Rogue One’s Alan Tudyk Is the Life of the Party
Alan Tudyk loves the holidays. He’s an accomplished holiday decorator. A male Martha Stewart, only nerdier, and more inept.
He does freshly baked pumpkin pie and vintage ornaments, of course, but those aren’t the only yuletide tricks up his his sleeve. “We put up my artificial Christmas tree from the ’60s, which employs some of the best toilet brush technology of wire and plastic,” he says. “I also made my own stockings with a little taxidermied mouse sewn on with a piece of felt cheese and a glittery bow. It’s very festive.”
For fans of Tudyk, a character actor and “That Guy” of the highest order, this makes sense. He has built a career playing quirky, oddball characters, from the hysterical sidekick Wat in A Knight’s Tale to that smarmy straight-faced TV producer in Knocked Up to Steve the Pirate in Dodgeball. “My dream starting out was to do Broadway and make art,” he says. “I wanted to do mostly theatre work with a TV show or two sprinkled in just so I could afford to have a home. As you can see, I abandoned that dream almost immediately.” And by immediately, he means around 2002, when he starred alongside Nathan Fillion in the sci-fi show Firefly. Despite its premature cancellation in 2003, Firefly still enjoys the kind of cult following that would make even Arrested Development jealous (which Tudyk also popped up in) and, more recently, he’s reunited with Nathan Fillion for the web series Con Man about a sci-fi actor worried he’s become pigeonholed.
This month, Tudyk will appear (in CGI form) as K-2SO in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. “Star Wars fans are on another level,” he says. “As long as I don’t become the next Jar Jar Binks, I think they’ll be good to me.”
While filming the epic was in part about living out every fanboy’s dream, Tudyk says it also satisfied a childhood Christmas wish. “My brother and I had lightsabers, but the red light only reached about a quar- ter of the way up the tube and they bent almost immediately,” he says. “Getting to hold a real one on set was the best gift I could ask for.” You can’t put that under a tree — not even a homemade one.
White Out
There are never enough occasions to wear a white dinner jacket. And maybe your office party isn’t technically one of them, but if you’re going for it anyway, eschew the white tie for black accents and a silk scarf to keep from looking too precious (relatively speaking…you’re still in a white dinner jacket.)
Wool tuxedo ($160) and silk bow tie ($20) by The Black Tux; cotton tuxedo shirt ($695) by Ermenegildo Zegna; silk scarf ($350) by Dolce & Gabbana; leather shoes ($1,395) by Christian Louboutin.
Put a Bow On It
You know what’s better than a boring regular tie? A bow tie. Step one: choose one in a bright colour or festive pattern (these are the holidays, after all). Step two: learn how to tie it.
Wool suit ($830) by Tommy Hilfiger; cotton dress shirt ($115) by J.Crew; wool bow tie ($160) by Alexander Olch.
Festive Colours
You can’t go wrong with classic green and red, but wearing both of them together will make you look like a limited-edition coffee cup. Instead, try one of those colours at a time, and in a shade that’s a little less “Christmas-y” than the shade you’re thinking about right now.
Tweed suit (price upon request) and cotton sweater ($95) by Perry Ellis; wool socks ($30, pack of 3) by Nordstrom; leather shoes ($690) by Tod’s.
Velvet Crush
A black suit is always a good call, but it’s not going to make you stand out at a party. Try punching up the look with a velvet jacket, which is visually rich and soft to the touch (a definite plus, should any mistletoe situations arise).
Velvet tuxedo jacket ($1,640) and cotton dress shirt ($525) by Salvatore Ferragamo; silk bow tie ($15), metal cufflinks ($5), and wool tuxedo trousers ($160, part of a suit) by The Black Tux; patent leather loafers ($1,995) by Christian Louboutin.
Leather Head
Here’s a safe bet: on his off days (he gets, like, 364 of them), Santa probably kicks back in a badass leather jacket. Which means you can definitely wear one over the holidays. Pair it with a chunky turtleneck sweater and some well-fitting jeans and you’re good to go.
Leather jacket ($660), wool-cashmere turtleneck ($330), and cotton jeans ($90) by Tommy Hilfiger.
Shine On
If you can’t wear a shiny patterned tuxedo during the holidays, when can you? Go for broke with a flashy suit, but temper it by picking one in dark navy. Also, ditch the tie. You’re wearing a shiny suit — that’s all the accessory you need.
Wool dinner jacket (price upon request) by Isaia; cotton dress shirt ($425) by Ermenegildo Zegna; silk pocket square (price upon request) by Emporio Armani; wool tuxedo trousers ($160, part of suit) by
Photography: Ian Maddox
Styling: Jenny Ricker for Starworks Group
Grooming: Mira Chai Hyde at The Wall Group, using Shu Uemura Hair and Laura Mercier Cosmetics
Styling Assisting: Marcus Fabro
