Method Dressing: Nine Actors Who Stayed Wildly in Character on the Red Carpet
Whether it's Zendaya in tennis-inspired shoes, Cynthia Erivo dressed in green, Margot Robbie as Barbie, or Jenna Ortega in shredded black leather, today's movie stars rarely disappoint on the promo circuit. Kristen Stewart once questioned if female actors ever practiced method acting, implying it was a male-dominated domain. However, a trend accessible to all actors—without extreme measures like tooth extraction or on-set demands—is method dressing. This involves promoting a film in outfits inspired by their characters.
The Rise of Method Dressing
Everyone seems to be embracing method dressing, especially in recent months with films like Wicked: For Good and Wuthering Heights hitting the red carpet. Why? It's a low-stakes way to endorse a film, suggesting the actor enjoyed it so much they're willing to stay in character. This strategy drums up media coverage and excitable social media commentary, often serving as a knowing wink or gift to fans. Some actors or their stylists incorporate subtle sartorial semiotics and Easter egg accessories, appreciated only by hardcore fans and fashion enthusiasts. But who are the Daniel Day-Lewises and Robert De Niros of promo tour dressing?
Margot Robbie – Wuthering Heights
The undisputed queen of method, Margot Robbie, and her stylist Andrew Mukamal have outdone themselves with a high gothic Wuthering Heights "tour-drobe." This requires a close reading of the 1847 classic to decode. Her outfits feature red, a leitmotif in the film, a snakeskin motif referencing Heathcliff's line "I'd rather be hugged by a snake," and Elizabeth Taylor's heart-shaped Taj Mahal necklace. Perhaps the most extravagant expression was at the London premiere, where Robbie wore a Dilara Findikoglu dress crafted from fake hair, accessorized with a replica of Charlotte Brontë's amethyst mourning bracelet, which incorporated real hair from her deceased sisters, Emily and Anne.
Margot Robbie – Barbie
Robbie has been method dressing for years, notably for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood in 2019, Babylon in 2022, and most famously, Barbie. For the 2023 press tour, she and Mukamal created looks that precisely referenced specific dolls, including a black sequined sheath with a frill ("Solo in the Spotlight Barbie"), a psychedelic mini ("Totally Hair Barbie"), pink polka dots ("Pink and Fabulous Barbie"), and a black-and-white striped number paying homage to the original doll.
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande
The stars of Wicked are exceptionally disciplined method dressers, sticking to a palette of Glinda pink for Grande and black or green for Erivo, referencing Elphaba's skin tone. Grande often goes further: at the LA premiere in 2024, her Thom Browne pink gingham and Swarovski-crystal-encrusted pumps directly referenced Judy Garland's dress and slippers. In Sydney, her Vivienne Westwood gown echoed Billie Burke's original Glinda dress. Inspired by this commitment, supporting cast members like Jeff Goldblum and Colman Domingo have joined in with wizardly and lion-inspired outfits.
Zendaya – Challengers/Dune
For Challengers, Zendaya appeared in a Wimbledon-ish green Loewe sparkly shift embellished with a film still of a player serving a ball. Her stylist Law Roach dressed her in "tennis-core" looks, including tennis ball heel shoes. Zendaya is a repeat method dresser, having worn a silky red ringmaster jacket for The Greatest Showman in 2017 and a range of outfits for Dune: Part Two, from space desert warrior garb to a metallic Mugler robot suit.
Alexander Skarsgård
Promoting his film Pillion, Skarsgård embraced "kinky method" dressing with leather and fetish details, such as thigh-high black shiny boots and a boot-licking motif T-shirt at Cannes. However, his infamous tiny shorts on Lorraine weren't method—just Skarsgård having fun.
Jenna Ortega
Ortega joyfully embraces the spooky goth aesthetic for her Wednesday promotions, wearing shredded black leather, Victorian ghost white, and a green Simone Rocha ghoul bodysuit. For Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, she wore a near-exact Thom Browne replica of Winona Ryder's character Lydia Deetz's outfit from the 1988 original film.
Jacob Elordi
While not matching Robbie's efforts for Wuthering Heights, Elordi did wear a Christopher Kane jumper featuring Frankenstein's monster's face on the Jimmy Fallon show for Frankenstein. GQ also suggested his silky, sober suits channelled the original Victor Frankenstein.
Timothée Chalamet
A gamely weird dresser, Chalamet promoted Wonka in method-ish outfits like a lavender Prada suit, white platform boots, an Oompa Loompa hoodie, and Wonka-inspired Nike Dunks. For Marty Supreme, his looks were relentlessly orange, including a Chrome Hearts orange combo with Kylie Jenner that prompted Reddit comments about "too much orange." It's a commitment to craft that Marlon Brando could only have dreamt of.
