Netflix has dropped the first trailer for Halston.
Set to Enjoy the Silence by Depeche Mode, the trailer follows Ewan McGregor as the iconic gay fashion designer as he attends drug-fuelled parties, figures out his signature style and vows to “change the face of American fashion”.
The following line from the character sets the tone for the series: “I’ve been an outsider my whole life until one day I just stopped giving a flying fuck.”
Roy Halston Frowick rose to international fame in the 1970s. His influence and business strategies redefined American fashion. In 1990, he passed away at age 57 due to AIDS-related cancer.
The series will follow Halston as he “leverages his single, invented name into a worldwide fashion empire that’s synonymous with luxury, sex, status and fame, literally defining the era he lives in, 1970s and 1980s New York.”
According to a synopsis, a “hostile” opponent will force the queer icon to battle for control over his most precious asset, “the name Halston itself”.
The ensemble cast includes Rory Culkin as Joel Schumacher, Rebecca Davan as Elsa Peretti, Sullivan Jones as Ed Austin, David Pittu as Joe Eula, Krysta Rodriguez as Liza Minnelli and Gianfranco Rogriguez as Victor Hugo.
Deep breath for even more star power: Bill Pullman as David Mahoney, Kelly Bishop as Eleanor Lambert, Vera Farmiga as Adele and Maxim Swinton as a young Halston.
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, McGregor addressed comments made by Pose star Billy Porter from 2019, where he said it was “enraging” to see straight men being praised for playing LGBTQ+ characters.
“I hear the discussion and I respect both sides of it, I really do. I haven’t walked in Billy Porter’s shoes. I don’t know what it’s like to lose out on parts when you might feel it’s to do with your sexuality. So I can only respect his point of view,” he said.
However, McGregor decided to take on the role of Halston because his sexuality isn’t the main focus of the show. “If it had been a story about Halston’s sexuality more, then maybe it’s right that gay actors should play that role,” he explained.
“But in this case – and I don’t want to sound like I’m worming out of this, because it’s something I did think a lot about – I suppose ultimately I felt like it was just one part of who he was.”
Halston premieres 14 May 2021. Watch the trailer here or below.
Latest
