Hollywood’s Costume Designer Dishes on Divas and Difficult Stars
Hollywood’s glitz and glamour often mask behind-the-scenes drama, and a renowned costume designer has lifted the lid on some of the industry’s most challenging personalities. Jean-Pierre Dorléac, a celebrated figure in costume design, has shared candid anecdotes about his experiences with several well-known actors, painting a picture of unprofessionalism, rudeness, and even disturbing behaviour. His revelations, detailed in an interview, offer a rare glimpse into the less-than-perfect reality of working alongside some of Tinseltown’s biggest names.
Kirstie Alley: A Trail of Mess and Misfortune
Kirstie Alley, known for her roles in “Cheers” and “Veronica’s Closet,” is painted as a particularly difficult individual by Dorléac. He described her as “very crude and very brassy and coarse, irresponsible, never on time, a mess, a constant mess.” The costume designer recounted a specific incident involving a bespoke $350 pearl pink angora sweater dress he crafted for Alley’s role as a travel agent in the series “Masquerade,” co-starring Rod Taylor.
According to Dorléac, Alley’s uniform was repeatedly ruined due to her supposed carelessness. He detailed an instance where, just minutes before a crucial scene, Alley allegedly dropped a large chocolate donut down the front of the delicate angora dress. “There was nothing but this big streak of chocolate through her b—– all the way down to her belly button,” he recalled. This wasn’t an isolated event, as Dorléac claimed such incidents occurred “over and over again.” He also noted Alley’s struggles with weight fluctuations, which he found contributed to her constant unprofessionalism and rudeness.
Kirstie Alley
Patrick Macnee: An Unwelcome Advance
The esteemed actor Patrick Macnee, best known for his role in “The Avengers,” is accused of deeply inappropriate behaviour by Dorléac. The costume designer alleges that in 1978, while assisting Macnee with a costume for a guest appearance on “Battlestar Galactica,” he was subjected to a disturbing sexual advance.
Dorléac recounted that Macnee began undressing and, while expressing gratitude for the costume, allegedly propositioned him. “He started taking off his clothes, and he said, ‘I just don’t know how to thank you for making this for me…'” Dorléac alleged. The situation escalated when Macnee, down to his shorts, allegedly moved closer and exposed himself. “He got down to his shorts, his underwear, and I’m in alone with this guy, and he sort of comes close to me, and he pulls them down, and he pulls out his old swan and started shaking it around.”
Patrick Macnee
Dorléac refused Macnee’s alleged invitation to participate in the inappropriate act, and the encounter reportedly ended with the arrival of a tailor. Following this incident, Dorléac stated that Macnee was “just a major a——, and he never spoke to me thereafter, and they never hired him to work at Universal ever again.”
Shannen Doherty: A Campaign of Disruption
Shannen Doherty, who starred in the 1994 TV movie “A Burning Passion,” is described by Dorléac as a disruptive force on set. He recounted an instance where he complimented Doherty on a blue suit he had designed, noting how it enhanced her eye colour. Doherty’s response was dismissive, and the next day, Dorléac noticed a significant change in her eye colour, which he described as “almost cat green.”
Shannen Doherty
When questioned about the drastic change, Doherty allegedly responded with expletives and revealed her disdain for the film and her character, Margaret Mitchell, an elderly cripple. “She answered: ‘Just I’ll keep your f—— mouth shut. I’m doing this.’ I said, ‘What are you talking about?’ She says, ‘I hate this g—— movie, and I don’t want to play this Margaret Mitchell. Jesus! Who wants to play an old cripple like Margaret Mitchell?'” Dorléac shared.
He claimed Doherty was engaged in a feud with the film’s producer, Renée Valente, and deliberately altered her eye colour as a tactic to sabotage the production. Dorléac also characterised Doherty as a “very unhappy girl” who “smoked constantly, she ate hardly anything.” He further described her as “so tiny and thin” and possessing “a filthier mouth than I’ve ever seen.”
