An all Comic-Con special of “Behind the Insta-Scenes” with plenty of TV shows represented at the annual event held in San Diego. Get ready for plenty of cast love-ins, social media rivalries and more excellent outfits.
It was Agent Carter versus Agents of SHIELD via the Dubsmash app and while Hayley Atwell is the undisputed queen (and co-star James D’Arcy is also pretty, pretty good) the SHIELD crew had strength in numbers.
Pre full on Dubsmash battle Chloe Bennet posted a picture sandwiched between her co-star Elizabeth Henstridge (excellent cartoon eye blouse) and Hayley Atwell offering up a whole lot of confused faces.
Maisie Williams looks far more in her comfort zone here dancing up a storm with onscreen sister Sophie Turner in a stripy tee which I’m coveting – Maisie killed it with her outfits over Comic-Con – and all I want is for the pair to be reunited onscreen so they can burn Westeros to the ground (well at least burn Ramsay to the ground).
The pair is very happy to see each other and they even have their very own word blend name # (and the EW Instagram has a whole host of excellent behind the scenes shots from Comic-Con).
Sophie Turner also had the pleasure of hanging out with Oscar Isaac while promoting X-Men: Apocalypse and this has also been a good week for fans of Isaac as the first trailer for the HBO miniseries Show Me a Herowas released.
I was skeptical about Fear the Walking Dead (that name) but after watching the first full trailer I am so in and not just for Kim Dickens reasons. Dickens looks stunning here alongside co-stars Elizabeth Rodriguez (OITNB) and Alycia Debnam Carey (The 100).
This cast! Without fail I do that thing where I wonder where everyone else is only to remember that Tatiana Maslany is everyone else. Plus a better look at the Tatiana’s amazing outfit and the one I crowned best of Comic-Con.
More Comic-Con fashion from the panels, parties and photocalls with an array of style choices from casual cool to high end chic. Yesterday we covered the annual Entertainment Weekly party and the Hannibal panel; now we’re rounding up the best of the rest from the over weekend.
Pairing Tanya Taylor with Adidas is such a fantastic move from Tatiana Maslany and the three stripes classic jacket is giving me a strong hint of 90s Britpop nostalgia. This might be why this is my absolute favorite outfit from this year’s Comic-Con. So simple and yet so effective.
A really good style weekend for Maisie Williams and at the TV Guide Fan Favorites panel she wore a super cute white blouse paired with green shorts. Now to find out where the blouse is from as the lipstick and bunny motif is adorable.
So much color, print and texture coming from the Game of Thrones cast. Time to play fake photo assumption and it looks like Natalie Dormer is being super awkward around Sophie Turner as she musters up the courage to talk to her…
Quickly followed by longingly gazing into each other’s eyes.
The GoT cast were hot on double panel duty (Maisie Williams for Fan Favorites, Sophie Turner with X-Men and Gwendoline Christie at Star Wars) and Natalie Dormer switched out patterned pants for a stunning Mary Katrantzou dress, which looks really great as she strides across the stage at the Screen Gems panel.
The Scream Queens cast were out in full effect and it only just occurred to me that I have only ever made it to the end of one season of a Ryan Murphy show – American Horror Story: Coven for some reason got me to stick it out and I can’t figure out why – and from the preview this *could* be one that sticks. Or it could be like all the others where I quit a few episodes from the end. At the panel Keke Palmer cozied up to Skyler Samuels and the orange lace and navy blazer perfectly complement each other.
At the photocall Samuels wore a patterned (covered with florals, lightning bolts and hearts) wrap dress for a perfect summer frock vibe.
While this doesn’t have the same sartorial flare as some of her previousoutfits I still really love this shot of Gwendoline Christie posing with her Star Wars co-stars Domhnall Gleeson (excellent belt and beard combo) and Adam Driver.
A battle armor mini for Kate Mara in Valentino.
What looks like an excellent homage to the 20th anniversary of Clueless with multicolor plaid for Willow Shields at the panel for TheHunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2.
A fun spin on the LBD from January Jones at the Fox party in a CG frock with red lipstick and curls to make the outfit pop. Plus all important pocket posing utilizing.
I’m pretty sure only Ashley Madekwe and Diane Kruger could really pull off this Self-Portrait asymmetrical crop top with matching culottes; such a fun graphic print and Madekwe has an excellent sartorial eye.
