One of the great things about being a cosplayer is that Halloween never truly ends. It may be Christmas season, but that doesn’t stop Playboy Club model Rolyat from donning her spooky and tantalizing ode to the Bride of Frankenstein.
Why Rolyat Loves the Bride of Frankenstein
“She is a strong female character and getting to embody that felt empowering,” Rolyat told Playboy. “It’s kind of funny because when you look at the outfit, you would think, ‘Oh that looks so simple and easy to make.’ But I spent an inordinate amount of time airbrushing and detailing the wraps. I tried to blend a bunch of different paints and colors to get this shiny metallic effect to match the reference art.”
Rolyat’s cosplay is a sendup of Playboy pinup artist Olivia De Berdardinis’ rendition of the classic monster movie character. This breathtaking cosplay was the culmination of a team effort. Firstly, the body paint and prosthetics were done by makeup artist Kelton Ching. Frankenstein’s Bride’s iconic wig was made by wig maker Jessica Mills. And the breathtaking photos were taken by Mike Saffels.
“I was incredibly surprised how good turned out,” Rolyat says. “I have never done full body paint of green before so I guess there was a level of anxiousness that I would not suit it. Thankfully my makeup artist was also incredible and made me look amazing.”
Who is the Bride of Frankenstein?
Take a second and picture Frankenstein in your head. There’s a good chance you’re seeing Boris Karloff’s rendition of the monster without even knowing. After all, it’s just one of those ubiquitous horror faces swirling around the pop culture zeitgeist. The undead wife of Frankenstein’s monster first appeared in Karloff’s second outing as “The Monster,” the 1935 Gothic horror film The Bride of Frankenstein (although her character is known only as “The Monster’s Mate” and credited as “?”).
In Bride was portrayed by actress Elsa Lanchester in this film. Of course, the character is almost as iconic as her would-be husband, especially with that tall updo hairstyle. In the 1985 film The Bride, she was portrayed by Jennifer Beals. Lastly, in Kenneth Branagh’s Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, she was portrayed by Helena Bonham Carter.
Rolyat is on The Playboy Club. Talk to her now.
