“So it was infectious, it was very easy to understand how much they cared for each other when Ewan and I got on set together.”īut how much of the pair’s close relationship is depicted accurately in Halston? Below, an overview of Halston and Liza Minnelli’s iconic friendship. “I think Ewan got a real sense of Liza and Halston’s relationship when he met with her,” Rodriguez says. Still, McGregor’s meeting ended up helping her on set. “I didn’t want to force her to have to give a blessing,” Krysta Rodriguez tells Bustle. The actor who portrays Minnelli in the show, however, didn’t end up speaking with her real-life counterpart. Prior to filming, Ewan McGregor - who plays Halston in the show - met with Minnelli, and reassured her that he would do her friend justice. Minnelli upholds his legacy today by continuing to wear his designs.
#Liza minelli on halston professional
Halston's personal and professional life was tumultuous, but so was Minnelli’s, and they remained by each other’s side until his death in 1990. Minnelli has said that Halston told her “what to wear every second.” Their friendship was like a New York love story, albeit a platonic one - though sometimes, those are the most powerful. She also almost exclusively wore Halston’s creations, especially in the beginning of her career. They were often seen everywhere together, most famously at Studio 54 in Midtown Manhattan. The real Halston and Minnelli had an instantaneous connection upon meeting, and the performer soon became Halston’s muse.
#Liza minelli on halston series
Their ride-or-die friendship is one of the highlights of Halston, Netflix’s new limited series about the late fashion designer. “Ewan and I lived through not only work, but a global pandemic together, it just was like instantly going to ‘We know each other quite well now,’” she recalls, adding, “We really spent a lot of time being each other's soulmates for a long period of this year and that really connected us in a great way.Before Paris and Nicole, Michelle and Busy, or Spongebob and Patrick, there was Halston and Liza Minnelli. And because they ended up filming most of the series during the pandemic, under strict COVID-19 safety protocols, the actress says they all bonded in unexpected ways. Rodriguez credits Minahan for helping the cast build that chemistry off-screen, organizing group brunches and tours of specific locations that were part of Halston’s life.
“Once I saw that connection that they had, I could see how important it was to her and how important it was for Ewan and I to do it properly.” And they are - without going into too much detail - it really solidified the relationship,” she recalls.
She never spoke to Minnelli, who is alive and well at 75 years old.īut McGregor did speak to the living legend about her relationship with Halston, and he was kind enough to share some of that with Rodriguez. What’s also surprising about Rodriguez’s portrayal is that it’s all based on her own research, relying on interviews Minnelli gave and others that spoke about her life off-stage. She adds, “I felt very at home in those moments.” While some people she told this to have expressed how scary it would be to have to jump head first into playing Minnelli, especially recreating such an iconic number, Rodriguez says, “That was actually a very nice transition into this very daunting task of being Liza.” “That I wish Liza would see, the scene where he and I talk about what we want for our lives and how maybe we could sharpen each other,” the actress says. Later, the two confide in each other, with Minnelli expressing how much she wants to be a star in her own right and not be seen as Judy Garland’s daughter. The moment is then followed by Halston and Minnelli staying up all night as their friendship quickly blossoms. So, it was very much in keeping with what the scene was about - getting a first glimpse at a performer and at their humble beginnings.” “It was my first day on set,” Rodriguez reveals, adding that it was a great way to get started with McGregor.