Willa Ferreyra, played by Justine Lupe, is a quiet hero of the Waystar Royco universe. Like Cousin Greg, she’s an outsider; unlike Cousin Greg, she’s been a largely unwilling player in the Roy family feuds.
Who Is Willa Ferreyra and Why Is Her Hair Important?
Willa is the sugar baby-cum-girlfriend-cum fiancé of Connor Roy, the most redundant Roy sibling. Over three seasons, Willa goes from free spirit and aspiring playwright to (very much aspiring) politician’s wife. Like Siobhan Roy, Willa’s angst and compromise can be found written large in her changing hairstyles — and are reflective of broader narrative arcs within the series. With this in mind, we’re taking a closer look at the evolution of Willa’s beauty looks.
Season 1: Tumblr-core Hair
Like Cousin Greg, Willa starts “Succession” as an outsider. With art student-burgundy waves, playwright aspirations, and a side hustle as an escort, she’s an awkward guest at the ultra-conservative Roy family events. And like Cousin Greg, she serves as a perfect foil for the Roys, highlighting their hypocrisy simply by being in the room or the family photo.
At Shiv’s wedding, she’s explicitly uninvited from the family photo — one that features Roman’s girlfriend Tabitha, who he’s uninterested and incapable of having sex with, and Kendall’s ex-wife Rava, who barely speaks to him.
Related: In Honour of Connor and Willa’s Impending Nuptials, Relive All the Dramatic Weddings of “Succession”
But unlike Cousin Greg, Willa has as much disdain for the Roys as they do for her. Her relationship with Connor Roy is transactional. She eye rolls her way through family events, making her indifference clear with every furrowed brow and toss of her tousled locks. She doesn’t want to be in an exclusive relationship with Connor. Willa has no interest in climbing the corporate ladder at Waystar. Doing her own thing is Willa’s priority, as demonstrated by her packet-dyed hair and Tumblr-core outfits – no matter the occasion.
Season 2: Poker-Straight and Poker-Faced
In season 2, Willa has agreed to an exclusive relationship with Connor because she needs his financial backing for her play “Sands.”
She’s on the family circuit, arriving in Scotland with lighter, flat-ironed hair that looks a little in need of a deep condition. She’s obviously conflicted about her relationship with the overbearingly adoring, feckless senior as well as her obligations to the Roy family. During season 2 we see Willa spend a lot of time dodging kisses and biting her tongue, particularly during the yacht ride from hell in the season finale.
Related: Shiv Roy’s Hair in “Succession” Is a Tragedy In 3 Acts
Her strands are as stressed as she is; she’s flat ironing them to within an inch of their life, and they’ve been blonded up a notch. Someone send Willa Olaplex treatment stat.
Season 3: Under the Tuscan Sun Blowdry
In season 3, Connor’s political aspirations are becoming less of an embarrassment to the Roy family, who are seeking backing from a republican candidate. Willa moves from Roy family embarrassment to potential chess-piece — turns out she has a def touch with lecherous, conservative, and cashed up old men!
The only issue is her relationship status, something Connor looks to sure up with a surprise proposal in Tuscany. Connor’s feelings for Willa are as deep as any Roy is capable of, and we get the sense she’s grown fond of him. She’s also more at home with the Roys. Her blow-dry is a little more polished, her dresses are Ralph Lauren and Sandro, her ethics are set to one side, as are her thoughts around the patriarchal institution of marriage. After some awkward umm-ing and ahh-ing, she accepts Connor’s proposal with a less-than-effusive, “How bad can it be!”
Succession Season 4: Tradwife Transformation
There’s a slight time lapse between seasons 3 and 4, and by the time we reach Logan Roy’s birthday, we get the strong impression Willa’s eggs are firmly in the Roy basket.
She appears dressed in stiff, Clinton-esque navy and white satin, and her hair is in a striking newsreader bouffant. We’d guess about five cans of L’Oreal Elnett Hairspray are in that blowdry.
A pragmatic soul, she’s “leaning in” to her role as a conservative politician’s soon-to-be-wife. She is also playing her own game. With what looks like blue eyeshadow, Willa’s also more heavily made up than we’ve seen her in previous seasons. Shades of denim are on trend in 2023, but Willa’s look is serving Ivanka Trump over Dua Lipa.
Related: 7 Times Character’s Wardrobes Told Us They Were Doomed on “Succession”
Willa’s also starting to seem more ambitious than her fiancé. In an awkward conversation with Cousin Greg and his date Brigitte, Willa encourages Connor to spend $100 million to maintain his 1 percent status as he worries about reputation-spending. “You’d still be rich,” she murmurs to her fiancé. “You’d have a place in the conversation.” A place in the conversation is precisely what the Roys need. Her comments are enough to make us suspect Logan’s briefed her.
While we hope she doesn’t lean too close to a birthday candle, we can’t wait to see where her character, and her beauty look, goes in season 4.
