How does a celebrity prepare to co-host the Met Gala? “Get a good stylist,” was Chris Hemsworth‘s quippy answer when we asked the Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga star last week.
The Aussie actor was hand-picked by Vogue‘s Anna Wintour to co-host the 2024 Met Gala, alongside Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez and Bad Bunny. Unusually enough, it will be Hemsworth’s first ever Met Gala — so it won’t just be his co-hosting debut, but his Met Gala debut, period.
“Get a good stylist, and get a good team of people to get you something fancy to wear,” Hemsworth said of his preparation.
“When Anna Wintour called me and asked me to host, I was like, ‘Sure, yeah’. And I called my agent and was like, as a host, surely I have to come up with some funny bits. And he goes, ‘No no, you just greet people at the event.”
The Met Gala is shrouded in secrecy (that’s part of its appeal), but a co-host typically helps Wintour plan things like the guest list and the menu. They’re also carefully selected to broaden the Met Gala’s appeal across different age groups and creative industries, according to the New York Times. In other words, Chris is going to have a different audience appeal to Zendaya, ya know?
“It’s all very mysterious,” Hemsworth continued, “but my wife [Elsa Pataky] is very excited.” We’re taking that as confirmation she’s going, then.
Although it’s considered fashion Christmas, the Met Gala is actually a fundraiser for the Met’s Costume Institute. This year, the exhibit is ‘Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion’, which will “push the boundaries of our imagination and invite us to experience the multisensory facets of a garment”, according to Met Museum Director Max Hollein. However, the theme for the gala this year is ‘The Garden of Time’, meaning we’re likely to see plenty of celebs prove that florals for spring can, actually, be groundbreaking.
Hemsworth’s Furiosa co-star Anya Taylor-Joy — who has regularly graced the Met Gala best dressed lists — had this piece of advice for the star.
“Just enjoy it,” she said. “And also have a look around the museum before you sit down, because it’s unbelievable to be in a museum when it’s closed like that. There’s nothing better.”
The Met Gala will take place for Australians on Tuesday, 7 May (here’s where to watch it). Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga will hit cinemas on May 24, 2024.
