Being Bald in 'Alexa & Katie' Really "Shocked" Lead Actress Paris Berelc
Updated June 10 2020, 3:58 p.m. ET
If you're a fan of Netflix, then it's likely you've come across the adorable sitcom Alexa & Katie. The show stars Paris Berelc as Alexa, a teenage girl battling cancer, and Isabel May as Katie, Alexa's supportive best friend. When Alexa goes bald from cancer, Katie kindly shaves her head as well to make Alexa feel better. That said, fans of the series are curious if the actresses really shaved their heads in real life, or if it was just an illusion for the show.
Did Alexa and Katie really shave their heads?
Though it could be deceiving since both Alexa and Katie have short haircuts in real life (perhaps they've slowly been growing it out after going bald?), according to Paris, the actresses did not literally shave their heads for the show. Instead, they wore bald caps and wigs on set to create an illusion for fans.
"Wearing the bald cap was me in the chair for a few hours getting that done," she told Just Jared Jr. "When I first saw myself bald, I’ll admit that I don’t look so bad bald."
However, she admitted that seeing herself bald on live television was quite shocking. "There’s definitely a shock when all your hair is gone and even watching it on screen it’s like 'Woah. I’m bald.' Going through that with Isabel was really eye opening," Paris added. "I can’t imagine what it is like for someone who actually is bald, from cancer."
Once the girls went bald on the show, they were able to experiment with wearing a bunch of different wigs. "We tried on so many that we didn’t even use," she continued, adding that she was a huge fan of the pink and blue ones. "They were so much fun to wear."
But even though they tried a bunch on, not all of them made the cut for the actual episodes. "One that we didn’t use was one with bangs that was brunette," Paris explained. "It was really cool and really cute, but it just didn’t make the cut."
Is 'Alexa & Katie' ending?
Unfortunately, Alexa & Katie will soon be ending its three-season, two-year run. The show premiered in March 2018 with a 13-episode first season. Season 2 then aired in December 2018 with 10 episodes. The third and final season kicked off with eight episodes in December 2019. The final eight episodes will air on Saturday, June 13 on Netflix, and those will be the last eight episodes we will ever get to see of the show.
Paris recently gushed over her influential role as a teenage girl with cancer and the show's successful run. "Alexa & Katie was not only fun and welcoming, it was a project I had a really hard time letting go. Everyone on set from writers to makeup and hair, grips, production, cast...we are all a true family. These final episodes are touching and fulfilling," she told Seventeen. "Thank you for the experience and the memories I will never forget. I am so grateful to have been your Alexa."