How the 'Halston' Cast Compares to Their Real-Life Counterparts

After appearing in the Star Wars franchise, Moulin Rouge!, Trainspotting, and more, Ewan McGregor brings an A-list Hollywood appeal to the story of Roy Halston Frowick. An Iowa native, Halston kicked off his career as a hat designer and got his big break when Jacqueline Kennedy wore his pillbox hat to JFK's inauguration. In the mid-'60s, he began his foray into women's clothing, making waves with designs like Ultra-suede shirt-dresses and halter dresses.

The French actress, previously seen in films like Tesla and H., appears as Halston's muse, collaborator, and close friend, Elsa Peretti. While Peretti, an Italian fashion icon, started out modelling the designer's creations, one of her greatest contributions to the brand was creating the elegant glass bottle for his fragrance. At the same time, she was making a name for herself as a jewelry designer. She began working for Tiffany & Co. in 1974 and went on to create the jeweller's most famous pieces, such as the Bone Cuff and Snake Necklace. The real-life Peretti died in March at 80 years old.

With a background on Broadway (and credits including In the Heights and Spring Awakening), Smash alum Krysta Rodriguez might need an introduction for some viewers, but Liza Minnelli certainly does not. The daughter of Judy Garland, the legendary performer is perhaps best known for her Oscar-winning role in Cabaret. She was also a close friend of Halston's, serving as his muse and confidant. "His clothes danced with you," Minnelli once said of the designer. "We were joined at the hip from then on."

Gian Franco Rodriguez, previously seen in shorts like This Is How I lost My Virginity and Simón, plays Victor Hugo (not the Les Misérables author), an artist and window designer who became Halston's longtime on-and-off lover. According to Steven Gaines's biography Simply Halston, Halston met Hugo through a callboy service. "It was pure lust," Gaines told Vanity Fair of the pair's volatile relationship.

Juan Carlos Diaz appears in only one episode of Halston, but he plays one of the most recognizable designers on the show: Oscar de la Renta. The Night of the Sicario and The Last Thing He Wanted actor portrays the fashion legend as he butts heads with Halston in the Battle of Versailles, where fashion greats from the United States and Paris went head-to-head in a now iconic runway event.

After appearing in TV hits like Elementary, Damages, and Law & Order, David Pittu plays Joe Eula, a prolific fashion illustrator who worked closely with Halston and became the creative designer for the brand in 1970. He and Elsa Peretti "really defined Halston's style and the idea that chic doesn't necessarily imply money," designer Fernando Sanchez, Eula's friend, said of the illustrator, according to The New York Times.

Rory Culkin, sibling of Macaulay and Kieran, appeared in Signs, Castle Rock, and more before playing real-life director Joel Schumacher in Halston. The filmmaker helmed hits like The Phantom of the Opera and Batman & Robin, but first, he worked with the designer as he launched his brand.

The Orange Is the New Black star plays Pat Ast, a model and muse in Halston's circle. She doesn't get much screen time in the series, but as W pointed out, Ast was a pioneer on the runways. She worked at Halston's Madison Avenue boutique and went on to model his designs. She became a muse for Andy Warhol too.

You may know Kelly Bishop best as Rory Gilmore's grandmother, Emily, in Gilmore Girls, but in Halston, she's the influential publicist Eleanor Lambert, who is celebrated for championing American designers. In the limited series, she's seen encouraging Halston to represent the United States in the legendary Battle of Versailles against French designers like Yves Saint Laurent and Dior.

Bill Pullman, a.k.a. "President Whitmore" in the Independence Day franchise, plays businessman David Mahoney, whose company, Norton Simon, owned the Halston brand, as well as brands like Max Factor and Avis.