Patricia Arquette will always remember her childhood Halloweens -- because her late sister Alexis made them memorable.
The Boyhood star, speaking with The Advocate on the eve of Transgender Day of Visibility, recalled how her own trans sibling consistently brought creativity to the annual costumed event.
"When we were little, Halloween was always important. We were a very creative family," said Arquette, who recalled one childhood costume that took the cake. "Alexis was the leprechaun and had an amazing outfit of green velvet breeches and a green velvet coat and a little beard and everything. I was supposed to be his wife, and I had a shabby, dumb outfit. Alexis, of course, won number 1 in the Halloween costume [contest]."
Arquette recounted another Halloween that occurred in their early teens that showcased Alexis's sense of humor.
"Alexis comes out wearing pajamas, but those onesies with the feet attached and has made a giant stuffed belly. And Alexis was like, 'I'm a problem child!' and [was holding] a little bottle," Arquette said with a laugh. "Alexis was always really funny."
Their parents were also impressed with and supportive of Alexis's imagination. As an example, Arquette recalled how Alexis and her brother David had "space pod" beds as children. "They were tubes, and they had these ovals that you could get in and out of." One day, their mother, going to make the bed, discovered that a corner of Alexis's foam mattress had been removed. She confronted her child about it.
"The whole corner's gone!" their mother said, to which Alexis replied, "I had to make this puppet." Alexis then presented a doll with a red sequined dress that she had fashioned. Her mother was not mad -- she was impressed.
"Oh, my God, that's the best. My kids are so creative," her mother said, adding, "Well, don't worry, we'll just take this old towel and make a little piece of mattress out of that."
In present day, Arquette said she treasured all of the "beautiful incredible memories of Alexis and also memories of Alexis's strong support of me. Alexis was very protective too. She really didn't like a lot of my boyfriends, I'll tell you that! She was like, 'He's not good enough for you!'"
On Thursday, Arquette held a dinner in Los Angeles celebrating Alexis's legacy in advance of the GLAAD Media Awards, where the actress will be honored for her LGBT advocacy. Her brothers David and Richmond were also in attendance. The event marked the unveiling of the Alexis Arquette Family Foundation, which will support the transgender community.
In a toast, Arquette thanked guests -- among them journalists, GLAAD CEO Sarah Kate Ellis, and RuPaul's Drag Race's Detox -- for their attendance. She also thanked the event's cohost, Ketel One Vodka, for its support of and donation to the foundation.
"Alexis is a pioneer who worked to raise awareness of social, civil, and emotional impacts and causes, in support of issues faced by the LGBTQ community," she told the gathering. "I want to thank you all for coming and for celebrating Alexis with us."
