15 Celebrity Outfits With Hidden References to Their Iconic Roles
Celebrities think very carefully about their outfits when planning a red carpet appearance for a film or a TV series premiere. Some of them decide to have a little fun and add various references to the film they’re promoting. Just think of Zoë Kravitz, who dazzled everyone with a Catwoman-esque outfit at the premiere of the new Batman movie.
Here at CHEERY, we’ve put together some examples of stars taking inspiration from their characters and creating unique ensembles for the red carpet.
David Harbour
The Stranger Things star grabbed all the photographers’ attention when he arrived at the premiere of the new season wearing a themed outfit. The actor admitted he wanted to wear “something bold”, so he commissioned a suit featuring the show’s young characters.
The back of the jacket was embroidered with the spooky house, around which revolves the entire plot of the second part of Season 4. David’s image turned out to be very luxurious and elaborate.
Jameela Jamil
The series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law premiered on Aug. 15, 2022. Actress Jameela Jamil chose a custom-made dress for the big day. She appeared in comic-book-style print, with iconic-to-the-genre onomatopoeia, “BANG”, “WOW”, “BAM” and “ZAP” featured all over. But a direct reference to the superhero series were Jameela’s green fingernails, which harmonize with the theme of the premiere.
Ana De Armas
The actress shone at the premiere of the action film No Time to Die in a dress that paid homage to Bond girls of bygone eras, as well as her own character. Ana’s gown featured a plunging neckline, a suggestive slit, and luxurious straps.
Fans of the Bond movies will immediately be reminded of Lana Wood in Diamonds Are Forever (1971) and Barbara Beach in The Spy Who Loved Me (1977). Their characters also wore black dresses with unusual straps and very low necklines.
Brie Larson
The star, who played Captain Marvel in the film of the same name, was not about to part with her superhero look. She attended the opening ceremony of the Marvel Avengers campus at Disneyland Paris in a custom-made costume. Brie’s outfit was adorned with hand-embroidered stars, which are a clear reference to her character. The actress even chose star-shaped earrings.
This isn’t the first time Brie Larson has paid tribute to the Marvel Cinematic Universe at official events. For instance, at the premiere of the latest Avengers, the actress completed her look with jewelry that resembled Thanos’ gauntlet.
Alexa Demie
The star of the series Euphoria paid tribute to her character, Maddy, when she appeared on the red carpet in a vintage Norman Norell dress. Loyal fans of the series remember how much this designer means to Maddy. The luxurious dark purple Norman Norell evening gown was coveted by Alexa Demie’s character all season long, becoming a symbol of the development of her personality and the beginning of a new life.
Zendaya
This is one of those times where just one look at an actor’s outfit immediately reveals which film they’re promoting. Zendaya posed for photographs during the London premiere of the new Spider-Man movie. The star’s outfit was beautifully complemented by the spider web earrings.
Cynthia Addai-Robinson
Cynthia Addai-Robinson plays the role of Queen Regent Míriel in the highly anticipated series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. The designer behind the cast’s outfits for the premiere wanted to play with her character’s royalty, so he picked for her an elegant silk dress. The cut of this gown is truly reminiscent of a royal image.
Elle Fanning
The star of the Maleficent story seems to have stepped directly out of the pages of the fairy tale. The actress drew fans’ attention with her detailed image, referring to her character Aurora. Fanning’s olive green dress was decorated with ribbons, flowers, and a drop of blood. It was as if the actress herself had just pricked her finger with the enchanted spindle.
Gwendoline Christie
Actress Gwendoline Christie promoted Netflix’s new project, The Sandman, showing off a flawless cosmic look on the red carpet. The show’s main character is a creature from outer space who can control dreams, and Gwendoline Christie’s designer nailed the show’s theme, dressing the actress in this ethereal, avant-garde creation.
Joey King
Joey King opted for a dramatic look for the premiere of the new series The Princess, in which she plays the lead role. The actress decided to play on the name of the project and wore an outfit worthy of a modern-day princess — a brave and confident young woman, who can’t be hidden behind a corset.
Claire Danes
The actress starred in the series The Essex Serpent. Fashion critics commented that the print on the dress perfectly matched the theme of the premiere.
Daisy Ridley
The Star Wars star knows that the devil is in the details. This is exactly why she accessorized her look with themed earrings, which were a veritable scattering of stars in different shapes and sizes.
Lily James
Lily James wowed everyone when she attended the premiere of the mini-series Pam & Tommy in an outfit with an extreme, Pamela Anderson-inspired cut. It seems that no other outfit would have fit so well with the style of the lady played by Lily James.
Lupita Nyong’o
Lupita Nyong’o, who starred in Black Panther, appeared on the red carpet in a luxurious dress. Nyong’o’s stylist said that it was precisely her role in the film that helped in the process of choosing her outfit for the premiere. “There’s definitely a nod to her warrior character, Nakia, here, without being costumey. It’s a really glamorous take on our vision and it’s very fierce, certainly.”
Which of these films and TV series have you watched? Were you able to spot the references in the actors’ outfits yourself?