Peggy Carter is moving to Hollywood for season 2 of Agent Carter and she is taking some of her co-workers with her. So far it has been confirmed that James D’Arcy (Edwin Jarvis) and Enver Gjokaj (Agent Daniel Sousa) will be back with Lyndsy Fonseca, Bridget Regan and Chad Michael Murray in talks to return. It would make a lot of sense if Fonseca’s Angie headed out west with Peggy considering her acting dreams and this is one lady friendship I would like to see a lot more of. Regan makes an excellent foil and her ties to the overall MCU backstory as part of the Black Widow Program make her inclusion seem all the more likely.
A second season was not always a sure thing as it sadly Agent Carter is far from a ratings hit and so it already feels like a victory of sorts that we’re getting more Peggy Carter. The cast will appear at Comic-Con next Friday (July 10) and this poster will be available at the Marvel booth (#2329) from Thursday. The limited edition Comic-Con poster was unveiled by Entertainment Weeklyshowing off the new location complete with the old Hollywoodland sign and Jarvis in tow.
While I’m sure the panel will offer up some season 2 scoop there has been some hints given regarding what to expect from this new location and executive producer Michele Fazekas explains “In Los Angeles, you have the spectacular wealth, glamour and beauty right next to the grit and crime—often right up against each other. We’re very much being inspired by Noir films.”
With Jarvis the chemistry and fun back and forth is hard to deny but how do they account for him joining Peggy in LA? The explanation from Fazekas is vague and this only adds to the intrigue “That was always the challenge. He’s not an agent. The case for the first season is over, so the biggest question for us this season was: We love Peggy and Jarvis together, that’s a really important relationship, how do we keep them together? LA has provided us a really nice, organic way to do so.”
A week of movie premieres, one last Comic-Con shout out and the first in the Fall preview magazine covers in this edition of “Out of the Box.”
The big movie opening this weekend is of course Guardians of the Galaxy and I adore Karen Gillan’s striking fuchsia Gucci dress at the London photocall. The leather Peter Pan collar spices the look up and I am forever in love with her pixie cut – I think I more bummed out by her long hair in the forthcoming Selfie than the terrible name of this show.
The Parks and Recreation castis killing it this season with anticipated movie projects during the hiatus; Life After Beth is on a much smaller scale and yet it is also taking up the same amount of “aaaaargh I really want to see it” space. Aubrey Plaza is getting not one, but two mentions today proving that it is not just April Ludgate that rates highly on the TV Ate My Wardrobe sartorial list. At the New York screening Plaza wears a beautiful Honor ivory frock with a gold accented tree design. It is both elegant and funky.
Earlier that day Aubrey Plaza wore a cute Tanya Taylor gingham/floral print top pairing it with an edgier pleated leather skirt and flipping back to sweeter baby blue (super high) pumps. It’s a very cool daytime look and one I would like to try (probably switching out the heels for something not so stacked).
Comic-Con has dominated the style posts and panel discussions this week and Orphan Black’s Tatiana Maslany took part in the Entertainment Weekly “Women who Kick Ass” session in this delightful ensemble. It’s summer, but as Aubrey Plaza, Keri Russell and now Tatiana Maslany show you can still wear this fabric even in the warmest of climates. Maslany’s even gone for tights which might be a step too far into hot legs territory. The black and white stripe blouse narrowly escapes looking like a referee shirt and this is the epitome of cool casual for Comic-Con. And just look how smiley she is.
Portlandia’s Carrie Brownstein covers the new issue of Bust and it makes me so glad that fall is coming if this is what it is going to be like. It is a bold, colorful cover and reminds me I need to catch up with Portlandia still (I’ve seen season 1). The interview covers the dissolution of her band Sleater-Kinney as well as the genesis of her current show and friendship with Fred Armisen. Brownstein is working on a memoir that is slated for release in 2015 and a cookbook inspired by Portlandia will be released in October (I love TV themed cookbooks, even if I buy them and never use them). It even tempts me to wear dungarees with a white tank, which is jumpsuit avoidance territory normally.
Watching women talking about their experiences in the entertainment industry and the shows they are on is something regular TV Ate My Wardrobe readers know is my happy place. This time of year is especially stacked when it comes to these types of panels with Emmy roundtables and Comic-Con. In Hall H on Saturday Entertainment Weekly’s Women Who Kick Ass Panel took place featuring Katey Sagal, Sarah Paulson, Tatiana Maslany, Nicole Beharie, Maisie Williams and Natalie Dormer. Like the recent TimesTalks session it features women from a variety of shows from network and cable with a range of complicated and fascinating characters.
