Vanity Fair’s annual Hollywood Portfolio is here and it is… well, here. I’m not going to say it’s good or exciting, because it’s none of those things. The best I can say is that it’s not as bad as it could have been. Vanity Fair chooses to highlight particular actors every year, not always based on awards but on who had some kind of breakout. This year’s cover subjects include: Nicole Kidman, Benedict Cumberbatch, Kristen Stewart, Penelope Cruz, Idris Elba, Simu Liu, Andrew Garfield and Michaela Jae Rodriguez. You can see the whole Hollywood Portfolio here.
Unlike previous years, I don’t think VF is doing a cover with all of their subjects together, although there is one photo – which was likely Photoshopped – like that in the portfolio. No, VF issued individual covers and individual cover interviews with their portfolio subjects. It’s something W Magazine does – a bunch of different covers with individual interviews. I don’t mind it, but I kind of miss the old way. I’ll do some break-away posts for some of the interesting interviews (I’m not wading through all of that right now and trying to cull quotes!!).
Favorite cover? Idris Elba’s cover, I think. My least favorite is Kristen Stewart’s. Benedict’s is crazy!! They made him get in a bath with swans.
‘Pose’ and ‘Tick, Tick… Boom!’ star Michaela Jaé Rodriguez broke barriers with her historic Golden Globe win this year, the first-ever awarded to a trans person. With a debut EP and Apple TV+ show on the way, she's not done making history yet.
🔗: https://t.co/S91iqSvQmv pic.twitter.com/z2GEsIHs1f
— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) February 17, 2022
Simu Liu shouldered superhuman expectations with aplomb in ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.’ Now, he’s contending with the responsibilities—and revelations—of success: “I still feel very much like I’m an outsider in Hollywood.”
🔗: https://t.co/S91iqSvQmv pic.twitter.com/vjshgLx05O
— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) February 17, 2022
Covers courtesy of Vanity Fair.
I really like Simu Liu’s cover. It’s giving elegant flamingo in a good way.
I’m sorry but what in heaven’s name is that Nicole Kidman cover about?? Yikess
I don’t know if I’ve ever seen her with her belly bared like that, at least not for a long time! and Kristin Stewarts cover looks photoshopped to hell!
You just want to take her aside and murmur, “Sweetie, you’re aging. This is not a bad thing. Try to do it gracefully. You can’t be an ingenue forever.”
It makes me think of Cate Blanchett’s recent look at the Goya awards – she looked gorgeous and bared some midriff, but didn’t look like she was auditioning for a cheerleader movie on Lifetime. She’s only 2 years younger than Kidman.
Yeah, I mean, wear what you want to wear, but Britney Spears “Baby One More Time” is not a look that anyone can pull off. They could have dressed her more….elegantly…and still made her look cool.
Did they get into Paris Hiltons wardrobe?
It looks like she’s auditioning for a redo of that playboy mansion show? Such an odd choice and I’m really surprised that she went with it…
Simu and Idris’ covers ffw. Kristen and Nicole, oh dear no…
That’s Nicole Kidman⁉️
Well kudos to Nicole for introducing me to the concept of boob slack bra tops.
What in the photoshopped hell…?
Idris’ the only one I like. Benedict’s and Nicole’s are really awful.
Hmm
I think Vanity Fair’s art director has lost the plot. This isn’t interesting or intriguing or conjuring any particular narrative. It’s just 10 different ways of awkward/odd with some random distracting elements.
Simu’s is fine, I guess.
But the others range from WTF to oof to oh, honey, nah. (With bonus sadness for the tiger) And NONE of that is down to the actors in the photos.
I’m really hoping they didn’t bring in a real tiger for Michaela’s photo.
What on earth is with the Nicole Kidman – look im a sexy 16 year old look and Benedict’s is daft.
Love the others tho
Least favorite cover is DEFINITELY Nicole Kidman
God forbid we take a picture of a woman that isn’t over sexualized.
Swans are mean as hell. For Cumberbatch’s sake, I hope that was photoshopped.
Sorry, Melissa, I meant that to be its own comment, not a reply.
totally second that about swans. So scary. And they hiss.
“God forbid we take a picture of a woman that isn’t over sexualized.”
This +1000
And also, yes to the swans being mean thing.
(aside: it’s one of the reasons Mute Swans are so awful as an invasive species in US. They attack and bully any native duck, goose species out of whatever place they land. They are not peaceful coexisters)
I gotta admit, I’m disappointed in Nicole. I thought she was smarter than that. I’m so naive.
I’m truly shocked that Nicole Kidman approved that cover…
Omg. 😦
Nicole’s cover. Cringe.
She looks good, but whoever styled her shoot did an awful job.
Crikey.
I do not understand any of what’s happening.