When I spoke with Raechelle Banno after the European premiere of Better Man, which was held in London's iconic Leicester Square last year, it was clear she was still soaking in the whirlwind of the evening.
"Honestly? It didn't go how I thought it would at all!" she shared. "I imagined I'd be a nervous wreck and wouldn't be able to take it all in, but it ended up being everything I could have hoped for and more. It was phenomenal. [A] pure celebration."
The actor, who stars in the critic-lauded film that follows the life and career of British pop superstar Robbie Williams (albeit through a rather unexpected lens), had her family by her side for the big night, which only added to its significance. "I was fortunate enough to have my whole family with me whilst I got ready, right up until we brought our sore feet back to the hotel in the wee hours of the morning. To share it with them, particularly my mum, made the very surreal evening feel all the more real."
Banno got ready at The Soho Hotel, which she felt perfectly matched the energy of the film. "Very rock 'n' roll," she said. "There was a lot of feminine energy bouncing around my room between me, my family and the glam team." Despite the excitement of the premiere, she surprised herself by how at-peace she felt. "My family kept checking in with me beforehand, seeing if I was feeling anxious, but I wasn't. I felt so calm. We've waited a long time to share the film with the world, so it just felt right. That, and the fact that I trust my team so thoroughly… there was only excitement left."
Banno's premiere look came together seamlessly thanks to her stylist, Holly White. "We had a fitting a few weeks ago, and when Holly first showed me the gorgeous Sau Lee dress on the hanger, I just assumed it might not work on me because I'm fairly vertically challenged," she laughed. "Gowns like that don't always sit in all the right places. But when I put it on, we both sort of gasped and agreed it was perfect for the night."
White paired the gown with dazzling Chopard jewellery, which Banno described as a surreal touch. "The next thing I knew, Chopard was dropping the most beautiful pieces off at my hotel room whilst I got ready. It was a level of glamour unlike anything I've experienced before."
For hair and makeup, the team decided to showcase the incredible neckline of the dress with an elegant up-do. "We wanted to hint at the '90s in a way that didn't overpower the dress," Banno explains. The makeup, meanwhile, played to the sultry mood of her dress, featuring a darker lip and defined eyes.
As she prepared for the premiere, Banno kept the atmosphere relaxed but also managed to encapsulate its significance with a homage to Williams himself. "I'm all about setting a chill but fun vibe ahead of a night out. I had a pot of tea as we ordered Nandos to the hotel (because, why not!). I was blasting a nostalgic playlist [that] my twin sister, Karina, had put together for [one of our] birthdays, but as we got closer to go time, we switched to all the Robbie Williams songs my mum would play for us growing up. Having a singalong with the team and dissecting our favourite Robbie songs was a great way to head out."
Working with her glam squad—which consisted of White, makeup artist India Excell and hairstylist Diana Moar—is what Banno considers to be one of the major highlights of the Better Man promo trail. "It's such a joy to collaborate and learn from [their] creativity," Banno said. "Having Pip Bourdillon [her photographer for the evening] come in to capture the energy just topped it all off perfectly."
The premiere wasn't just a celebration of the film but also a career milestone for Banno, who described her time on Better Man as dreamlike. "Filming Better Man was a creative experience I didn't even know was possible. I was surrounded by people whose intelligence and skills I admired more than I could say, and somehow, I was invited to the party?!"
The project was especially meaningful for Banno, given Robbie Williams' omnipresence throughout her life. "His music filled my household growing up," she shared. "When I heard they were making a film about him, I was curious, of course. Then when I had the opportunity to audition, I figured it would be to play one of many women in the film (he is a pop star, after all!). For it to turn out that I could be a part of the depiction of such a beautifully tragic love story and get to dance like Ginger Rogers in the process… the word 'special' barely even covers it."
With the premiere behind her, it was time for Banno to pack her bags once more and head to Australia to continue promoting the film, which I know will be very special for her, considering that's the country from which she hails. "To bring the film home to my friends, family and where we shot the majority of [the film] is a real milestone for me," she said. After that, a cosy and well-earned winter break back in London was needed. "I was back just in time to snuggle up with my cat, sip a mulled wine and try my hardest to take in that this project that's felt like a far-off dream for so long is finally out there on the big screen."
Better Man is in cinemas now.
Photography: Pip Bourdillon
Styling: Holly White
Styling Assistant: Eoin Thomas Higgins
Hair: Diana Moar
Makeup: India Excell
Dress, Sau Lee; jewellery, Chopard
