Even Zendaya wins some and loses some. Years ago she was gearing up for a movie when it imploded right before production was slated to begin. "At the time we were like, shit," she says. "Then I got the script for Euphoria, and that ended up shooting in its slot, and I was like, 'Oh my God, thank God that movie fell apart.'" The lesson? Don't pretend to know what you can expect from Hollywood. "It's not like a corporate job where you can climb a ladder," she says. "This industry is weird. You're constantly having to prove that you can still do it."
The 12 stars on our 31st annual Hollywood cover earned their place on it by taking risks and navigating the industry's notorious shifting sands. By following their guts—and by having guts—they're showing studios and streamers what stardom should look like now, even as executives scramble to build a new world order.
Photograph by Gordon von Steiner; styled by George Cortina.
Nicole Kidman won't pretend that certainty and exuberance are at an all-time high in Hollywood. "Everything's hard now," she says. Yet she still just picks the scripts, like the erotic drama Babygirl, that speak to her. "If it's seen as a risk, I'll take these risks," she says, "but I'm not going to hang too much on that because fear can set in." Danielle Deadwyler's strategy is to glide between genres, though frank stories about the past are a speciality: "I'm trying to ride the decades, man, in a time where people don't want you to be aware of history."
Actors bored by the scripts—or lack of scripts—they see get proactive. Sydney Sweeney launched a production company. Lisa, from the K-pop sensation Blackpink and soon to be seen in The White Lotus, built a talent management company. Dev Patel cowrote and directed Monkey Man. "I know that I'm not a slave to what's out there anymore," he says.
Glen Powell took the reins in his career by cowriting Hit Man. Along with Twisters and Anyone but You, it made him a bankable star. "I try to think audience first rather than me first: What does the audience want to see?" he says. Zoe Saldaña has given audiences what they want in blockbuster franchises, but it was the audacious musical Emilia Pérez that fulfilled her. Bill Skarsgård is making his name playing creatures of the night, most recently a new (but very old) vampire in Nosferatu. "There are people that play themselves, and they're brilliant," he says. "I need to transform as far away from me as possible."
That sound you hear is Jonathan Bailey agreeing: "I've been bored by seeing people play the same part seven times." After his breakout performance in Bridgerton, he's building a varied résumé with Fellow Travelers, Wicked, and Jurassic World Rebirth. Josh O'Connor has been remaking himself constantly since playing Prince Charles on The Crown. He shot La Chimera, playing a crumpled British tomb robber and speaking Italian, and transformed into a chiseled bad boy of tennis for Challengers.
One more thing our cover stars have in common? Ncuti Gatwa, who plays the legendarily irreverent Doctor Who, may well be speaking for everyone here when he says, "I've never really listened to 'You need to change yourself for the industry.' That's not gonna happen." —Essay by Rebecca Ford
Interviews by Anthony Breznican, David Canfield, Rebecca Ford, Joe Hagan, Chris Murphy, Joy Press, Erin Vanderhoof, Savannah Walsh, Keziah Weir, and Kase Wickman
Clothing and shoes by Alaïa; earrings by Bulgari; ring by Bulgari High Jewelry.Photograph by Gordon von Steiner; styled by George Cortina.
ZendayaSTARS IN: Dune: Part Two, Challengers, The Drama
Movie star. Emmy winner. Fashion icon. The Euphoria superstar has stepped into her leading lady era with sci-fi and a tennis ménage à trois. As a fierce coach in Challengers, Zendaya had to get physical with her costars—sometimes too physical. "I'm like 'Goodness, girl, stop putting your hands on people,'" she says.
Shirt by Gucci; glasses by Jacques Marie Mage.Photograph by Gordon von Steiner; styled by George Cortina.
Glen PowellSTARS IN: Twisters, Hit Man, Chad Powers, The Running Man
If you need somebody to play a classic leading man, call this guy. He's been an action hero, a chameleon, and a heartthrob (in Anyone but You) in short order. Once, the industry didn't seem to want him at all: "As a struggling actor, there's no harder place to live than Hollywood."