With two women from Game of Thrones on the panel the way women are portrayed on this show was addressed and what kind of power they wield in an environment that is so brutal with Maisie Williams emphasizing just how young her character is and that at 12-years old Arya has seen and done far more than any person of this age ever should. Natalie Dormer is asked about Margaery’s manipulation skills and whether her acts of charity are just a facade “When people ask me about Margaery, I say they’re not mutually exclusive. You don’t have to be practical and politically savvy and not be a good person. You can be a good human being and just be shrewd. I think all these women play similar characters.”
It is a topic we covered in a recent extensive GoT chat and Dormer sums up the different types of power these female characters have “Whether it’s psychological, physical, sexual, dragons. I think we’d all go for the dragons if we were given the choice. But that’s the secret of the writing, that’s why it’s such a compelling show—because it shows how different people are given different weapons, physically and metaphorically, and how they use them.” I think I would go direwolf over dragon personally.
Nicole Beharie as one of the leads of Sleepy Hollow is in a relatively new position in terms of her acting career and she talks about how this has changed how she presents herself “Just owning that space and not being expected, as a woman, to shrink, or curtsy, or any of those sort of things.”
Rising to a challenge and finding pleasure in something that is scary is something Katey Sagal describes as “awesome” and because they work in TV they don’t have a whole lot of time to question what they are doing thanks to the quick turnaround time. Maisie Williams has given herself extra work as Arya is left-handed in the books and despite being right-handed she wanted to remain true to the character on the page, which can prove difficult with some of the choreography. Natalie Dormer is yet to wield a sword on GoT but she did take up fencing after drama school (where she studied with Sleepy Hollow’s Tom Mison).
Prior to Orphan Black Tatiana Maslany had never played an adult, always portraying someone 10 years her junior and now she is playing multiple roles with different insecurities and inner power. The most clones Maslany plays in one day is three and the dance party scene took two days to film. Sarah Paulson will be playing a two-headed woman on the next season of American Horror Story and she looks set to pick Maslany’s brain for multiple part acting tips.
You can currently watch the full panel here:
On the same day over at Zachary Levi’s Nerd HQ another female centric discussion took place; “A Conversation with Badass Women” featuring Yvonne Strahovski, Retta, Missy Peregrym, Jennifer Morrison, Ming-Na Wen and Sophie Turner. It’s a slightly more raucous and chaotic panel that flows more organically than the usual moderator/audience Q&As and instead focuses solely on audience questions.
Some similar ground is covered as Jennifer Morrison also talks about female characters being more than just one thing in that they can be kickass and vulnerable in equal measures; television has the advantage over film in terms of how much time they can spend on character development so it would be disappointing if TV didn’t do this.
This panel covers far broader subjects than the shows they are all on with questions including role models (Sophie Turner has high praise for Lena Headey) and part of this sees Ming-Na and Retta going into detail about their family background and why they dropped their surnames (Ming-Na uses hers again, but didn’t when she was on E.R.). Seeing how people react on a very personal level to WOC getting roles on big shows is one reason why conversations like this are so rewarding as the panelists get to share their own experiences as well as seeing how it can profoundly impact an audience.
During the TimesTalks panel one of the subjects that came up was how to say no to things that make these actresses feel uncomfortable and this is covered in various ways during this discussion with Yvonne Strahovski mentioning unnecessary underwear scenes – I was beyond thrilled that her character in 24 not only had no scenes like this, but she also dressed in an appropriate and realistic way for job – and Retta talking about the “sassy” trope as well as cliche ghetto or nurse parts.
It’s a fun conversation that is hilarious as well as touching and you can watch it below. For more from Nerd HQ’s Comic-Con conversations (including Orphan Black, Walking Dead, Stephen Amell and Nathan Fillion) head here.
Comic-Con might be over and yet the style posts continue (and probably will for much of this week) with the best looks from the Entertainment Weekly party on Saturday.
Rose Leslie does simple chic attire with a hint of sparkle and after her other black sartorial choice I think we might have found a new TV Ate My Wardrobe favorite.
That noise you just heard was probably my heart going aflutter at the sight of Tom Mison wearing glasses and his beardy goodness. John Noble is looking rather dashing too in as part of this slightly different from Fringe father/son combo.
More Sleepy Hollow goodness and posing like prom; not too keen on the sheer section of Nicole Beharie’s skirt, but this is a fun summer outfit. Totally digging Orlando Jones’ plum pants and glasses look.
Deborah Ann Woll has lightened her locks (maybe for Daredevil or just to mark the end of True Blood) and she looks just as striking as ever in a strapless red frock with a bold lip color to complement the new ‘do.
Ashley Madekwe brings the metallic goodness to this party in a Christian Dior strapless frock and the patch detail gives the impression of a fun uniform like embellishment.
