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Allegra Coleman was a fictional celebrity invented by writer Martha Sherrill for the purposes of a hoax magazine article. Then model (later actress) Ali Larter portrayed the imaginary model in Sherrill's feature, which appeared in Esquire (November 1996).
Contents
History
In a parody of celebrity profiles, the article described Coleman's role in an upcoming movie with Woody Allen, her tempestuous relationship with David Schwimmer (including a scandal involving nude photographs taken by paparazzi) and her friendship with Deepak Chopra.
The hoax was revealed by Esquire editor Edward Kosner in a press release to the news wire services.
Sherrill later wrote a satirical novel on Hollywood life that featured Allegra Coleman as a prominent character. The novel, My Last Movie Star, was published by Random House in 2003.
The article was photographed by photographer Troy House who knew Ali Larter from previous jobs and approached her about doing the parody.
Reaction
Response to the affair was perhaps less vigorous than the magazine's publishers might have hoped for, given that the article was in essence, a publicity stunt. Some responses focused on the ethics of the affair; Schwimmer's friends were reported to have complained about the invasion of privacy involved in using the actor's fame. Writing in Salon, David Futrelle commented that the article seemed to hearken back to Esquire's mid-1960s heyday. A writer on suck.com noted that the Coleman satire was essentially indistinguishable from the normal run of the magazine's celebrity reporting.
The article written about Coleman as the new "It Girl" prompted calls from studios and talent scouts eager to offer Coleman scripts. The incident jump-started Ali Larter's acting career, and she went on to appear in TV shows (including the Niki Sanders role in NBC's Heroes) and movies (including Legally Blonde, Final Destination).
