Getting Ready With Naomi Ackie For The 2025 BAFTAs
British actor Naomi Ackie has been busy this year. In August, she starred in the psychological thriller Blink Twice alongside Channing Tatum, earning mass praise for her commanding and chilling performance as a klutzy cocktail waitress. Now, she’s back with Mickey 17, Bong Joon-ho’s highly anticipated sci-fi comedy, starring opposite Robert Pattinson. With the film doing the rounds on its global press tour, she reflects on the experience of stepping into a new world – both on-screen and off.
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Ackie is no stranger to big roles, from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker to her transformation into Whitney Houston in I Wanna Dance with Somebody and her breakout role in British comedy series The End of the F***ing World, for which she was awarded a Best Supporting Actress BAFTA. In Mickey 17, she takes on another challenge, reflecting on the experience, she shares her excitement for doing her own stunts and working with an all-star cast.
Off the set, she also delves into the duality of her personal style – favouring laid-back, oversized pieces in her everyday life while embracing full-throttle glamour when the occasion calls for it. Working with stylist Nicky Yates, she's got a huge custom Versace chainmail moment at the BAFTAs and a 16Arlington look lined up for the Mickey 17 premiere in Korea - she’s nailing it both on and off-screen.
Ackie opens up to ELLE about her favourite Mickey 17 memories, off-duty wardrobe and what slipping into a Versace chainmail dress for the BAFTAs means to her.
On her favourite moments from Mickey 17‘It was just such a whirlwind I had just finished Blink Twice when I started Mickey 17 two years ago. I was already in this really cool creative space. I felt really fired up. My favourite memories were some of the bigger set pieces, where, without giving too much away, I got to do some of my own stunts. Also, the cast is incredible. So every time I was just acting with people who I’ve really admired for so long, it was a very pinch-me moment.’
On her BAFTA look
So when I do wear dresses, I really wear dresses. It's the first time I’m wearing a Versace chainmail dress. It’s a beautiful chocolate brown colour, which I’ve never seen before. Versace just structures its dresses insanely well. I was looking at it during the fitting and thought this dress could literally just stand on its own. It enhances what you already have in just such a beautiful way. It's so feminine, and yet it feels really cool, especially in the brown – I didn’t even know they did that. I’ve worked with Versace a few times before and every time I wear them, I just feel really really sexy.
On her accessories
I am wearing archival Cartier. It’s an amazing bracelet with this beautiful brown stone. Then, I’m wearing these incredible little diamond earrings that are just like kind of ambery orange colour. The brand is so timeless and it's a real dream to be able to combine the two together and walk onto the red carpet feeling as amazing as I think I'll feel.
On her glam
We're going for a sensual, smoky, bronzy vibe for the makeup to match the dress and the jewels. And then my hair is going to be glossy, straight and middle-parted.
On her getting-ready rituals?
I'm an awful DJ. So I usually leave it up to the guys to like, put whatever they want on. I love a good chat because it distracts me from being nervous. My team are not only, incredible artists but they're also amazing people, so we just chat and shoot the breeze.
On working with Robert Pattinson
You're acting in a scene with him and sometimes you forget that you’re meant to be acting too. It's really impressive because he's doing so much in this film. He's got an amazing eye for nuance, he’s playing two different characters in the same scene at times. His attention to detail is incredible.’
On her character’s style in Mickey 17
She's a military woman so it's very utilitarian, paired back and functional. There's not a lot of personality when it comes to her style, but that's kind of the point. I guess, her true style comes out in her personality, which is very fiery.
On her off-duty style
I love wide-leg pants because they're comfy and they're more flattering for my figure. I love cashmere jumpers. The thing I own the most of is bomber jackets – I have too many different styles. When I was working on I Love Boosters my character got to wear this awesome Alpha Industries one, I was obsessed with it, but I did quite manage to steal it from set, so I need to buy one. I also love a vintage boiler suit. I just love baggy things. I like to feel comfortable I dress a little bit more masculine than I do feminine. All the dresses I own, I barely ever wear them unless it's boiling outside.’
On her style evolution
I used to customise a lot of my clothes when I was young – just take things and change them into other things. I was always pretty big very bright colours. But now I wear a lot of blues, browns and blacks if anything, my wardrobe has become smaller and my personal style is stripped back a little bit. I’m a bit obsessed with skincare, and I’m on a hair journey trying to get it to a really healthy space by stripping everything back, to the point where it just feels like me and people are seeing me and not the clothes I wear.
On her favourite London-based designers
16 Arlington, I’m obsessed. I'm wearing 16 Arlington when I go to Korea for the premiere over there for Mickey 17, he kindly custom-made a dress for me that I can't wait to get photographed and big him up. He's a wonderful man, and he makes incredibly beautiful clothing.
On how she will be celebrating after the ceremony
I usually bring my best friend along with me every single time I go, and we do all the after-parties and run around London pretending it's our playground. This time though, I fly to Korea the next day, so I have to be sensible. It’s just such an honour to be able to walk up on stage and hand over an award to someone who so deserves it, but then I'm going to have to skip off and pack for the next thing.
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