Close shares stage with six-foot impersonator
Prosthetic artist Alexis Stone recreated the actor’s look for the New York premiere of All's Fair Season 2.
By Yasmin Duda ·
Glenn Close stood beside her own life-size replica at the Season 2 premiere of the television series All's Fair in New York on Monday night. The appearance featured Alexis Stone, a professional prosthetic artist, dressed in a near-identical costume and makeup to the actor. Stone is six feet tall, a height that created a visual contrast with Close during the event.
Stone described the moment as a rare professional challenge. In a phone interview, he said, 'I think seeing a six-foot man impersonate you is quite an out-of-body experience.' He noted that the situation reversed their usual dynamic. 'It was ironically Glenn who was reassuring me, rather than me reassuring Glenn,' Stone said. This marked the first time Stone had encountered the person he was impersonating in person. He referred to the encounter as a 'visual glitch.'
The two wore coordinated outfits from the brand Matières Fécales. Close wore a coat dress constructed from fabric sourced from Burkina Faso. Stone wore a matching blazer and skirt from the same collection. Both had icy-white bobs and matching makeup, including specific blush placement and lip shade. Stone said the brand has 'Cruella mannerisms,' a reference to a previous transformation.
The stunt was commissioned by Ryan Murphy, the director of All's Fair. Murphy is also known for directing American Horror Story, The Beauty, and American Love Story. Stone said Murphy facilitated the appearance because he understands the complexities of character work. 'If there's anyone that was going to help facilitate this, it was Ryan Murphy,' Stone said. 'He really understands the complexities of bringing these characters to life.'
Stone built his reputation through full-body celebrity transformations shared online. In 2022, designer Demna spotted Stone at a Balenciaga show in Paris. Stone attended dressed as Mrs. Doubtfire, a character played by Robin Williams in a 1993 film. The appearance went viral and led to invitations to subsequent shows for Balenciaga, Jean Paul Gaultier, Diesel, and Boss. Stone has never attended these events dressed as himself.
In March, Stone walked the runway for Matières Fécales at Paris Fashion Week. The collection, titled 'The One Percent,' critiqued the bourgeois class. Stone wore the look of a conservative housewife, featuring a button-down shirt, A-line skirt, peroxide blowout, and prosthetic facelift sutures. His team also created post-operative prosthetics for other models in the show.
Stone said the budget for his transformations can reach six figures. He compared the cost to the costume department of a traditional television show. The work relies on physical materials rather than digital effects. This includes custom contact lenses, bespoke dentures, and specific fragrances to complete the illusion.
Stone said he feels an urgency to showcase practical effects because audiences are becoming accustomed to artificial visuals. 'People's brains are adjusting very quickly to seeing artificial visuals,' he said. 'The future of practical effects is really up in the air right now.'
The Glenn Close replica was Stone's 22nd or 23rd major transformation. He keeps elements of each character in his personality. 'I really love making the impossible possible,' he said.
