Drew Starkey is embracing blond ambition. The actor revived his blond hair era — most recently in 2021 — with an extra dose of bleach for his eyebrows on Saturday at W. Magazine’s Best Performances Party in Los Angeles ahead of the Golden Globes.
The actor debuted the new ‘do while dressed in an all-black look, including a blazer, button-down top and trousers. Starkey, whose role in the film “Queer” earned him praise, was in good company among his fellow actors who were recognized by W in its annual Best Performances issue, including Mikey Madison, Maisy Stella, Danielle Deadwyler, Lily Collias, Ryan Destiny, Karla Sofía Gascón, Pamela Anderson, Adria Arjona, Andrew Garfield and Fernanda Torres.
(L-R) Drew Starkey, Nicholas Alexander Chavez and guest attend W Magazine’s Annual Best Performances Party at Chateau Marmont on Jan. 4, 2025 in Los Angeles.
Getty Images for W Magazine
In “Queer,” he portrays Eugene Allerton, a quiet and mysterious young man who is the object of infatuation of an older man, played by Daniel Craig (who earned a Golden Globe nomination).
Speaking to WWD in a previous interview, Starkey said the wardrobe in the film influenced his role. Loewe creative director Jonathan Anderson served as costume designer in the Luca Guadagnino-directed romance-drama. (Last October, Anderson tapped Starkey to model in Loewe’s spring 2025 pre-collection campaign)
(L-R) Drew Starkey and guest attend W Magazine’s Annual Best Performances Party at Chateau Marmont on Jan. 4, 2025 in Los Angeles.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for W M
“Sometimes you get a character and it’s very specific about who this person is and the world they live in, and you start adding physical things on. This was different,” Starkey says of Allerton. “I started with this physical molding of this person’s image I had in my head, and then that kind of informed the rest. It’s a really cool way to prep and work. Working with Jonathan was such a key component to that, too: he had very specific ideas of what he wanted. Both he and Luca really understand the psychology behind clothing.”
Other big names were celebrated at the Golden Globes pre-party, including the cover stars of W’s Best Performances issue: Nicole Kidman, Zoe Saldaña, Demi Moore, Adrien Brody, Cynthia Erivo, Mia Goth, Daniel Craig, Tilda Swinton, Angelina Jolie and Colman Domingo.
