s discussed it before – mentioning in a Wired autocomplete interview how having white hair makes him look like he has no eyebrows!
Another question from the interview asked if Cooper always had white hair. The answer was no, but the first white patch apparently appeared when Cooper was 21, and started spreading. However, he “didn’t really pay attention to it,” until in his mid-20s he had “full-on salt and pepper” hair. The transition from salt and pepper to full white was apparently abrupt, and he apparently never sought to cover up the process.
Many of us are afraid of going gray or white, but perhaps there’s some inspiration we can take from Cooper. Cooper’s white hair has become an almost integral part of his style, and he’s clearly found a way to make it part of his image. Perhaps we can try something similar in our own lives.
