5 Celebrities Who Nailed Method Dressing (And 2 Who Missed The Mark)

When celebrities promote their latest films, fans expect them to show up to their press tours and premieres dressed in the best fashions. With dozens of cameras aimed at them and publications clamoring to know who and what they're wearing, stars know they need to slay. Of course, their appearances are extra fun when they channel their characters via method dressing, and it only adds to the hype of their upcoming movies. For example, while traipsing around the world to promote the big-screen adaptation of "Wicked," Ariana Grande wore mainly pastel colors in honor of Glinda (or Galinda — if you know, you know), while Cynthia Erivo donned plenty of green and black thanks to Elphaba. Their sartorial choices only added fervor to the musical movie, and fans couldn't wait to see what 'fits they'd wear next.

Grande and Erivo weren't the first to method dress on the red carpet, nor will they be the last. Geena Davis famously wore a baseball-inspired dress for the premiere of "A League of Their Own" in 1992, and no one can forget all the Barbiecore fashion Margot Robbie wore in 2023 for Greta Gerwig's "Barbie." We know which stars came to represent their characters, and we're here to give them all the props — but sadly, not everyone understood the assignment for their respective films.

"Barbie" was one of the biggest movies of 2023, and it not only entertained us but also started a fashion revolution. Margot Robbie literally transformed herself into the real-life version of the doll and helped make Barbiecore the trend of the year. With the help of her stylist, Andrew Mukamal, Robbie took to the red carpets wearing all-pink everything, with some classic LBDs thrown in the mix. One of her first looks was an adorable, hot-pink Valentino minidress with white polka dots, which she accessorized with classic white pumps and a canary-yellow shoulder bag. In another appearance in Sydney, Australia, Robbie harkened back to the first Barbie ever with a black-and-white striped dress that was supposed to resemble the doll's bathing suit.

Robbie fully dedicated herself to her "Barbie" persona, and fans were all for it. "We're finding Barbie references from decades past and just doing it really for the big Barbie fans out there, people who are actually collecting those Barbies. We're hoping to get them excited," she told People last July. Her plan definitely worked, and Barbiecore will go down in fashion history as one of the biggest and best fashion trends.

Angelina Jolie's given us some of the best style secrets, and she's come a long way since the early 2000s, when she showed up to premieres wearing leather pants and T-shirts. These days, the "Gone in 60 Seconds" star has upped her fashion game and prefers a more elegant look. We predicted that Jolie would wear lots of inky shades while promoting her film "Maleficent" in 2014, and we were right. And while she gave a nod to her character by donning shoes with thorn-inspired heels and even a woodland-themed dress, Jolie could have given us more drama.

Jolie stepped it up for the "Maleficent: Mistress of Evil" press tour in 2019 with a gorgeous, shiny black Atelier Versace gown that featured a silver scorpion pin at her waist, which gave misunderstood dark-fairy vibes. However, during the premiere in Tokyo, Japan, she wore a silvery fringed dress that would have been more suited for a 1920s flapper film. A few days later in Rome, Italy, Jolie wore a lavender butterfly top over black pants, and while she looked lovely, the 'fit did nothing to invoke Maleficent's delicious wickedness. Overall, we give Jolie props for some of her "Maleficent" 'fits, but many others were misses in our eyes.

Fans of "Wednesday" have to agree that Jenna Ortega nailed her character, Wednesday Addams, like no other in the Netflix series. Playing the monotone-speaking lover of all things creepy seems to come naturally for Ortega, and she stayed in character at the show's 2022 premiere. However, instead of the schoolgirl outfit she wore during filming, the "Scream" actor stunned as a gothic bride in a lacy black dress with a thigh-high slit and a sheer veil perched on her head. "It just felt appropriate," Ortega said of the spooky wedding look, per ET, adding, "I felt like if I was gonna wear black like everyone else, I probably should make a deal out of it. I put it on and I just knew that this is probably what I should do. I think [Wednesday] would appreciate the veil."

Ortega continued her method dressing while promoting "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" in 2024, and this time, she went for more color. While at the Venice Film Festival in August, she wowed in a fire-red Dior Haute Couture gown that harkened back to the wedding dress that Winona Ryder's Lydia Deetz wears in the original 1988 movie. Ortega honored the "Stranger Things" actor again in New York City by replicating her schoolgirl uniform with a green, plaid skirt and blue cardigan. And her cheeky accessory? A bag with the words "Handbag For The Recently Deceased" on it, which we think Wednesday would be all for, too.

