Halston family slam ‘inaccurate’ Netflix drama about late gay fashion icon
"The Halston Archives and Family were not consulted on the upcoming Netflix series"
Words: Jamie Tabberer; picture: Netflix
Family members of late fashion designer Halston have publicly criticised a Netflix series based on his life as “inaccurate.”
Halston, whose real name was Roy Halston Frowick, rose to prominence in the 1970s and died of AIDS-related cancer in 1990 at the age of 57.
In Halston, which drops on the streamer today, Trainspotting actor Ewan McGregor plays the Manhattanite, known for dressing the likes of Andy Warhol and Liza Minelli.
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“Not consulted”
The Halston Archives and Family were “not consulted” on the project, according to a statement.
A rep added the Netflix series involves “an inaccurate, fictionalized account of famed fashion designer, ‘Halston.’ The Halston Archives remains the only definitive and comprehensive source on the man and his legacy as the personally appointed custodian of his private papers and effects.”
McGregor recently defended playing a gay character for the movie. Explaining in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter how he arrived at the decision to take the role, the star harked back to an HR roundtable in which Pose’s Billy Porter said in 2019: “If ‘flamboyantly’ wasn’t in the description of the character, no one would see me ever for anything. Straight men playing gay — everyone wants to give them an award.”
Referencing Billy’s remarks, Ewan told the publication: “I hear the discussion and I respect both sides of it, I really do.
“I haven’t walked in Billy Porter’s shoes. I don’t know what it’s like to lose out parts when you might feel it’s to do with your sexuality. So I can only respect his point of view.”
Ryan Murphy, known for Netflix content such as The Prom and Ratched, serves as an executive producer on the series.
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