For Emayatzy Corinealdi it’s all about a new look.
The Reasonable doubt Actress, 42 – who debuted her elegant pixie haircut on Jimmy Kimmel Live Thursday night – tells PEOPLE exclusively that she feels now is the right time for a change.
“I wanted to make a change because I feel most comfortable with short hair,” Corinealdi tells PEOPLE. “I feel confident, sexy, powerful and now is the perfect time to get my swag back.”
The star says it took “about an hour or so” to complete the look, and then another couple of hours for a photo shoot. But she managed to get everything done in time for her appearance on the late-night show, where she spoke about her beginnings as an actress and her family’s inspiration for her career.
“My family loved me with short hair, it’s dominant,” she says. “I’ve been wearing natural hair for a while and I grew it out during COVID, but now seemed like the perfect time to grow it back out.”
Renny Vasquez
RELATED: Emayatzy Corinealdi is pregnant! Actress expecting first child with husband Jermaine: “I’m speechless”
The actress presented PEOPLE with exclusive photos – posed and confident – proudly showing off her new haircut in her dressing room while wearing a black V-neck mini dress and classic black heels. She wore soft, smoky evening makeup with a glossy lip by makeup artist Renny Vasquez.
Her hairstylist, Kiyah Wright, gave PEOPLE more details about the look, saying she wanted to give the actress a style that was “short but versatile.”
“I left the neck a little longer to create some softness in the neck as well,” Wright continues. “Softness with a certain sharpness.”
Renny Vasquez
RELATED: The must-see hairstyles of the stars
In an exclusive video of the haircut transformation shared with PEOPLE, Wright is seen combing Corinealdi’s locks, creating the look and giving her style suggestions.
“I’m already seeing something that’s not quite pixie yet…but how about a French bob?” Wright asks her. “Super cute little bangs to give you that pixie feel, but then she’s got a cute little bob on top. Just the start, then we can move on to a pixie.”
Corinealdi has been photographed with pixie haircuts in the past, but this year she was mostly seen with a short bob, the same hairstyle worn by her tough and sassy character Jax Stewart in the legal drama. Reasonable doubt.
Renny Vasquez
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The drama follows a Los Angeles criminal defense attorney with “questionable” ethics who must “juggle work, family, friends and a complicated personal life.” The series is produced and directed by Kerry Washington and also stars Michael Ealy, Sean Patrick Thomas and McKinley Freeman.
New episodes of Reasonable doubt airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on Hulu.
