Brooke Nevin was once instantly recognizable to television fans, appearing everywhere from “Chicago Fire” to popular romantic movies. But after taking time away from acting and making a dramatic change to her signature look, the actress looks noticeably different today.
Nevin became familiar to “Chicago Fire” viewers as paramedic candidate Tara Little, while her extensive résumé also includes Breakout Kings, Call Me Fitz, Jingle Around the Clock, and Crashing Through the Snow. For much of that career, the actress was known for some variation of her trademark blond hair.
That changed around 2022, when Nevin traded her lighter locks for a rich dark-brown shade. The transformation became even easier for longtime viewers to miss after she largely stepped away from acting following 2024. During that period, she expanded her family and welcomed a son, Griffin, with her partner, fellow actor Michael Traynor. Since becoming a mother, many of her updates have appeared primarily on social media.
Nevin has acknowledged that people sometimes recognize her without immediately remembering where they have seen her. During a 2025 appearance on the #ActorLife podcast, she revealed that people often approach her asking some variation of, “What do I know you from?” Frequently, the answer turns out to be one of her many romantic television movies — projects in which viewers generally remember her as a blonde.
Changing her appearance is also closely connected to Nevin’s acting process. While discussing her work in F** Marry Kill* alongside Lucy Hale, she explained that she sometimes builds a character “from the outside in.” A particular hairstyle or outfit can suddenly unlock a role for her. “Sometimes [wearing] my hair a certain way or wearing a certain outfit can be like, ‘Oh, there she is. I have her now,’” she explained. She has even admitted that characters’ wardrobes occasionally influence what she chooses to wear in her everyday life.
After spending time away from regular acting work and settling into motherhood, Nevin eventually returned to the screen. In 2026, she took on a role in the short movie Can’t Float, marking another step in her return to acting. The project made its festival debut in April at the Cleveland International Film Festival and later appeared at the LA Shorts International Film Festival in August, followed by additional festival screenings during the year. For the part, she also embraced a noticeably different appearance, keeping her brunette locks instead of switching back to the blond hair audiences have long associated with her.
Whether Nevin eventually goes blonde again remains to be seen. For now, the combination of motherhood, several years away from the spotlight and her dramatic brunette transformation has given the former “Chicago Fire” star a very different appearance from the one many longtime viewers remember.
