Step into the electrifying world of Quiz Lady, Hulu’s latest heartwarming and hilarious film, directed by Jessica Yu and starring Awkwafina and Sandra Oh. In this exclusive interview, costume designer Brenda Abbandandolo takes us behind the scenes to reveal the creative process and inspiration behind the film’s unforgettable costumes. From the subdued, routine-driven costumes of Awkwafina’s character, Anne, to the over-the-top, eclectic style of Sandra Oh’s Jenny, discover how the Quiz Lady costumes play a pivotal role in bringing these characters to life and adding a layer of comedic charm to their on-screen personas.
Spencer Williams: Costume designer Brenda Abbandandolo, how are you?
Brenda Abbandandolo: I’m good, Spencer. Thanks for having me.
Spencer Williams: Let’s talk about Quiz Lady and the Quiz Lady costumes. It’s such a hilarious, heartwarming film. Before we get into all the fun costumes, how did you connect to the story, and what were your initial conversations with director Jessica Yu like?
Brenda Abbandandolo: I connected immediately because my mom is from the Philippines. A lot of the culture and family dynamics really resonated with me. In a broader sense, there’s a lot we could pull out and examine, but we started by talking about how isolating these characters could feel and how specific their upbringing was. We discussed how two people growing up in the same household could have different outcomes. That’s where we started, and then we really wanted to pull that apart and explore different aspects of Awkwafina’s and Sandra’s characters.
Spencer Williams: Yeah, what an understatement. They couldn’t be more different, actually, which I’m excited to get into.
Brenda Abbandandolo: Exactly. It started there but then evolved with the actors. Awkwafina is so trusting, and her character is understated, which was fun in its own way. But with Sandra, we really went for it. We had so much fun pulling in racks and racks of clothes. We met every week for five weeks, building her character from the ground up. I’ve never had an experience like that before. Sandra’s character showed a sort of regression in how she dressed, and we wanted to get that right.
Spencer Williams: The story revolves around two estranged sisters who have led very different lives and come back together through an interesting turn of events. Let’s start with Awkwafina’s character. When you meet her, she’s living a pretty routine, borderline sad life. She wakes up every day, goes to work, and watches her show. It’s very relatable. I really feel like the costumes and color palettes helped tell her story because, as you said, she blends into her environment.
Brenda Abbandandolo: Totally. We planned that. All the comedy comes from the contrast between her and Jenny. We always knew Awkwafina’s character would be subdued. In talking with Jessica, we decided we wanted her to disappear, to be completely invisible to those around her, like her coworkers and her sister. We matched her clothes to the set and the paint chips in the set. It was like fighting your whole career to pull people out of the set, but this was the opposite.
Spencer Williams: That’s like the opposite of what every costume designer has ever said to me.
Brenda Abbandandolo: It was so fun to do that. Sometimes, it was like, “Oh my God, I can’t believe how close we got,” but it was just about making her completely invisible. That’s kind of how she lives, except for this game show; nothing else really brings her to life. It’s just the same routine every day. It was funny to look at her rack because it was like 15 versions of beige and gray. We questioned if it was enough of a change to track the story, but it was subdued. And then Sandra’s rack is just crazy wild.
Spencer Williams: Yeah, let’s get into Sandra. So then we meet Jenny, played by Sandra Oh, whom I love. As you said, she couldn’t be any more different. She’s very over the top, eclectic, and just wild. Please tell me about your approach to Jenny and her costumes because it does feel like her costumes are sometimes younger than she is, and you’re like, “What’s going on here?”
Brenda Abbandandolo: Yeah, I mean, there are so many funny things in this script, like her aspiration to be in Burbank, California, and becoming famous or a performer, which we all know that story, but she never seems to get it together. That’s a recurring theme in her life. So she had to feel like a disaster all the time like she never fully matured into the woman she is. We went back to ’90s trends, early 2000s, that were part of her coming of age and stuck there. That’s where we started, and it was perfect because the ’90s were everywhere. Sandra was so game to let us take her there. I’ve never shaped a character with an actor to this extent of meeting weekly and building something actively with another person.
Spencer Williams: Right. That’s so exciting. I remember the first time we saw her walk into the house, I thought she was dressed like one of the girls from Euphoria. It just felt so funny because you could instantly tell there’s stunted growth here, all sorts of things happening—such a funny character. And the costumes really play into the comedy.
