It’s a visual that may have fans’ hair stand on end.
To promote its new documentary “Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed,” Netflix has posted an old picture of the beloved “Joy of Painting” host, without his well-known beard and curly hair.
“Seeing Bob Ross without his signature curls and beard is one of the most shocking moments in Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed,” the streaming service captioned its tweet, which featured two photos.
The first picture shows Ross with the classic look fans remember, including his big hair and beard. The second picture offers a different glimpse of the TV star as a young man. In the black-and-white photo, he's sitting clean-shaven at a table, wearing a white T-shirt and sporting a lush head of straight hair. He stares at the camera with his left arm and right elbow resting on the table.
Ross' perm instantly made him stand out, but it came about more due to finances than fashion.
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“He got this bright idea that he could save money on haircuts,” his longtime business partner Annette Kowalski told NPR in 2016. “So he let his hair grow, he got a perm, and decided he would never need a haircut again.”
“Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed,” is currently available to stream on Netflix.
“Bob Ross brought joy to millions as the world’s most famous art instructor. But a battle for his business empire cast a shadow over his happy trees,” Netflix teases the documentary.
Ross, who died at age 52 in 1995, was an unlikely TV star, hosting “The Joy of Painting” from 1983 to 1994. His calm demeanor and repeating phrases like “happy little clouds” helped endear him to viewers who observed as he painted tranquil scenes.