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Actors Are Putting On Public Disguises
Will the real Timmy please stand up. // Illustration by Kate Walker
Several actors have seemingly adopted alter egos this year, drumming up awareness of traditional film projects… and maybe some artistic ventures the public doesn’t know about yet.
The Big Picture: Getting a movie to break through the noise is harder than ever, so some internet-savvy talent is realizing that adding a little mystery — not just to the marketing, but to themselves — is a powerful way to spark rumors, engage fans, and go viral.
Behind The Masks: Will the real talent please stand up?
Kevin James is not doing a particularly good job hiding as elementary art teacher Matt Taylor, who’s gone viral on TikTok for motivational speeches and showing off his artwork.
KJ Apa is widely suspected to be a wild personality named Mr. Fantasy, who has amassed 1.1 million followers on TikTok since joining in August. He even performed at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Despite donning a wig, fake teeth, and sunglasses, fans noticed he had the same tattoos as Apa.
Timothée Chalamet, who is doing full-court press publicity for Marty Supreme, is also rumored to be the ascendant rapper EsDeeKid, known for never showing his face… except for his eyes. When asked about it on Heart Radio, he responded: “I’ve got two words on that. All will be revealed in due time.”
Last Looks: While Matt Taylor is clearly a marketing stunt for James’ upcoming movie, Solo Mio, no one is quite sure what’s up with Mr. Fantasy and EsDeeKid — assuming they really are Apa and Chalamet. But it’s not the first time actors have adopted outlandish public personas to draw attention to a project — Sacha Baron Cohen’s Borat is legendary, and Joaquin Phoenix’s 2010 personal transformation in I’m Still Here remains controversial.
Alter egos are even more popular in music — from David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust, to Abel Tesfaye’s The Weeknd, to our underrated personal favorite: Bon Iver frontman Justin Vernon’s rapper alter ego, Jason Feathers.
Alter egos are basically method acting in public. Are you not entertained?
Coming Soon: As evidenced by EsDeeKid, actors may use alter egos to break into new artistic mediums, giving themselves the psychological distance needed to try something new.
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Today’s email was written by David Vendrell.
Edited by Nick Comney. Polled and Copy-edited by Kait Cunniff.
Published by Darline Salazar.