Justin Tipping’s unusual football-horror film Him leaves plenty of questions in its wake, yet many resolve by the finale — especially the puzzle that is Elsie White, portrayed by Julia Fox. As the glamorous and unpredictable wife of football icon Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans), Elsie alternately charms and unnerves protagonist Cameron Cade (Tyriq Withers). She lingers at the margins of Cameron and Isaiah’s relationship, and although her screen time is limited, her presence — equal parts predatory and uncanny — resonates strongly in the film’s closing moments.
Fox — who has worked as a model and producer and even inspired Charlie XCX’s track “360” — first appeared on screen in Uncut Gems, and more recently turned up in 2024’s The Trainer and Steven Soderbergh’s ghost story Presence. She told Polygon that Elsie originally had a deeper backstory that was removed from the final cut, that she often ignored some of Tipping’s suggestions for the role, and that she had expected — and hoped for — a dramatic physical reinvention for the character, which ultimately didn’t happen for a surprising reason.
This conversation has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Polygon: What initial notes did Justin Tipping give you about Elsie?
Julia Fox: Our first meeting lasted for hours — we went line by line through her. Justin pointed me toward shows like The Real Housewives of Dallas as tonal reference points, so I watched that and some of the more celebrity-focused reality shows like WAGS and Basketball Wives. But when I arrived on set I realized Elsie wasn’t a caricature of those women. She isn’t driven by petty drama or constant performance for the cameras; she’s far more strategic. She’s laser-focused on her career and maintaining power within her world — more puppeteer than puppet. I found that approach instinctively.
Polygon: The film reveals little about her past. Did you develop a secret backstory for Elsie?
Julia Fox: Yes — there was a written backstory that didn’t survive the edit. In it she came from a fractured home, endured a difficult relationship with her mother, and grew up with few resources. She met Isaiah in high school, recognized his potential, and attached herself to that trajectory. That connection became a springboard: she built her own brand and influence, essentially becoming the Gwyneth Paltrow-style figure within the WAGS world — a self-made power player.
Polygon: When you moved away from the Real Housewives notion and made different choices, did Justin challenge your interpretation?
Julia Fox: Not at all. Justin trusted me completely. He’s a director who lets scenes breathe, encourages improvisation, and allows actors to explore. He didn’t micromanage; he welcomed collaboration and new ideas, which made the set a place to experiment rather than be corrected at every turn.
Polygon: Elsie’s look — the bleached brows, stark white liner, and aggressive contour — is very striking. What was the hair-and-makeup process?
Julia Fox: I actually arrived ready for a full makeover — tanning, hair color, the whole thing — because I expected a heavy transformation. Justin surprised me by saying, “Keep it as you are.” I was a bit disappointed at first because I love a big change, but it turned out to be the right decision. Elsie’s power comes from an understated, controlled image: she wants to distinguish herself from other WAGS and to be treated with reverence, not to blend in.
Polygon: So the look was your everyday aesthetic rather than a constructed costume?
Julia Fox: Pretty much. I’d been bleaching my brows for a couple of years at the time; it wasn’t a manufactured character choice, it was my personal style. (I’ve since returned to my natural brows.) That authenticity is part of what made the character feel eerie and otherworldly — a little alien, in a way — and Justin wanted to preserve that.
Him is in theaters now.
Source: Polygon
