When Evan Rachel Wood walked onto the red carpet at the annual Golden Globe awards in January, where she was nominated for her role in HBO’s fantasy Western series “Westworld,” the simple fact that she was dressed in a suit created a frenzy. A few weeks later, when she again eschewed a dress in favor of a suit at the Screen Actors Guild awards (where she was also nominated), a trend had been cemented.
“I knew that when awards season rolled around I wanted to walk down that red carpet in a Marlene Dietrich suit [and] just take a stance, because I know there’s pressure and I know there’s all this fear involved of not being liked or not being wanted or not making a best-dressed list,” Wood says. “And I just thought I don’t want to live my life like that — and I don’t think other people want to either.”
The role in “Westworld” has provided the 29-year-old with dual opportunities to raise her profile: her performance has been highly celebrated (she is now up for an Emmy, rounding out the season), and the subsequent awards circuit has given her a platform on which to model her commitment to freedom of expression.