Keri Russell: Her Own Hair Story

The biggest cliff-hanger of the just-concluded TV season didn't involve gunshots (The West Wing), an alien abduction (The X-Files) or a passionate twist (Frasier). No, the ultimate nail-biter dealt with... hair. Specifically, when Felicity returns in the fall, will Keri Russell's locks be long or short?

A firestorm erupted last season after the actress chopped off her trademark tresses. And when ratings dipped, WB execs wigged out and held the shag responsible (as opposed to the real culprit: the show's disastrous move to Sundays). But fans needn't pull out their hair wondering how this plot will play out.

"It's growing back," Russell tells TV Guide Online. "I haven't actually had it cut since those first few weeks after it was originally cut. It's definitely growing and getting longer every day." Still, she points out that there's little chance her 'do will be restored to its former crowning glory in time for Felicity's season premiere. "Oh, I don't think it will grow that long," she says. "It will probably be just above my shoulders.

"The thing with my hair is [that] it's so curly that even though it's long it [still] kind of shrinks back up," she explains. "So it's still kind of short, but only ringlet-y short... a little more wild."

By the way, Russell insists that the WB did not ban scissors from the set. "I guess it's just been my own decision to not get it styled and cut again." Nevertheless, all the negative publicity did take its toll. "It's kind of sh---y that people [feel] my haircut is the reason for our [bad] ratings, but it's all right. They have to have something to talk about, so that was it for that week."