From 1994 to 2003, actress Roma Downey played Touched By An Angel‘s Monica, the soft-spoken red-haired angel who led CBS’s series for nine straight seasons. Of course, most fans still picture her the way she appeared on the show: flowing crimson hair, a quiet smile, and a deep but kind message of faith shared with viewers over every episode. Today, however, the actress who turned that character into a ’90s TV icon looks nothing like that, and she wants the world to know it.
Roma Downey Debuts a Bold New Look at 66
On July 15, 2026, Downey shared new images of herself on Instagram, showcasing her new look: short hair, an ash-blonde bob haircut shorter than she ever wore her hair on Touched By An Angel.
Fans were quietly shocked by the transformation, which Downey addressed in a follow-up post. “I appreciate all the support for my new haircut! So many of you have left nice messages. I know it’s very different from my Touched by an Angel look. As many of you may remember, I had long red hair for most of the series while playing Monica. And yes, a blonde bob is totally different,” she wrote. “But life keeps moving, time passing and change is inevitable.”
She went on to explain that she had honoured the beginning of summer with the chop, and that the outcome felt extremely fashionable and very French. Her new cut was done by celebrity stylist Riawna Capri, whose past clients include Selena Gomez and Julianne Hough.
This Isn’t Downey’s First Style Switch-Up
This isn’t the first time Downey has changed her look. She first ditched her Touched By An Angel style in 2025, when she switched her hair colour to platinum blonde and told Instagram fans at the time that she was enjoying being a blonde. The new bob advances that look, and by her own admission, she has no regrets about permanently abandoning Monica’s appearance.
What Roma Downey Has Been Up To Since Touched By An Angel
After Downey ended her time as Monica, she continued to appear in television movies and shows, including the Touched By An Angel spin-off, Promised Land. She also played Mary, mother of Jesus, in The Bible miniseries, which aired in 2013, and its 2014 feature spin-off, Son of God.
The actress was born and classically trained in Northern Ireland before moving into American television. During her time on Touched By An Angel, she earned a number of Emmy and Golden Globe nominations.
Along the way, she and her husband, Mark Burnett, the producer of Survivor and The Apprentice, started LightWorkers Media, a production company that later became a hub for faith-based film and television, and was later acquired by MGM.
Through that banner, Downey created and starred in the History Channel’s The Bible miniseries, made the follow-up series A.D. The Bible Continues for NBC, and worked on The Dovekeepers for CBS. More recently, she co-starred with Married… with Children‘s Ted McGinley in The Baxters, a faith-based Amazon Prime Video series based on Karen Kingsbury’s Redemption book novels.
In recent years, Downey has also turned to writing, releasing devotional books like “Be an Angel,” which she dedicated to her late Touched By an Angel co-star Della Reese.
Where Is the Rest of the Touched By An Angel Cast Now?
Downey is the only member of the show’s main trio still in the public eye. Della Reese passed away at her California residence in November 2017 at the age of 86. John Dye, who portrayed Andrew, the Angel of Death, passed away in January 2011.
When asked if she would ever return for a reboot of the show, Downey didn’t rule it out. She told Entertainment Tonight it wasn’t a terrible idea, though she admitted she still misses both of her co-stars very much.
Touched By an Angel celebrated its 30th anniversary two years ago, and it remains popular to this day. It currently streams on Netflix under a contract that runs through July 2027.
One thing is evident from the new bob and a resume spanning from ’90s network television to contemporary streaming: Roma Downey has no desire to stop moving, either on or off screen.
