The Stunning Transformation Of Tell Me Lies Star Grace Van Patten

Grace Van Patten is one of those rare, under-the-radar nepo babies. Effectively born into an acting dynasty — she counts '70s TV dad Dick Van Patten and "Psycho" star Martin Balsam among the cohorts in her showbiz extended family — Grace is proof that a famous name doesn't guarantee instant success. After years of minor appearances, she is finally taking a stride into the spotlight thanks to her starring role on "Tell Me Lies."

And, as with so many child stars, she looks unrecognizable from her early acting days. Grace has undergone an incredible transformation from awkward kid to Hollywood star, with the actor proving herself positively chameleonic in her sheer ability to flit between different (and disparate) looks throughout the years. But her journey has just begun, and the star is the first to admit that she's far from having reached her final form. 

"I'm still figuring myself out, but a great way to discover things about myself is through acting," she told The Hollywood Reporter. "So many of the people I play have felt like extensions of myself, and this is the first job where I'm like, 'Where do I start?'" Let's take a look at the stunning transformation of "Tell Me Lies" star Grace Van Patten.

Born in New York in 1996 to director Tim Van Patten and actor Wendy Rossmeyer, Grace Van Patten grew up immersed in the world of showbiz. From a young age, she was certain that she wanted to follow in her parents' footsteps. "I went through a phase where I wanted to do nothing but that," she told Vogue in 2021. "I think because I was exposed to the realities of the industry at such a young age, I saw that it wasn't all glamor. I saw the stress and unpredictability that comes with it firsthand."

As a toddler, Grace met boxing legend Muhammad Ali and looked near unrecognizable with her messy blond hair and shy smile. During an appearance on "The Late Show with James Corden," she explained that Ali was a guest star on one of her father's shows, and he knew that he had to immortalize his meeting with The Greatest — albeit in the cutest way possible. "Muhammad Ali is one of my dad's biggest idols ... And he just called my mom and said, 'You've got to get over here. Bring the girls,'" she recalled. "And my mom brought us and we got a picture and it's framed in the house and it's like a little shrine."

In 2006, at the age of 8, Grace Van Patten made her acting debut in an episode of "The Sopranos." In the Season 6 episode, "Members Only," which was directed by her father, Van Patten played Ally Pontecorvo, daughter of tragic mobster Eugene Pontecorvo. Though Van Patten only had a fleeting appearance on the show, the youngster made an impact with her lachrymose performance, undoubtedly exhibiting her future potential as a performer.

During her time on set, she was able to learn more about her craft from co-star James Gandolfini. In particular, she was fascinated by the notion of acting as a transformative experience. "I have a memory of seeing Jimmy Gandolfini start the scene as this big, beautiful, soulful teddy bear and then just shape-shift into an absolute monster," she told Vogue in 2021. "I remember being so in awe and thinking, how did he do that? I was fascinated by the idea of transformation and realized early on that's what I wanted to do."

As a teenager, Grace Van Patten enrolled at LaGuardia High School in New York, which specializes in performing arts. There, she studied alongside fellow star-in-the-making Timothée Chalamet. In 2014, an 18-year-old Van Patten performed alongside Chalamet at The Jewish Community Center in Manhattan. A far cry from her future glam Hollywood persona, Van Patten looked rather shy and awkward with long crimped hair that hung along her face. Van Patten and Chalamet appeared to have developed a close bond at school; in 2019, Glenn Close revealed on Instagram that she and Chalamet took some selfies for Van Patten.

Though she was in the midst of that difficult transition between teen and young adult, Van Patten's star potential was evident to those around her. In fact, it was another of her famous classmates, Ansel Elgort, who first got her in touch with her manager. But things could have turned out very differently for the teen, who initially wanted to attend a sports-based school. "I wanted to play basketball or volleyball—and I wanted to go to a high school that was very competitive in sports," she told Elle. "I decided to go to [Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts] instead, and I fell in love with it. I can't imagine a normal high school experience after that."

As she began making a name for herself in the industry, Grace Van Patten underwent an incredible glow-up. In 2016, the 19-year-old made her big screen debut with "Tramps." The film saw her travel the world, and that fall she appeared at the Rome Film Festival. Wearing her glossy flaxen locks in a chic ponytail and donning a pair of leather pants, she appeared to be imbued with renewed confidence. Posing with gusto, she had evidently transitioned out of her awkward teen years and was on her way to slaying on the red carpet.

