Two world premieres at the Venice Film Festival in one night? Easy enough for Oscar-nominated actor Kodi Smit-McPhee, who had perhaps the busiest night at the Palazzo del Cinema on Thursday night, aside from perhaps a tearful Angelina Jolie or her security guards, thanks to back-to-back screenings of his new projects.
The actor, who made his debut with an Oscar-nominated performance in Jane Campion's dramatic western The Power of the Dogshowed up to the Sala Grande in a gaudy black Versace suit from the house’s 2024 ready-to-wear collection. The look, styled by Emma Kalfus, featured black skinny pants, an embellished jacket, and movie-star sunglasses. He paired the look with a silver chain and shiny patent leather boots.
Kodi Smit-McPhee wears Versace.
Courtesy of Apple TV+
Smit-McPhee caught the eye of many on the red carpet, where he made his first appearance in support of a role alongside Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline and Sacha Baron-Cohen in Alfonso Cuáron's Apple TV+ limited series DisclaimerMcPhee plays the son of Blanchett and Baron-Cohen's characters in the story of an acclaimed journalist (Blanchett) who discovers she is the inspiration for a novel that threatens to expose her secrets.
Then, shortly thereafter, he was back to face the crowd of photographers for the world premiere of MaryPablo Larraín's biopic starring Angelina Jolie as iconic opera diva Maria Callas. He plays Mandrax, an arts journalist who may or may not be Callas's brainchild.
Louis Partridge, Jung Ho-yeon, Sacha Baron Cohen, Kevin Kline, Cate Blanchett, Alfonso Cuarón, Leila George and Kodi Smit-McPhee at a cocktail party at the Excelsior Hotel.
Courtesy of Apple TV+
Pierfrancesco Favino, Pablo Larraín, Angelina Jolie, Alba Rohrwacher and Kodi Smit-McPhee at the Mary Before.
Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images
After turning heads with her well-received ensembles during awards season for The Power of the Dog, McPhee spoke with The Hollywood Reporter on his stylistic strategy and his inspirations.
“I'm completely in love with surrealism, avant-garde, abstract. I've been since I could walk and talk, maybe even before that. I've had such vivid memories of dreams all my life and I've been very aware in the dream state and the kind of abstract world that it is; it's quite psychedelic,” he said at the time. “It's made me a very curious person and made me study different forms of art, spirituality and philosophy. I feel like I want to be like that in who I am and I want to represent that, but mostly with images, through symbolism. And that's what fashion is: something that doesn't have to be defined. I have to be completely aware of my brand and how I represent myself as Kodi Smit-McPhee the actor and how the world sees me.”