9 Actors Who Used Their Own Wardrobe In Their Movies

Whether they believe that they know their character best or there’s just no budget for a full fledged stylist, these actors say that they’ve used their own personal items in films. From cute cardigans to custom jeans, these actors have effectively blurred the line between on-screen and off-screen fashion.

Read on to see which actors used their own clothing on screen…

Julia Roberts nailed her cool girl style in Notting Hill and it turns out she had a lot to do with her wardrobe. For the film’s memorable “just a girl” scene, Julia was originally set to wear an outfit she “loathed.” Instead, she had her driver head back to her apartment to pick up some clothing from her own wardrobe.

“My driver, lovely Tommy, I sent him back to my flat that morning,” she said in a conversation for British Vogue. “I said, ‘Go into my bedroom and grab this, this and this out of my closet.’ And it was my own flip-flops and my cute little blue velvet skirt and a T-shirt and my cardigan.”

When it came to dressing Lady Gaga for her role in A Star Is Born, her wardrobe consisted of a mixture of custom pieces, vintage and items from the singer’s own closet. Costume designer Erin Benach says that her team had complete access to all of Gaga’s extensive clothing collection and ended up pulling pieces like jeans and leather pants.

“We did have full-blown, complete access to her archives and her closets,” Erin told Fashionista. “You know what piece is Stefani Germanotta’s? When she’s [in the recording studio] and she’s got a multicolored shawl on. That was from her closet.”

Barbra Streisand also contributed to her wardrobe for her role in the 1974 version of A Star Is Born. Fans found out that she used her own clothing in the film’s end credits, which read, “Ms. Streisand’s clothes from…her closet.”

Michelle Yeoh offered a lot of input for her character Eleanor in Crazy Rich Asians, especially when it came to her jewelry. Costume designer Mary Vogt explained to Variety that any time they needed a special piece, Michelle would reach out to her friends in the jewelry world and they would suddenly have a priceless jewel on set. On other occasions, Michelle would take from her personal collection, like Eleanor’s iconic emerald ring.

“This is my own ring,” Michelle shared with E! News while attending the 2019 Golden Globes. “Because it was such a character, it had to be instantly recognizable. The color green is about life, prosperity, and…with Eleanor, she’s very particular, and I know the ring that she will wear.”

Zendaya filmed Malcolm & Marie during the early days of the pandemic and contributed to many aspects of her role. Since they were trying to keep the cast and crew small for safety regulations, Zendaya picked her own wardrobe and did her own hair and makeup.

"We were able to workshop and rehearse together -- it was very much like a play,” she told InStyle.“I did my own hair and makeup and dressed in my own clothes…I think we were able to create something really special. And I’m grateful that we learned how to do it on our own."

Much of Paul Rudd’s wardrobe in Clueless came straight from his own closet. He explained that he picked out a baseball cap from his alma mater, the University of Kansas, as well as some t-shirts from his collection.

“Half of those [outfits] were my own!” Paul shared during a Clueless reunion panel. “That was my own Amnesty T-shirt, my own KU hat, which they lost, by the way.”

For her role in The Idol, Da’Vine Joy Randolph wore clothing that primarily came from her own closet. She explained that since filming was on such a tight schedule, there wasn’t time to custom make pieces for her.

“Most of it was from my closet. A lot of times, you know, TV moves fast, and also, because I’m a specialty size, sometimes it was like, ‘We don’t have time to custom-make this or that,’” she told NPR. “No problem. I got it in my closet. No problem. I went ahead and bought it. Do you know what I mean?”

When Jeff Bridges starred in The Big Lebowski, he met up with the film’s costume designer Mary Zophres to discuss his wardrobe. She ended up coming to his house and looking through his closet to select pieces that would be a fit for the movie.

“Yeah, a lot of it was [mine]. Those jellies were mine; those shoes were mine; some of those T-shirts [were mine],” Jeff shared on Larry King Now.

For Bill Murray’s role as Tripper in the 1979 movie Meatballs, he says he acted as his own wardrobe stylist and makeup artist. He later revealed that he ended up pulling most of his outfits in the film right from his own closet.

“I wore all my own clothes on that movie. I did all my own clothes,” Bill shared on Jimmy Kimmel Live. “They were all my clothes, and I did my own makeup, which, basically I got a sun tan.”