Also that year, she was living her best life in Tokyo. In a feature for Vogue, she ran through her itinerary in the metropolis, sipping miso soup, signing autographs for all her new fans, and mingling with celebs. "So honored to be a part of it and to be in this beautiful country," she revealed.

Grace Van Patten stunned with a brand new look in 2017. Ditching the bleached locks for dark hair, the actor appeared to morph into someone entirely different.

It was a busy year for Van Patten, who had appeared in the Netflix movie "The Meyerowitz Stories" as Adam Sandler's daughter. Speaking to Harper's Bazaar, she described the experience as surreal. "[This year has] been such a blur in the best way possible," she enthused. A month before her 21st birthday, she appeared at an event for the flick in Los Angeles. With soft chestnut curls and more than a dash of bronzer, she was channeling a mini Shailene Woodley (in the best way possible) at the glitzy event.

Van Patten had previously experimented with brunette locks for her role as Ellie in the aforementioned "Tramps" and fell in love with the darker aesthetic. In her chat with Harper's Bazaar, she mused that having dark hair made her feel more powerful. "Even when you wear it up versus when you wear it down, it makes you feel a certain way," she explained. "I went from super-long blond hair to short, rugged black hair, and I felt like a totally different person." As she told Interview that year, she missed playing her "Tramps" character so much that she opted to reach for the chestnut dye once again.

In 2018, Grace Van Patten ventured into theater, appearing as Joan of Arc alongside Glenn Close in "Mother of the Maid," which was staged at the Public Theater in New York. Speaking to Vogue that year, Van Patten, who was about to turn 22, revealed that she had a lot in common with her incarnation of the French saint. In particular, she described herself as a tomboy who grew up hating the girly girl aesthetic. "And I connect with her determination—when I set my mind to something, I really try to make it happen—of course, she did that times a million," she said. "She cut her hair and dressed as a boy and didn't care what anybody thought of her, all while leading an army of men at age 17."

Though a self-professed tomboy, Van Patten was prevented from cutting her hair at the time, as she had to keep her locks long for a movie she was filming; however, that didn't stop her from fully embracing an edgier aesthetic on the red carpet. In attendance for the Christian Dior Couture S/S19 Cruise Collection, she wowed in a gothic inspired-ensemble, wearing her hair in an austere bun and sporting a black netted skirt. She went to the show with then-boyfriend Nat Wolff, whom she reportedly started dating the previous year.

She may have felt more powerful as a raven-haired beauty, but Grace Van Patten went back to blond in 2019. Appearing at the Tribeca Film Festival, the 22-year-old was looking fresh-faced as she debuted her newly dyed honey-hued locks and natural makeup. Looking a world away from her gothic experimentation, she was giving supermodel as she posed in a Chanel tweed pants suit.

Just as she was modifying her appearance, the star was also making significant changes in her professional life. That year, she scored a leading role in the dramedy "Good Posture," which enabled her to flex her comedic mettle. Directed by Dolly Wells, the film saw Van Patten playing a petulant and entitled college graduate refusing to adjust to the responsibilities of adult life. In an otherwise tepid review, Variety heaped praise on Van Patten, lauding her performance as carrying the entirety of the film.

2020 will undoubtedly go down as one of the strangest years in history. It was the year of vanquishing the concept of time, baking bread, and experimenting with new hair dye. Grace Van Patten was no exception to this global rush to reach for the dye. In March 2020, the 23-year-old posted a selfie on Instagram featuring her new ginger tresses along with the caption "Oops" (presumably a reference to the very human need to alter our identities in some way during global crises). With this new look, Van Patten was proving herself a master of disguise, which is, admittedly, a fitting skill for an actor.

During the pandemic, Van Patten filmed the TV show "Nine Perfect Strangers," in which she starred alongside A-listers Nicole Kidman and Melissa McCarthy. Made to travel to Australia to film the series amid the coronavirus, Van Patten was, understandably, feeling more than a tad anxious. However, it ultimately turned out to be a transformative experience — one that would forever change her approach to her craft. "I do feel that this role pushed me to go deeper than I've ever gone before," she told Elle. "That commitment I found is, you've got to go there. You've got to go there even if it's tough, because coming off of this role, I've never had such an issue [separating fiction from reality]."

