Best Celebrity Halloween Costumes

Of course, celebrities always have fantastic Halloween costumes. I mean, between the bottomless budgets; access to the best costume designers, hairdressers, and makeup artists on the planet; and the drop-dead gorgeous, perfect faces and bodies they have to work with, how could they not?

But even so, some costumes stand out above others. Usually because they’re clever, or funny, or somehow especially appropriate for that particular celebrity (or celebrity couple, or celebrity family). Here are a few of my personal favorites that I’ve seen celebrities wearing over the years. 

Sandra Bullock and her son Louis dressed as Jessie and Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story in 2013. Not only is Jessie a perfect costume for the sweet and cheerful Bullock, but her son was at the age where his vague confusion about the concept of Halloween and his delight in discovering all about it was a perfect parallel to Buzz himself. 

It’s always fantastic when celebrities spoof each other, and Ellen DeGeneres has gone above and beyond in this category many times. Two of my favorites are last year, when she took on Nicki Minaj, complete with impressive underboobage and dark roots, and 2012, when she donned a duplicate of Sofia Vergara’s dress from the Emmy Awards, complete with fake feet in high heels so she could still wear her beloved white tennis shoes. Rock on, Ellen.

Speaking of hitting it out of the park every year, let’s talk Neil Patrick Harris, David Burtka, and family. Every year they do a whole family theme, finding costumes that are hilariously perfect for each member. One year Neil was Captain Hook, David was Peter Pan, their daughter Harper was Tinker Bell, and their son Gideon was Mr. Smee; one year they did the Wizard of Oz with Neil as the Tin Man, David as the Scarecrow, Harper as Dorothy, and Gideon as the Cowardly Lion; last year’s Batman theme featured Neil as the Riddler, David as the Joker, Harper as Batgirl, and Gideon as the Caped Crusader himself. But two of my favorites are Harper as Alice in Wonderland, Gideon as the White Rabbit, and the two dads as Tweedledum and Tweedledee; and the year they all went as monsters, with Neil as Frankenstein’s monster, Gideon as the Werewolf, Harper as Bride of Frankenstein, and David as Count Dracula. Whatever they paid their hair and makeup artist, it wasn’t enough. This family always finds the right blend of spooky and family fun.

Heidi Klum goes all-out with her Halloween costume every year, usually going for something that makes her unrecognizable: full-face old-age makeup to be a little old lady, a fierce 8-armed Indian goddess covered in blue paint, and a gorilla completely covered in fur (except for her rather prominent – and fortunately artificial – breasts). But what better costume for a model nicknamed “The Body” than an anatomical model?

Katy Perry as a Cheeto. I don’t know why this strikes me as completely hilarious, but it does. I mean, she’s a CHEETO!!!! As Larry the Cable Guy would say, “That’s funny, right thar.”

Remember that awful year when Miley Cyrus dressed up in a teddy bear teddy and acted gross with Robin Thicke? She was pretty horrible, but the many celebrity and non-celebrity costumes the routine spawned were pretty awesome. Here’s to everyone who mocked her the following Halloween, including Kelly Ripa, Paris Hilton, and even Joan Rivers.

But lest you be intimidated by these great costumes, just keep in mind that even with all their money and looks, some celebrities still come up with hot messes instead of cool costumes:

 The Hanson brothers as…got me. Your guess is as good as mine. 80s gorilla, biker fairy, and pirate bee? Yeah, I got nothin’.

Snooki as…The Queen of the Pickles? A Pickle Hunter? 

 Kyle MacLachlan as Cheez-Wiz. Next year, Kyle, go as a Cheeto. At least everybody likes Cheetos.