Queer star’s E.T. costume is out of this world: ‘You won Halloween again!’
The queer icon behind the alien is… Janelle Monáe. (@polkurucz/@earlymorningriot)
Non-binary singer Janelle Monáe was unrecognisable in their Halloween costume, having transformed into one of the world’s most famous alien beings.
In a series of snaps shared on their Instagram page, the Knives Out star can be seen morphed into Steven Spielberg’s far-from-home being, and OG drag queen, E.T. In one picture Monáe is dragged up and wearing a Kamala Harris badge.
Other shots show E.T. choosing which underwear to wear, and using that magical finger to lift up a croissant.
Monáe might not have needed to phone home to get the look together, but she did phone an entire creative team, made up of roughly two dozen stylists, costume designers, special-effect artists and photographers.
The actor and singer told Vogue that she usually has her Halloween costume ideas planned out “years in advance”, and wanted to show the world “what E.T. has been up to now”, adding: “What kinda things is E.T. into? I thought it would be even cooler if he invaded my world: a day in the life of E.T. in this timeless space.”
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Monáe revealed that they had planned to wear the out-of-this-world costume last year, but decided against it to comply with union rules on dressing up as film and TV characters during last year’s Hollywood strikes.
However, the “Lipstick Lover” singer began putting the idea together early last year, and met up with special effects company Autonomous FX in Los Angeles to bring the vision to life.
“They do magical work,” Monáe said. “We spent hours and hours geeking out about how we were gonna make E.T.’s eyes blink, heart light up, and his left index finger light up.”
The team used foam latex to make the prosthetic skin suit, and Monáe watched Spielberg’s film numerous times to make sure they got all the details right.
“E.T. has lurked in my mind since I was a baby,” the star continued. “From Spielberg’s writing to the cinematography, the story of E.T. and Elliott has touched my heart. This movie always leaves me in tears.
“We spent bundles of time obsessing over how we were gonna pull this off, and I couldn’t be more proud and pleased.”
Monáe described dressing up for Halloween as “performance art”, and has become known for wild and wacky costumes over the years.
Last year, they gagged fans by appearing as a chameleon, while other costumes have included Diva from The Fifth Element and the Grinch.
On social media, fans were both awestruck and slightly freaked out. “You won Halloween again,” wrote one person while another declared them the “undefeated Halloween champ”.
Bit a third asked: “What the hell is going on?”
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