"Wicked" continues to be one of the most-hyped movies of 2024, and the press isn't slowing down anytime soon, especially because "Wicked: Part 2" is slated to be released next November. Everywhere you look, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, who play Elphaba and Glinda, respectively, are seen posing together in all their fashionista glory. Erivo has rocked all shades of green just like her character's skin, while Grande has channeled the Good Witch of the North in light and airy gowns, typically in Glinda's signature shade of pink.

Erivo and Grande switched things up for the London, England, premiere of "Wicked," but they still stayed true to their witchy roles. Instead of her usual pink attire, the "We Can't Be Friends" singer showed up in a silky, butter-yellow Ralph Lauren dress that seemingly represented Oz's Yellow Brick Road. Erivo, on the other hand, showed off her dark side with a structured, black Schiaparelli Haute Couture frock with a glittery, pink underskirt. Oh, and it turned out that the Broadway star's 'fit had a sentimental meaning. "This final look, with its rose gold embroidery and sequins, is a subtle nod to [Grande's] Glinda. It felt meaningful to end this prolific tour with an ode to our friendship. It is whimsical and ornate, and when I saw it all together, I cried," Erivo shared with Vogue in November 2024.

Fans of Lady Gaga know that when she takes on a role, she completely immerses herself in her character. It seems she did precisely this with Harleen Quinzel (aka Harley Quinn), judging by her press-tour outfits. We absolutely loved her bright-red Celine dress and the matching jacket with structured, puffed-up shoulders worn at the London, England, premiere of "Joker: Folie à Deux." It gave high fashion and drama, while her teardrop makeup added a cheeky wink to her character. However, at a later event, Lady Gaga changed into a cartoonish outfit with ripped tights and silvery platform boots. We get that she's portraying a comic-book character while also promoting her new album, "Harlequin," but the literal take looked more costumey than couture.

The "Bad Romance" singer went for the harlequin concept again in an appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" with a dress featuring a clown-like neck ruffle and diamond patterns. Although "Joker: Folie à Deux" has long since wrapped filming — and the film didn't do too hot at the box office — there's still a bit of Harley Quinn inside Lady Gaga, as is apparent with her method dressing. "[You] fall in love with the characters that you play. I always have, anyway. Sometimes I've had trouble leaving them," she told People in October 2024. Unfortunately, this is noticeable. 

When Zendaya walks the red carpet, her fashion never fails to disappoint. The former Disney Channel star showed off her method dressing skills for "Dune" in 2021 by donning futuristic 'fits, but it was Zendaya's "Dune: Part 2" premiere look that had fans really dropping their jaws. The actor went all fembot in a silver, metallic Thierry Mugler bodysuit with clear cutouts and had her short hair slicked back in a wet look while in London, England, with her cast mates. At the Paris, France, premiere, Zendaya went for a gold look instead with a cropped, hooded Louis Vuitton top that mimicked the scarf her character keeps over her head to protect herself from the harsh desert elements.

This year 2024 was a busy one for Zendaya, as she went about promoting "Challengers" just a few months later. This time, she traded avant-garde fashion for more timeless, tennis-inspired 'fits. We especially loved her bright-green Tashi Duncan gown with a deep V-neck that featured a tennis-ball adornment at her navel. She brought the same energy to her Rome, Italy, photocall dressed in a sparkly, silver Loewe dress with a sporty, pleated skirt and actual tennis balls on the heels of her stilettos. If Margot Robbie was at the helm of the Barbicore trend, then Zendaya definitely inspired fashionistas to try the tenniscore style with her "Challengers" looks.

Zendaya at the 'Challengers' and 'Dune: Part 2' double feature held at Warner Bros. studios 📸 https://t.co/JgV8FQaoRt

— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) November 17, 2024

Taking method dressing to the next level, Zendaya even combined her two hottest styles of 2024 when attending a double screening of "Dune: Part 2" and "Challengers" in November 2024. Her top was sheer and seductive like her "Challengers" character would wear, while her pants were more metallic and rust-colored in appearance as if they were from the "Dune" world of Arrakis.