NYLON Nineteen
Zoey Deutch On 'The Outfit' & Paying On The First Date
Deutch plays the complex Mabel in the sleek new crime thriller.
In The Outfit, the new crime drama directed by Graham Moore (The Imitation Game) is about a master English tailor (Mark Rylance) who decamps from London’s famous Savile Row after WWII for Chicago, where he ends up serving a clientele of vicious gangsters. Zoey Deutch stars as Mabel, the tailor’s assistant who quickly becomes swept up in a whodunit situation that could turn deadly at any moment.
Shot in a single location (the tailor’s shop) and in the style of an old school thriller, the film is Moore’s directorial debut, and also includes Johnny Flynn, Dylan O’Brien, and Nikki Amuka-Bird in the tight ensemble cast. As Mable, Deutch plays a deceptively complex character with her own motives left for the audience to parse out.
“I had been stalking Graham about this project for years,” Deutch tells NYLON of first accepting the role. She describes a three to four year journey of meetings and table reads that eventually landed her the juicy part. The relationship between Mabel and Rylance’s Leonard is part of what drew her to the role: “They have, whether or not they know this, experienced similar loss in their lives, and have this unspoken bond and friendship.”
Deutch was also intrigued by the complexity of the script, which is as layered as it is neat and trim.
“The movie is in many ways a chess match between all the different characters, and I've always wanted to do a play,” Deutch says. “When I read this script, it felt like a masterfully written play. I would be lying if I said I understood it entirely the first time I read it. I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, nor are my reading comprehension skills, shout out to my undiagnosed ADHD. It's inherently super suspenseful, and I think it's cool that the audience is constantly trying to decide who's telling the truth.”
The Outfit is currently playing in theaters nationwide. Read on for Deutch’s NYLON-19 questionnaire in celebration of the film:
1. What is your astrological sign, and do you believe in it?
I am a Scorpio, and I definitely find myself relating to the Scorpio stereotypes.
2. Do you believe in ghosts, and have you ever seen one?
I do believe in ghosts. I don't know if I've seen a ghost, but I've felt presences.
3. What is your go-to drink order?
Tequila, soda, and grapefruit juice, so a Paloma, or an Aperol Spritz. Those are the only two cocktails I order.
4. Who would be the three headliners of the music festival of your dreams?
There's got to be Drake in there. F*ck, I don't know. Drake. Oh God. I said this earlier, so I'm just going to say it again, because they're all winners. Drake, Beyoncé, and Adele. How could you lose?
5. Describe your worst date in three words.
Well, every first date I've gone on, one thing I've done is, I always have to pay [for both of us], and I see how men react to that. It's a very interesting gauge of how they handle that, or how they respond to that.
6. If you could be in any music video, what would it be?
I'm out on videos. I did two and I'm out. I can't do anymore. I did Ed Sheeran's and Justin Bieber's, and if I do another, I'm just going to be a video girl. I couldn't say no to both of those, are you kidding me? They're my favorites. I'm done, two and done, no more. I kissed Justin Bieber and Ed Sheeran, I'm out.
7. What was your first concert, and what do you remember about it?
Either the Spice Girls or Madonna. I was a lucky gal. I remember being so excited, and also so concerned about my ears, like, "Oh my God, it's so loud." My mom was like, "You are so lame."
8. What was your favorite movie as a kid?
That's a good question. I don't know. I think I loved Spice World a lot. Oh, and Austin Powers, which I was probably not supposed to see, but I really loved it.
9. What was your teenage AIM screen name?
Zozo Chanel, like Coco Chanel.
10. What’s your go to breakup or generally sad song?
There's a Wilco song that I love, “Jesus, Etc.” That song is a great song if you're feeling sad. I don't know about breakup, but I really love some Maggie Rogers and Kacey Musgraves.
11. What’s your favorite red carpet look worn by someone else?
Oh my gosh. I love everything that Emma Stone wears. I think she's so beautiful, and the best person ever. I love everything she wears. I don't know about specific looks, but for one of the Spiderman premieres, and she wore black and she had a dark lip. She looked amazing. She always looks amazing. Big crush.
12. Is there a piece of clothing from high school that you wish that you kept, and what is it?
I feel like I kept most of it, honestly. I have a lot of it still. Call it a hoarder, or call it smart.
13. What is one question you never want to be asked again?
Who are you dating?
14. If you had to be on a reality show, which one would you want to be on?
I think Love Island is hilarious, because nothing ever happens, all they do is recap things. That's it, recapping. I swear to God. They're all literally like, "Let's go have a chat," and then they chat about talking about going to have a chat.
Nothing happens. I've watched hundreds of episodes. They just talk about having a chat, and they're like, "Let's go have a chat." Come on. "It's early days mate, let's have a chat," and that's it. That's all they say. It's amazing, I wouldn't have to do jack sh*t, I'd just have a chat.
15. What’s your favorite pair of shoes that you own?
Great question. I have a pair of Acne boots that I wear every day. They're a structured, square toe kind of vibe, and they have a weird shape in the back, and they're very tight. I have my chunky, Bratz doll boot shoe that Valentino makes, that's a big, chunky boot. Those are my go-tos, and a pair of Converse. Those three.
16. What is your favorite fast food place?
Oh, easy. El Pollo Loco, if it counts. For Valentine's Day I got an unlimited gift card to El Pollo Loco, which to me, that's really nice. If you want El Pollo Loco, you know who to call.
17. What’s the last DM that you received or sent?
Okay, the last one I sent was to Cami Mendes. She just got to Paris, and she said, "First celebrity sighting of Paris fashion week," and it's somebody dressed up like SpongeBob on the street. I just sent her a "Ha ha ha."
18. What’s your favorite beauty tip or trick?
I guess everyone's hair is different, but I think the best thing to do is, you don't shower in the morning, you shower at night. For me, it's curly and there's that natural texture, and then you futz with it in the morning. I feel like showering in the morning is this weird thing that became a thing, and I don't think it's good for my hair or most people's hair, but that's my personal opinion. Another trick is, never, under any circumstance, ever use a waterproof mascara.
19. Why no waterproof mascara?
I think the whole trick is using mascara that doesn't rip your eyelashes off. Finding whatever mascara does that for you is best. And if you're puffy, just put your face in a thing of ice water, that's it. If you had too much salt or whatever and couldn't sleep, a giant bucket of ice water, it really does wonders.
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