Now this is a summer frock and Angela Bassett stands out in a Theia hot pink dress with a rainbow bodice.
Robots! Felicia Day’s top is delightfully on the nose for this weekend. Fantastic nail color too.
The Game of Thrones Comic-Con panel delivered with treats aplenty including sartorial delights, a dance filled blooper reel and a new cast member showcase.
Natalie Dormer is one of several GoT panel participants to opt for bold print with a summery funky floral frock.
For the Hunger Games teaser trailer premiere (yes teaser trailers get premieres too) Dormer has gone for a more autumnal look – sweater season will soon be upon us and I cannot wait – and she is still rocking the super side parting as result of the Mockingjay half head shaving. As you will see the side sweep is the GoT long hair top trend.
Natalie Dormer wears outfit number two in this Pedro Pascal Instagram shot with co-stars Maisie Williams, Sophie Turner and Pedro Pascal for their “Comic-Con Album Cover.’ This is one cool girl band (in my version Pascal is a backup dancer, as if that fight scene was anything to go by he definitely has the moves).
I think I liked Sophie Turner’s ensemble better when I thought it was a dress, but hey if you’re going to wear a jump suit one covered in huge colorful letters this one by Tata Naka is the way to go. Maisie Williams’ metallic shift is a good choice for her and Kit Harrington and Pedro Pascal have gone for standard and approved black tee/Henley hot guy uniform. As I mentioned yesterday Comic-Con attire varies greatly and the GoT women have all gone for a variety of pretty cool choices.
Or dark shirt will also do as Nikolaj Coster-Waldau demonstrates. Look how adorable these dudes are when they’re not doing all kinds of terrible things to each other.
Gwendoline Christie works a printed and plunging neckline Giles Resort 2015 A-line dress and I expect she will be pulling double duty next year when Stars Wars no doubt takes over.
Taking a very simple and super chic approach is the stunning Rose Leslie in black vest and pants; bold lip color and her incredible red hair make her stand out.
The whole cast in attendance (with George RR Martin and minus Natalie Dormer) and Pedro Pascal continues to be the most adorable. Sadness is a squished head.
Watch the blooper and new cast (Jonathan Pryce!) videos below.
Comic-Con might be over and while Out of the Box covered the all important X-Files reunion from last Thursday’s panel, there are plenty of style moments from the weekend that deserve a place on this list. This week is an all Comic-Con edition and includes flower crowns, Team t-shirts and the perfect casual but stylish Comic-Con panel attire.
Winner: Hugh Dancy and Bryan Fuller at the Hannibal Nerd HQ Panel
If you spend any time on Tumblr in the Hannibal tag then you have probably seen the flower crown meme; basically it’s photoshopping a flower crown onto a Hannibal character (it’s not limited to the Hannibal fandom but it’s prevalence is clear to see). At Comic-Con last weekend many Hannibal fans donned the flower crown and at the main panel showrunner Bryan Fuller was given one and proudly wore it. This continued at the Nerd HQ fan Q&A where Hugh Dancy and Fuller were given crowns and both were game to wear the head piece; they look delightful.
Hannibal is the first Bryan Fuller show that I have watched (though I very recently finished watching Wonderfalls) and it is clear why he is beloved by the viewers of his shows, as he not only acknowledges the quirks but takes part (this includes referring to the stag as “Swiggity Swag the Nightmare Stag”). Hannibal doesn’t have a huge audience but the one it does have is passionate and this can help a shows survival when it lives on the bubble (sometimes it doesn’t matter as to whether a show lives or dies, as Fuller can testify). It’s through Twitter and at events like Comic-Con that showrunners and cast members can share moments and this flower crown incident is indicative of that.
Runner Up: Yvonne Strahovski at the I, Frankenstein Panel
Mixing patterns can go horribly wrong but it’s also one of my favorite things to see on the red carpet when it works; Yvonne Strahovski shows how to get power clashing right. Strahovski is a Comic-Con pro by now after several years of attending with Chuck and this year she was on double duty with Dexter and I, Frankenstein. Straddling the line between being casual and stylish for the Comic-Con setting can be hard but Strahovski nails it in this Sportsmax dress and black pumps.
Runner Up: Keri Russell at the Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Panel
Keri Russell’s super cute tweed shorts/white jacket combo is both relaxed and professional looking. While this probably wouldn’t work in your average office (not that Comic-Con is anyone’s average office) it’s something that can easily be recreated for those warm (read humid) summer days that some of us are experiencing at the moment. I’ve got so used to seeing Russell in her Americans 80s attire that it’s good to see her wearing something from the current decade. Even if I miss the wigs.
