Discover with us what American actor and comedian Benito Skinner wore to the “Overcompensating” premiere in LA.
Stylist: Jake Sammis
Outfit: custom ERL by Eli Russell Linnetz
Makeup Artist: Nikki DeRoest
Hairstylist: Kristen Shaw
I watched the Amazon Prime Video series “Overcompensating” some weeks ago because I needed a bit of levity and I am so glad I did.
I got to know new comedians and actors and a welcome surprise was Benito Skinner, just so unapologetic, honest, relatable and lovable–no wonder the series had a great success (and hopefully will have a second season too).
A thing I usually do whenever I am captivated by characters on screen is to see what is their style off-duty and that’s what I also did with Benito.
I decided to take the matter into my own hands and I analyzed what he wore to the Los Angeles premiere of the series with a little help from a Vogue US article written by the incredible and immensely knowledgeable José Criales-Unzueta (they don’t know it but they taught me so much about fashion).
Let dissect everything: Skinner donned a custom ERL midnight suit, paired with a dark brown leather coat featuring an airbrushed portrait of John F. Kennedy and a yellow polka dot midnight blue silk tie with the same JFK image printed on it.
According to the aforementioned interview, Benito explained that he loves Eli (ERL‘s creative director) because he plays with the world of Americana but with an unexpected–maybe even gay–twist and that when he was in high school, one of his senior quotes was: “One person can make a difference, and every person should try”, which allegedly was pronounced by Kennedy (even though it’s not sure because the quote is almost never linked to a speech or document and usually appears undated. At first it was even attributed to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis) meaning that everyone of us can bring a positive change to the world.
Lastly, both Benito and his stylist Jake Sammis loved that the outfit felt appropriate for the collegiate world of the show and both thought that JFK looked handsome in the portrait.
For the occasion, his base was done by Nikki DeRoest, a true master when it comes to make skin look like skin with minimum effort, while his well coiffed hair was courtesy of Kristen Shaw.
The handsome actor was styled by Jake Sammis, a professional who I have discovered recently.
From what I could gather, his editorial background is what pierced straight through my heart in a matter of seconds and I think he has a great eye for men’s styling and women’s styling.
It’s hard to come by a playful and colorful styling such as this one, but I think it embodies Benito‘s effervescent personality perfectly and I’m all for it.
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Overcompensating is an American comedy drama television series created by Benito Skinner for Amazon Prime Video.
Skinner stars as Benny, a former high-school jock and closeted college student navigating freshman year.
The show is loosely based on Skinner‘s own college experience.
The show premiered on May 15, 2025, on Amazon Prime Video.
@hollywoodreporter #benitoskinner poses for cameras at the premiere of his #amazonprime show #overcompensating ♬ original sound – peoples favorite songs
@varietymagazine Benito Skinner invites Pedro Pascal to come star on the new series “Overcompensating.”
♬ original sound – Variety
