She was last seen falling headfirst into the Mediterranean Sea, but The White Lotus star Jennifer Coolidge appeared to be on dry ground again on Wednesday as she attended a fashion show.
Those in attendance when Italian brand Diesel unveiled its latest ready-to-wear women’s collection in Milan were convinced the popular actress had graced them with her presence when a familiar-looking figure burst in and took a front-row seat.
But the old adage that appearances are deceptive has held true on this occasion at least, as Coolidge, who plays the emotionally insecure Portia in The White Lotus, was actually 6,043 miles from Milan on Wednesday night.
While the real Coolidge attended the premiere of new Netflix horror comedy We Have A Ghost in Los Angeles, drag queen Alexis Stone impersonated the actress in the Italian fashion capital.
Using a portrait photograph of the actress as a template, British actor Elliot Joseph Rentz transformed into Coolidge with a lifelike prosthetic mask, wig and false teeth.
Is this who I think he is? Those present were convinced that Jennifer Coolidge had graced their presence when Diesel unveiled its ready-to-wear women’s collection in Milan on Wednesday
True to life: But the old adage, appearances are deceptive, was true, because in fact it was drag queen Alexis Stone who posed as an American actress
A four-minute video tutorial posted to YouTube shows the meticulous, step-by-step process required to turn Stone into a remarkably believable doppelganger.
After Stone completed his transformation, he took to the red carpet and managed to pull off the star’s signature pout and shoulder shake while posing for photographers.
Dressed in a latex denim jacket and silver cargo pants, he even found time to chat up actress Haley Richardson, best known for her role as Portia’s overworked and underrated assistant.
Stone chose to portray Coolidge – who is enjoying a career renaissance – after pulling off more than 250 similar stunts at a variety of high-profile events.
The actor has already cosplayed Madonna, Cher and Dolly Parton, and his convincing transformation into a country star earned him a front row seat on the Balenciaga show’s New York Stock Exchange.
In 2022, he pulled off a similar feat, this time taking a front row seat for Balenciaga’s haute couture show after arriving as cosmetically enhanced socialite Jocelyn Wildenstein.
There she is: The real Jennifer Coolidge was 6,043 miles from Milan on Wednesday night while attending the Los Angeles premiere of Netflix horror comedy We Have A Ghost
Nothing is like the original: Jennifer Coolidge greets photographers on the red carpet (L) while Alexis Stone fools viewers at the Diesel show in Milan (R)
Greetings! Alexis was hugged by Diesel designer Glenn Martens during Wednesday night’s runway show
Coolidge is enjoying one of the greatest years of her career, earning critical and fan acclaim for her portrayal of Tanya McQuoid on HBO’s The White Lotus.
The 61-year-old actress’ character, a bizarre wealthy heiress, was the only character to return in Season 2 of the series.
She won her first Emmy, Golden Globe, Back-to-Back Critics Choice Awards, and next weekend she’s poised for her first Screen Actors Guild Award.
The actress was also named Hasty Pudding Theatrical Woman of the Year and starred in a Super Bowl commercial for eleven cosmetics.
Coolidge recently opened up about her resurgent career in a wide-ranging interview with People, in which she admitted why she thinks she’s become so popular lately.
Nice to meet you here! Wearing a latex denim jacket and silver cargo pants, Stone found time to approach Haley Richardson, best known for her role as Coolidge’s overworked and underrated assistant in The White Lotus
Meticulous: A four-minute video tutorial posted to YouTube shows the painstaking, step-by-step process required to transform Stone into a remarkably believable double
In detail: Using a portrait photo of the actress as a template, the British actor, real name Elliot Joseph Rentz, transformed himself into Coolidge with a lifelike prosthetic mask
“I think people liked that I was the underdog. I’ve played a lot of weird women, and people have been amused by the comedies I’ve done,” she said.
‘Then [show creator] Mike White put me in The White Lotus and it was a drama and a comedy at the same time – I never really had that.
She added, “Something happened this awards season. I don’t know if they’ve been playing clips of me on the internet or Instagram that much right now, but no matter what disguise I’m in, I can wear a frog costume with a helmet and people will know it’s me.
“I recently went for a walk in the North End in Boston and couldn’t make it down the street. I think it’s so interesting. I guess it’s the internet. I don’t know – or maybe I have an odd walk.”
New crunches: The drag queen added an extra touch of authenticity to the look by wearing fake teeth
All right: A long blonde wig completed the look as Stone transformed into Coolidge ahead of Wednesday night’s Diesel event