Going further, there’s a great scene when Anne goes to the audition for the quiz show, and she’s sweating profusely. She borrows one of Jenny’s hoodies and some of her drugs as well. So you get this hilarious trip scene. That hoodie she’s wearing was such a choice! Was that intentional?
Brenda Abbandandolo: It was totally intentional, but there was a lot of thought behind it. We went through so many options—textures, colors—and finally, this one appeared almost out of nowhere. It made everyone completely fall over laughing. All that animation sequence was put in later; we didn’t realize how effective it was going to be. But yes, that was the brainchild of Jessica, and then my team and Awkwafina filtered through hoodies to find what made us laugh.
Spencer Williams: The hoodie heard around the world.
Brenda Abbandandolo: Yeah, and of course, it came from the most basic place. But it definitely checked all the boxes and worked for that scene.
Spencer Williams: I’m a big fan of Tony Hale. In this film, he’s playing a Ben Franklin impersonator or bed and breakfast owner. I’m not sure what’s happening, but it’s so funny. Did you dig deep into your research of Ben Franklin?
Brenda Abbandandolo: I think we definitely dug in and tried to recreate some of the more famous portraits. The whole thing was so funny. We had to build a padded suit to go under it, and the experience was fun to go through with Tony. We just tried to get as close as possible and make it work with the set and other characters. Tony was so believable. People barely got through that scene; it’s written so well and so funny. We just tried to play it straight, as if he thought he was Benjamin Franklin.
Spencer Williams: He’s very believable. The next character I want to ask you about, who doesn’t love some Holland Taylor? In this film, she plays Francine, a nosy, judgmental neighbor. Working with Holland and creating this subdued, nosy neighbor character must have been interesting.
Brenda Abbandandolo: Holland is so cool. She walks into the room so stylish and cool. You just can’t see her in these housecoats. That conversation started with Jessica, who envisioned this woman who gave up on life. I remember pitching this idea to Holland; she went there with us. We built nine housecoats, almost identical in different patterns. Jessica was very specific about that vision, right down to the fabric and the way she would wear them. At first, I was worried, but she pulled it off.
Spencer Williams: Such a great character. Another relatable character, by the way. I hate it when people put things on my front porch, and I can’t get out of my door, but that’s neither here nor there. One other thing I want to ask you about is that I love a game show. Did you watch any game shows while preparing?
Brenda Abbandandolo: I think the initial inspiration was Jeopardy, and the idea that Alex Trebek is, for many people, a mainstay in their house, like he’s a member of their family at 7 p.m., whatever time it is, every day for like 30 years. That was definitely the inspiration for Will Ferrel, this stable figure in everyone’s household. Because he’s done this show for so long, just like Alex Trebek, we tracked him back over the last quarter century of men’s fashion. Will Ferrell has also played Alex Trebek many times on Saturday Night Live—an easy transition. Something shifted as the game show became its own thing for this film. The bow ties and stuff became unique to Quiz Lady, but that stable, relatable everyday guy remains.
Spencer Williams: That’s great. I just have to ask one more question, and this might be silly, but Linguini ends up getting pretty decked out. Were you responsible for the bling, or who do I have to thank for Linguini’s bling?
Brenda Abbandandolo: You can thank Jen D’Angelo because it’s in the script that Linguini ends up becoming part of the gang that kidnapped. We bought multiple shirts and cut them down to build him an identical shirt. Linguini was a big part of the movie, like the mascot. My team, a bunch of dog lovers, was more than happy to create the costume for Linguini.
Spencer Williams: This is a monumental moment for me because I haven’t been able to ask about a dog costume yet. Linguini has great style. What did Quiz Lady mean to you and your crew? It was such a fun, hilarious film.
Brenda Abbandandolo: This is probably one of the most fun films I’ve ever made. Jessica is so clear about her vision and ran such a killer set. Sandra and Awkwafina, the collaboration was something I’ve never done. Working on that film was just a dream, and Sandra and Awkwafina are a killer comedy duo.
Spencer Williams: Brenda, this has been such a joy. I’m so glad we finally got to talk, and I hope everyone reading goes and watches Quiz Lady on Hulu. Thank you so much.
Brenda Abbandandolo: Thanks, Spencer. I totally appreciate you having me. I’m so glad we got to do this in person.
