Cutting Ties — and Hair: How Willow’s GH Transformation Reflected Her Emotional Spiral

Katelyn MacMullen revealed the origin of Willow’s chopped hair and the benefits of the new ‘do.

General Hospital's Katelyn MacMullen opened up about Willow's new look.

Willow can’t seem to understand why Michael won’t let her see her kids on General Hospital. She doesn’t yet know that he suspects she was the one who was messing with baby Daisy, forcing Sasha to take her child and flee Port Charles. Willow puts up a good face, but there’s a touch of mania in her eyes, and Michael feels she could melt down at any minute, endangering their children. As part of her spiral to the dark side, Willow chopped her hair off, and Katelyn MacMullen explained the changes her character is going through.

A Cut Above

MacMullen spoke with Soap Opera Digest and said that the decision to have Willow cut her hair came from executive producer Frank Valentini, who told her, “It would be great [for Willow to have a new look] as she comes into the Nurses’ Ball feeling so confident.” He was instrumental in choosing the style that Willow would end up with.

She stated that the Ball was the perfect time for her to have this change, remarking that, “It would be great for Willow to have a bolder look, something different than what we’ve seen in the past with her.” That certainly made sense, especially considering that when we first saw her new ‘do, it looked as if she frantically chopped it off, rather than having gone to a stylist.

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

Things fell apart for Willow when Michael (Rory Gibson) showed up at the ball, scooped up Wiley (Viron Weaver), and exited. He had been recovering at a burn clinic in Germany, so everyone was shocked to see him. Willow would soon have a few mental breakdowns in public, causing her to ultimately lose custody, and she later left Drew (Cameron Mathison) at the altar when he admitted to sleeping with Nina (Cynthia Watros). All of that is enough to cause anyone to lose their mind.

The change in Willow’s hairstyle wasn’t just a visible representation of her character’s transformation. MacMullen explained that the haircut made her feel more like herself, a feeling she described as “weird.” She revealed a major benefit of the cut, stating, “When my hair was longer, I kind of felt like I could hide behind the hair a little bit, but this is like, ‘No, you have to really show yourself.’”