2022 was a pretty good year for cats (or cat enthusiasts for that matter) in Hollywood. Firstly, the very beautiful Zoë Kravitz brought back the unpredictable Catwoman to the big screen with her role as Selina Kyle in The Batman.
Late in the year, Antonio Banderas’ once again lent his commanding but at the same time hilarious voice for Puss in Boots in the movie titled, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. Everyone’s favorite, Salma Hayek also joined the hype train by voicing the character of Kitty Softpaws in the same movie. With a worldwide total of $484.7 million, the animated tale became the tenth-highest-grossing film of 2022.
2023 has been a quiet year on the cat front, but thankfully the summer’s Met Gala somehow became a cat haven as our favorite celebrities, including Jared Leto, decided to pay tribute to Karl Lagerfeld and his beloved cat.
How Jared Leto Made the Headlines With His Cat Costume at Met Gala
This year’s Met Gala theme was based on famous German designer Karl Lagerfeld, who passed away in 2019. He joined the fashion industry in the 1950s and got the big opportunity to work with Chanel in 1983. He’s best known for his work as the creative director with the French luxury brand.
Accordingly, Jared Leto, who played the role of Joker in Suicide Squad (2016), decided to pay homage to the late designer in a unique style. The 51-year-old rocked a cat costume with paws, whiskers, and big blue eyes, representing Lagerfeld’s white Birman cat Choupette.
In order to replicate Choupette, he got in touch with production studio SCPS around four weeks before the big event. Leto was so serious about keeping all the details under wraps that he made the company sign an NDA before revealing his identity.
In an interview with English newspaper The Guardian, the outfit’s project manager, Joshua Balster, admitted the whole experience of making him look like a real cat was “pretty wild – definitely a rollercoaster.”
The costume was kept in one small room and only very few individuals were allowed to work on it to prevent any leaks. “Because that was the big punchline – Jared wanted it to be super secret, and not let anyone know who the cat was until he revealed himself,” Balster said.
Leto’s surprise worked pretty well and even stunned singer Lizzo. In one of the pictures from the event, she can be seen giving “the cat” a hug without really knowing who is underneath the costume.
Who Else Joined Jared Leto in Dressing up as Karl Lagerfeld’s Cat
Leto went to extreme lengths to keep a blanket over his idea, but such is the popularity of Lagerfeld and his beloved cat, which he adopted in 2011, that he wasn’t the only celebrity who decided to pay homage to the cute Birman feline.
Rapper Lil Nas X and Won’t Bite singer Doja Cat (well, the name says it all) also dressed up as the German’s pet for the Met Gala in May.
Choupette isn’t your ordinary cat and has plenty of modeling jobs on the table. She’s also followed by more than 250k users on Instagram. Further, it’s believed she was invited to attend the 2023 Met Gala. If she was indeed there, wonder how she reacted after seeing Leto and other stars try her look!
Source: The Guardian
