Julia Fox Reveals Deleted Backstory for Him’s Elsie — From Broken Home to the Gwyneth Paltrow of WAGS
Julia Fox says her Him character, Elsie White, had a written backstory that was cut from the film. She also described how she and director Justin Tipping worked on the role, why she kept her personal look on set, and where Elsie fits in the movie’s cast. The film is in theaters now.
Backstory
Fox said a backstory for Elsie was written, but did not make it into the final film. She explained the written history in her own words: “So she did have a backstory. Unfortunately, it didn’t make it into the film, but it was written. She came from a broken home and had an abusive-parents bad relationship with her mom, and no money. And she met Isaiah White in high school, and saw that he was going places. She latched on, and then that was the catalyst into her going off and becoming a GOAT in her own right, building her own empire, becoming the Gwyneth Paltrow of WAGS and killing it.”
Therefore, while viewers see Elsie as an enigmatic presence in the movie, Fox confirms there was a concrete origin story behind the character during production.
On-set collaboration
Fox described her early discussions with Tipping as detailed and long. She said, “Our first conversation was hours long. We dissected every little thing about her. I remember him saying [to watch The Real Housewives of Dallas for inspiration].” However, she added that once filming began she realized Elsie differed from that inspiration.
Fox also said Tipping allowed freedom during filming: “Justin very much just let me do what I wanted to do. He really trusted me as an actor and a collaborator. He’s the kind of director that doesn’t yell cut at the end of a scene. He let us linger, and sees where we’re going to go, and allows for improv, and allows us to try new things and make new choices, and have different ideas and different perspectives. It was a very open flow of communication and collaboration. He was super, super trusting of us.”
Hair, makeup and the character look
Fox said she arrived on set prepared for a full transformation, but Tipping asked her to stay the way she was. In her words: “That’s actually how I turned up to set. I was ready to go through a full transformation, with tanning cream and hair dye and all that. And Justin was just like, ‘No, just stay exactly as you are.’ I will admit I was a little disappointed. I was excited to really transform. But that was not who Elsie was.”
She also explained that the bleached-brow look was part of her personal style at the time: “Oh, that’s just what I looked like. I just had bleached eyebrows for a couple of years. I don’t anymore now — it’s just everywhere now, and it’s not niche anymore. So now I’m back to my original brows. But that was just how I had had my brows for a couple of years.”
Credits and release
Him is directed by Justin Tipping and stars Marlon Wayans as Isaiah White and Tyriq Withers as Cameron Cade. Fox plays Isaiah’s wife, Elsie White. The film is currently in theaters.
Fox’s previous film credits include Uncut Gems, 2024’s The Trainer, and Steven Soderbergh’s Presence. She is also a model and producer, and was the subject and video star of a Charlie XCX song; more details can be found on this Wikipedia page.
