Who is Taylor Russell, Timmy's co-star in "Bones and All"

Taylor Russell. Remember her name well. Because this young woman with deep dark eyes is destined for great things. Just under 30, blessed with strong determination and natural talent, she has all the spotlight on her. Compounded by a role as a tormented cannibal opposite Hollywood's golden boy, Timothée Chalamet, and a series of red carpet looks that reinterpret the concept of retro elegance with a modern femme fatale twist, she is the emerging actress of the moment. Critics praise her performance in Bones and All, audiences rediscover her early screen roles, and the fashion world contends with her in outfit and ad campaigns. 

Taylor Russell's beginnings 

What turns an ordinary little girl into a star? The innate talent? The choice of scripts? The expressive face? The sense of style? The hunger for success? The love of filmmaking? Whatever it is, Taylor seems to possess it. She was born under sign of Cancer on July 18, 1994, in Vancouver, Canada, and spent much of her childhood on the move, continually uprooted to follow her father's acting career. There is not a lot of money in the family, but creativity abounds, which the girl has been breathing since childhood. She spends nights under the covers, lit by a flashlight, reading and making up stories. Growing up, she dreams of becoming a dancer but then discovers that her destiny is filmmaking. She falls in love with old Hollywood movies, with actresses like Gena Rowlands, Marie Trintignant or Chelo Alonso. She collects her first small parts when she is not yet a teenager, but the real chance to shine in front of the camera she has at the age of 16 in 2018 with the TV series Lost in Space, followed by a series of minor films such as the horror films Down a Dark Hall and Escape Room and the A24 cult Waves on the set of which she meets her bff Alexa Demie.

Her meeting with Guadagnino

Then comes the meeting with Luca Guadagnino, who chooses her, after an initial Facetime call, for the role of the cannibal Maren in Bones and All, condemned to loneliness because of her condition until meeting Lee aka Timothée Chalamet. Her performance won her the Mastroianni Award, created in '98 to honor an up-and-coming actress or actor, at the 2022 Venice Film Festival and introduced her to a larger audience. Taylor is currently working on the independent film Mother Couch, opposite Ewan McGregor and Ellen Burstyn.

A great sense of style

The Venice Film Festival 2022 also marks her real star debut on the red carpet. Everyone is talking about Timmy's red jumpsuit with a bare back, but the chicest is Taylor in her green strapless gown embellished with a bow on the neckline and opera gloves, Look 54 from Balenciaga by Demna's second Haute Couture collection. That coveted outfit, suggested by stylist Ryan Hastings, is just the first in a series of stylistic choices with which the young Canadian actress is building an image at once retro and modern, elegant and subversive, as a contemporary femme fatale. Starting with the 1920s haircut and an always natural make-up that enhances her refined red carpet looks. The promotional tour for Guadagnino's film gave her the opportunity to show off creations by Prada, Chanel, Ralph Lauren, Alaïa and many vintage pieces scouted by Aralda Vintage, a small store tucked away in the Hollywood Hills.

Looks to remember 

The most memorable? The Alexander McQueen from Sarah Burton's latest collection, leather, mermaid-style, with halter neckline, bare back, and long patent leather gloves worn to the Academy Museum Gala; the Schiaparelli Haute Couture designed by Daniel Roseberry consisting of a pencil skirt, champagne-colored satin bustier, structured jacket, embellished with chokers and a dramatic wide-brimmed hat, worn at the BFI London Film Festival; the very refined Prada in black satin, customized with Cartier signature diamond headpiece, seen at the New York Film Festival. The fashion world adores her, and after a Holiday campaign for Prada, Russell was chosen as global ambassador for Loewe. The actress opened the SS23 show in a black velvet dress and Anthurium sandals and is among the stars of the PE23 pre-collection campaign along with Luca Guadagnino, Chloë Sevigny and costume designer Sandy Powell. The next step? Winning the Oscar in a memorable outfit?