Allegra Coleman was a fictional celebrity invented by writer Martha Sherrill for the purposes of a hoax magazine article. Then model Ali Larter portrayed the imaginary actress in Sherrill's feature, which appeared in Esquire.
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, and her friendship with Deepak Chopra. She is said to be 22 years old, the daughter of "pop-art photographer Max A.F. Coleman" and actress "Kay Garland, who played the spoiled daughter in Mildred Pierce". In real life, that specific role in Mildred Pierce had been played by Ann Blyth, whose life in no way resembled the fictional Kay Garland's. Coleman was married briefly at 17 to "Mike Mumy", the brother of actor Billy Mumy. Within the context of the article, Coleman is already a successful actress, having appeared in the TV seriesMelrose Place, and the films Down Periscope, Guarding Tess and Cliffhanger, amongst others. Also within the context of the article, her life has been the subject of tabloid reportage and speculation for some time. By the end of the article, in a surrealistic turn, serious ambiguities are raised about Allegra's actual existence, as she seems to have disappeared after a car crash and it's noted that "We would always have her, and the idea of her — this glorious, young, alive vision — which is all we want in the end, it turns out. Actual existence was a minor issue." The many deliberate inaccuracies were meant to be indicative that the article was a satire of a typically breathless style of celebrity profile articles, and indeed Salon magazine identified the article as a hoax immediately upon publication. The hoax was formally revealed by Esquire editor Edward Kosner in a press release to the news wire services. The article was photographed by photographer Troy House, who knew Ali Larter from previous jobs and approached her about doing the parody. Sherrill later wrote a satirical novel on Hollywood life that was essentially both an expansion and continuation of the original "Dream Girl" article, and featured Allegra Coleman as a prominent character. The novel, My Last Movie Star, was published by Random House in 2003.
Reaction
Some response to the affair focused on its ethics; 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. 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 and movies.
