GQ

Whether you’re in the process of growing out your hair or it’s just settled into a rut, all guys know the pang of your hair feeling blah. Maybe Sebastian Stan does, too!

Or did, at least. Over the course of his press tour for The Apprentice—a film in which he was unfortunately stuck with Donald Trump’s goose nest of a combover—Stan has helpfully modeled a fix for any and all cut boredom: add a little movement and Hollywood via some volume, length and movement in the front.

For Stan, his current cut combines some ultra-long pieces towards the front of his hair, graduating to the back, and some short sides. At the BFI London Film Festival on Tuesday, Stan gave us yet another glimpse at this excellent hair.

Stan has been rocking this particular flavor for some time now. Earlier appearances have seen it pushed back from the face in a more classic interpretation of the style, but for the last few, the 42-year-old has been letting it all hang out front.

The key is in those longer pieces. Stan’s stylist has done a good job creating volume, by working a mousse or a styling cream into the roots to add lift during its being dried (if we had to guess, via a blow dryer as the hair is brushed up and away from the root with a rounded brush). And then, each of those longer pieces are styled rakishly on either side, swapping a clean parting down the centre for something a little more devil-may-care. The combination of the volume at the roots and the styling over it over the part (AKA not on the natural side of the part that it’s growing from) means that the way it falls over his face is fun and not too try-hard.

It’s a little ’50s movie star, and a little ’90s Brad Pitt at the height of his hair powers. It has movement and height, but it doesn’t feel “done,” and it looks even better when you run your hands through it, and reset everything.

As it goes, this is a haircut that works remarkably well for anyone in the process of growing out their hair. While you let that front and back grow, keep the sides neatly trimmed and tucked behind your ears, until you’re ready for it to be cut into its final form.

Or, just leave it as is. As they say, if it works for Sebastian Stan…