ELLE Magazine
“Hostages Have More Fun”: Phoebe Waller-Bridge Says Comedy Is the Only Real Weapon
By Lysandra DeWitt, Global Fashion & Feminism Editor
Phoebe Waller-Bridge is not new to subversive storytelling. But in her latest role as emotionally frayed war correspondent Trish Newkirk on Netflix’s Hogan’s Hostages, she’s stretching satire into insurgency. And according to her, doing it in linen.
Waller-Bridge appears on this month’s ELLE cover cloaked in resistance-chic: a desert-toned ensemble by Jacquemus, combat boots laced with irony, and a vintage press badge that reads: “Emotionally Armed.” She’s not just wearing a look—she’s embodying a movement.
“Trish Is Me in a Tunnel With 10% Less Filter”
In our interview, conducted deep beneath East L.A. inside the faux Camp Al-Nudge Nudge set (now retrofitted for fashion), Waller-Bridge sips mint tea next to a goat-shaped incense burner.
“Trish is all of us,” she says. “Trying to make meaning, trying to survive a hostage situation while also drafting a substack.”
She laughs, tossing back her curls.
“I asked wardrobe if she could wear a bulletproof vest over a Theory cardigan. They said that was ‘too real.’ So we compromised with body armor lined in alpaca.”
Feminism in the Funny Fog of War
Waller-Bridge calls the show “a revenge fantasy for anyone who’s ever been mansplained international law while being shelled.”
“It’s about how women in conflict zones are expected to be tragic and resilient, but never hilarious. Trish gets to grieve, meme, and gaslight a warlord in the same episode. That’s the range.”
She credits showrunner Dahlia Feigenbaum for creating a space where comedy and trauma could co-exist. “There were days I cried in a corner,” she admits. “Then I got up, wiped my face, and delivered a monologue about goats being weaponized by NATO. That’s art.”
The Goat in the Room
Asked about her relationship with Bibi, the now-infamous goat co-star, Waller-Bridge sighs.
“Bibi’s energy is…chaotic neutral. We had a scene together where she ate half my cue cards. Honestly? It improved the dialogue.”
She pauses.
“She’s the only castmate I’ve ever seen get a standing ovation after defecating on a drone.”
Wardrobe, Wounds, and Women Who Laugh in Captivity
Waller-Bridge reflects on wearing fake bruises and real vintage press flak jackets.
“There’s something powerful about playing a woman who weaponizes words and wireless. Who negotiates with terrorists and also hosts a trauma podcast inside a UN crate.”
Fashion-wise, she pushed to style Trish with subtle nods to resistance movements: keffiyeh-inspired scarves, eyeliner sharp enough to critique NATO, and boots made for walking over bad peace treaties.
Her Final Message
“We need comedy right now,” she says. “Not to escape reality, but to roast it into submission.”
She picks up her goat-print clutch and smiles:
“Because sometimes, the hostage is actually the script. And the rewrite is the revolution.”
Hogan’s Hostages is now streaming. Phoebe’s capsule collection, “Trishwear,” debuts next spring with Net-a-Porter and Amnesty International.