Following the release of "Nine Perfect Strangers" and the movie "Mayday" in 2021, Grace Van Patten was finding herself experiencing a whole new level of fame. In an interview with Vogue, she described appearing in the former as a life-changing experience. But her career wasn't the only thing that changed that year.

Catapulted into the spotlight, Van Patten underwent a style and hair makeover befitting her newfound celeb status. Appearing at Paris Fashion Week in 2021, she slayed in a vibrant cape draped over an all-black ensemble. At 24 years old, she looked every bit the A-lister-in-the-making — not to mention it-girl — as she posed with equal parts confidence and poise.

Chatting to Fashionista, she opened up about her approach to personal style, and the way it had drastically changed since her awkward years. "If I brought out pictures of me at eight, it's like a different person. I love that because it marks ... times in your life, which is really cool." She went on to describe her aesthetic as a medley of John Travolta in the 1970s, '90s hip-hop, and a dash of cowboy throwback. And though she found herself attending ritzy fashion galas that year, Van Patten admitted to being a thrift store connoisseur rather than a follower of haute couture. "You've got to be in the right mindset to go vintage shopping, though. But when I am, I'm on a mission," she added.

There's no denying that Grace Van Patten is a virtuoso when it comes to transforming her appearance. In 2022, gone was the ginger mane. In its place was striking raven hair. Attending Paris Fashion Week that September, the 25-year-old looked unrecognizable with a black shag cut, which contrasted against her pale skin and made her red lippy pop. There was also a notable shift in her style, with Van Patten evidently embracing the Y2K revival with aplomb in a double denim and lace bralette combo. Even the most dedicated fashionistas would admit that denim on denim is hard to pull off without having a Britney and Justin circa 2001 moment, so we applaud the star for her spin on the cursed combo.

In an interview with W Magazine that month, Van Patten opened up about her foray into the aughts aesthetic, which was precipitated by her role in TV series "Tell Me Lies" (the show is set in the 2000s). "By the end, I was buying [low-rise jeans] on Depop," she said. "I had multiple Ed Hardy shirts in my wardrobe. I got completely brainwashed." It was a Y2K love affair that was short-lived, however, with Van Patten presumably Repoping her Ed Hardies. "I'm slowly realizing that may not be me," she mused. "The further I get away from it, [the waists] just get higher and higher."

Soft girl style dominated spring 2023. Always one to keep up with the trends, self-styled tomboy Grace Van Patten entered her soft girl era that year, showcasing delicate curtain bangs framing her shimmery dark brunette hair. When attending the Agent Provocateur "AP Forever" launch party in West Hollywood, the 26-year-old wore a satin teal slip dress that complemented her feminine new 'do. Bobby Eliot, who has styled Van Patten's hair, made the curtain bangs work for her face shape. "I think 'curtain fringe' — or that soft, almost short layer that hugs the cheekbone — is still going strong," Eliot told Fashionista that year.

It wasn't just Van Patten's enviable tresses that were making headlines, though. The actor was also fueling dating rumors with her "Tell Me Lies" co-star Jackson White (the pair play a couple on screen). Van Patten and White were snapped getting super close that year, though the former opted to remain coy whenever the subject arose. "Fans should just leave it up for mystery, keep it fun," she told Entertainment Tonight the previous year.

It's not out of the ordinary for actors to fall for their on-screen love interests, but in Grace Van Patten's case, her on-screen relationship with Jackson White is far from couple goals. TV drama "Tell Me Lies" sees Van Patten and White star as college students Lucy and Stephen, who are engaged in a highly toxic relationship. The popular series has propelled the former child actor to stardom, and, as a result, her love life has also piqued the interest of fans.

Though she had previously skirted around the question, Van Patten confirmed in 2024 that she and White are dating and she's done pretending they're not. "Our relationship is out there, but not too much of it. I think that just treating our relationship professionally, the way we treat it in our own lives, is the best way to go about it," she told The Hollywood Reporter. She's also confirmed that her relationship is the antithesis of Lucy and Stephen's, telling People, "We're wildly different, thank goodness."

Appearing with her beau at the show's premiere in September 2024, Van Patten, at age 27, had undergone a blond bombshell makeover. Exuding old-school Hollywood glamor and style, there's no denying that Van Patten has officially entered her queen era: Long may she reign and sashay into her next stunning transformation.