Runner Up: The Veronica Mars Guys at the Veronica Mars Panel
Jason Dohring and Chris Lowell play devil’s advocate with Veronica Mars shippers as they sport the name of their rivals character on their chest at the Veronica Mars panel. Ryan Hansen takes part in the Team t-shirt game but instead of showing preference to a romantic connection he wears his own character’s name with pride (which is perfectly Dick Casablancas). While I am definitely Logan all the way when it comes to Veronica, I have to say that Ryan Hansen wins this team game for me (even if Jason Dohring’s arms are a little distracting in the best possible way, in the above shot).
Comic-Con is big business for a range of shows that we cover here at TV Ate My Wardrobe and the one show now turned movie that probably caused the most excitement for this writer is Veronica Mars. The Kickstarter funded project debuted new footage and it doesn’t disappoint (well maybe the amount of Piz disappoints but hey, at least he references Buffy).
My first experience of Veronica Mars waslast year and so I’m pretty new to this world and while The X-Files reunion, Catching Fire trailer, X-Men: Days of Future Past panel and Hannibal gag reel appear high on my best of Comic-Con list, this Veronica Mars preview tops. Though as a sidebar if someone could put the whole Entertainment Weekly “Women Who Kick Ass” panel online I think it could challenge Veronica Mars for that title.
The preview includes new footage from the film and interviews with several cast members old and new. Shots of creator Rob Thomas and some of the cast watching the Kickstarter counter increasing reminds us why this film is happening and that it’s the fans that have made this possible. A Party Down reunion is a welcome sight as Ryan Hansen and Martin Starr are interviewed together; I would be very happy to see the pair don pink bow ties and trade insults once again. Oh and that look Logan gives Veronica in the car is enough to reignite the shipper flame (that never really went out). Expect dancing, back flips and wet guys in suits.
Style points are given to all the Team t-shirts (with Dick being the overall winner, because, well it’s Ryan Hansen) and Tina Majorino’s new shorter and voluminous cut gets the biggest nod of the day as she looks fantastic.
It’s been a busy week with Emmy nominations, Comic-Con and magazine covers and this edition of “Out of the Box” covers all three. While it’s still very much the summer and my Scandal catch up is underway, it’s also time to look to returning shows like Breaking Badand from the activity on my Twitter feed most casts are returning to their shows for the fall season. As always this is a snapshot of what I have been watching and what news/photo shoots have caught my eye online and in print.
Winner: Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny at The X-Files Reunion Panel, Comic-Con
The X-Files holds a very special place in my TV watching history and the relationship between Mulder and Scully is a very big part of this. I have never been to Comic-Con but I know that if I was attending this year then this X-Files reunion panel would be number one on my list and from this ScreenFad live blog it sounds like it was a relaxed and fun affair. Both Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny look content and happy to be reunited in front of a large audience of fans and thrilled shippers all around the world when Anderson suggested that Mulder and Scully would “Have sex” on a date. Duchovny followed this up with “Then maybe dinner?”
Runner Up: Bryan Cranston for GQ
It’s been a good week for Bryan Cranston as he received an Emmy nomination and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame; he’s also on the cover of the August issue of GQ. The photo shoot has Cranston ditching the Heisenberg/Walter White threads (this is a far cry from standing in the desert in his underwear) and going for a tailored look. It’s a good choice and I don’t think we’ve ever seen him look this dreamy.
Runner Up: Aubrey Plaza for The New York Times
Aubrey Plaza is currently on the promotional trail for The To Do Listand this includes a profile in The New York Times. Opting for a photo that wouldn’t look out of place on Instagram (because that is a thing we do now) the styling leans much older than the skort wearing teen that Plaza plays in The To Do List and is more polished than Plaza’s Parks and Recreation character April.
Aaron Paul and Neil Patrick Harris Announcing the 2013 Emmy Nominations
I’m pretty sure there is nothing more adorable than Aaron Paul in polka dot bow tie (ok maybe his Price is Right appearance) and I’m sure he will offer something just as delightful at the Emmy awards come September. Here Paul is announcing the nominees for the 2013 Emmys and while I’m still simmering from some of the missing names/shows (like Hannibal, Jake Johnsonand The Americans), Aaron Paul deservedly got another nomination for his role of Jesse Pinkman on Breaking Bad. Neil Patrick Harris looks just as dapper as always and was a late minute replacement for Kate Mara (she had travel issues) showing that even with short notice and at 5.30 am he’s always on it when it comes to hosting.
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