Halloween in Hollywood is no small affair, with celebrities combining both their creativity and considerable budgets to produce some of the most elaborate costumes possible. This year, however, it seems like the winner of Halloween has already been crowned, and the award goes to actor, singer, and artist Janelle Monáe debuting her terrifyingly realistic E.T. costume from Steven Spielberg’s 1982 classic E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
A self-professed Halloween fanatic, Monáe already boasts an extensive history of impressive Halloween costumes, but this year may be her best yet. She had planned to don the regalia of the beloved alien in 2023, but chose not to as a result of the ongoing actors’ strike. “SAG-AFTRA issued guidelines discouraging members from dressing up like film or television characters, so I stood in solidarity with my people and switched up my plan,” Monáe said. But with an extra year to prepare, it’s no wonder that her eventual transformation into the iconic E.T. has already earned almost 100k likes on Instagram. Numerous images depict a more domestic side of the sci-fi character, with E.T. eating breakfast, getting dressed for the day (in both men’s and women’s clothing, no doubt an homage to Monáe’s gender fluidity), and, of course, flying through the night sky in the basket of a bicycle.
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Monáe’s dedication to Halloween is obvious, as her costumes typically represent hours of work and careful planning. For E.T., she teamed up with stylists and special effects artists, using several layers of custom prosthetics to achieve the look. Staging photographs and videos for social media is another laborious process, and Monáe revealed that she often employs method acting techniques to fully embrace the character that she’s portraying. But for Monáe, all this work is more than worthwhile. “Halloween is such a happy space for me,” she said. “It has been since I was a kid. It opens a larger conversation of how do we become agents of joy? How do we become agents of happy? How do we become agents of imaginations? I’m just doing what I want to see more of.”
Bringing Halloween experiences and creative experiences is heart work, not hard work. I do this because my heart needs it.
Who’s Who for Halloween in Hollywood
For the uninitiated, Monáe’s E.T. costume might seem like overkill, but the star has already offered countless incredible looks in celebration of her favorite holiday. In years past, she has somehow managed to transform into the bathrobe-wearing Grinch, the pocketwatch-dangling White Rabbit, and the head-holding decapitated bride Annie Bellum. Recently, Monáe has also taken to demonstrating a political flair with her costumes, becoming the fly from Mike Pence’s vice presidential debate in 2020, and donning a pin in support of Kamala Harris this year.
Still, Monáe is far from the only star who pulls out all the stops for Halloween. Some celebrities go for the scary looks, others opt for sexy — but either way, their creativity is certainly something to be applauded. This year’s hits include Paris Hilton’s spot-on recreation of Mia Wallace from Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, Lizzo’s somewhat controversial photoshoot as a weight-loss drug criticizing the recent Ozempic craze, Megan Thee Stallion’s 1980s throwback as the DC comic book character Starfire, and horror filmmakers Mike Flanagan, Kate Siegel, and Bryan Fuller’s portrayal of Jimmy, Kit, and Dottie from the 1992 baseball comedy A League of Their Own.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial