NEW YORK – Heidi Klum and Janelle Monáe opted for out-of-this-world Halloween costumes this year — both choosing to dress as the stubby alien E.T. for their parties on opposite coasts.
While the similar costumes will likely spark “who wore it best” debates that are popular in celebrity magazines, the stars chose different interpretations of the creature from Steven Spielberg's 1982 classic, “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.”
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Klum's husband Tom Kaulitz dressed as E.T., while the model and television personality came as E.T. similar to how the alien looked after being dressed up by Drew Barrymore's character in the movie, complete with a blonde wig and round hat. The costume featured animatronic eyes, a long neck, a blonde wig and a long index finger that lit up, just like the movie version.
Monáe told People magazine that she'd been planning the costume for two years, and appeared in two different versions Thursday night.
She arrived at her Halloween party as a stubbier version of the diminutive alien, waddling on the red carpet in a costume the required her to move around on her knees. The Grammy winner's E.T. also had animatronic eyes and a yellow index finger but she adopted a stilted, otherwordly voice similar to the character's when doing interviews Thursday. She downplayed any rivalry with Klum, telling The Associated Press, “There can be two Hallo-queens. I love Heidi.”
Later in the evening, she changed into a taller E.T. costume that allowed her to walk freely and dance. Both versions featured the alien in a tuxedo.
Klum and Monáe take Halloween seriously, with each donning elaborate costumes. This year, their Halloween night parties played out on opposite coasts, with Klum gathering celebrity friends in New York and Monáe hosting her party in Los Angeles.
Klum’s face was in the creature’s neck, allowing her to see and speak. She told the AP her costume had been in the works for a year.
“I have been a fan of E.T. since I was 9 years old,” Klum said. As she spoke, the mouth of her costume head moved thanks to the mechanical features inside the suit.
“I just love becoming this thing. E.T. is very small and so I thought it would be fun to kind of play with the proportions too,” Klum said.
Klum and Kaulitz touched their heads tenderly after unveiling their costumes amid smoke and a light show at Klum’s party.
Monáe revealed her E.T. costume on Wednesday on “The Jennifer Hudson Show.” She also did an elaborate photo shoot posted on Instagram where she appeared riding a bike with E.T. in a basket on front, an homage to one of the most iconic moments of Spielberg's film.
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Ambriz reported from Los Angeles.