Clothing by Schiaparelli.Photograph by Gordon von Steiner; styled by George Cortina.
Nicole KidmanSTARS IN: Babygirl, The Perfect Couple, A Family Affair, Lioness
Kidman's brave turn in the upcoming Babygirl and her enigmatic matriarch in the murder mystery The Perfect Couple were just part of a busy, thrilling year. She credits spontaneity: "Overthinking things can become crippling, so I tend not to."
Suit and shoes by Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello.Photograph by Gordon von Steiner; styled by George Cortina.
Zoe SaldañaSTARS IN: Emilia Pérez, Lioness, Avatar: Fire and Ash
This queen of sci-fi has starred in some of the biggest franchises in history, including Avatar, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Star Trek. Her terrific performance in the Spanish-language musical Emilia Pérez, which brought her back to dancing and her native tongue, "felt like going home," she says—and likely set her on her way to her first Oscar nomination.
Clothing by Gucci.Photograph by Gordon von Steiner; styled by George Cortina.
Dev PatelSTARS IN: Monkey Man, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Three More, Rabbit Trap
A star since Slumdog Millionaire, Patel has inhabited complex heroes from Sir Gawain to David Copperfield. Directing, cowriting, and starring in Monkey Man broke his bones but not his spirit: "I started the process with a Gandhi-like approach, and by the end of it, I was more Malcolm X."
Tank top by RLT; riding pants by Hermès; riding boots by Ariat; belt by Artemas Quibble.Photograph by Gordon von Steiner; styled by George Cortina.
Sydney SweeneySTARS IN: Eden, Immaculate, Echo Valley
While awaiting the third season of Euphoria, Sweeney helped conceive a headline-making press tour for Anyone but You and established herself as a producer to be reckoned with. She'll soon be seen as real-life boxer Christy Martin, and she's remaking the Jane Fonda movie Barbarella.
WATCH: Cover Stars Reveal Their Secret Obsessions
Shirt by Loewe; watch by Cartier.Photograph by Gordon von Steiner; styled by George Cortina.
Josh O'ConnorSTARS IN: Challengers, La Chimera, The History of Sound, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Playing Prince Charles (so well) on The Crown could have dogged him forever, but this year alone O'Connor beguiled us as a washed-up tennis player and a British tomb raider who speaks almost exclusively in Italian. Why the variety? "The act of acting is a state of bliss for me," he says.
Vintage shirt from Raggedy Threads; vintage jeans by Levi's.Photograph by Gordon von Steiner; styled by George Cortina.
Jonathan BaileySTARS IN: Wicked, Heartstopper, Bridgerton, Jurassic World Rebirth
He's danced through life as well as movies, prestige TV, Regency romance, and queer love stories. Bailey's career has soared as Hollywood has taken more risks. "I obviously did not imagine myself in this sort of career," he says, "so that must be a sign of progress."
Dress by Gucci.Photograph by Gordon von Steiner; styled by George Cortina.
Danielle DeadwylerSTARS IN: The Piano Lesson, I Saw the TV Glow, Parallel, Carry-On
After breaking through in Till (2022), Deadwyler won raves again for her blistering turn in the film adaptation of August Wilson's famed play The Piano Lesson. She's a force to be reckoned with as Berniece, a widow fighting for her family's legacy.
Jacket by Louis Vuitton; rings by Bulgari.Photograph by Gordon von Steiner; styled by George Cortina.
LisaSTARS IN: The White Lotus
The rapper, singer, and model has traveled the world with the massive K-pop group Blackpink but filmed her acting debut, in the HBO black comedy's third season, back home in Thailand. When it comes to performing in front of tens of thousands of people, the size of the crowds still amazes her: "It's like being in the ocean!"
Shirt by Silk Laundry; belt by Artemas Quibble; ring by Tiffany & Co.; vintage shorts from Front General Store.Photograph by Gordon von Steiner; styled by George Cortina.
Ncuti GatwaSTARS IN: Doctor Who, Masters of the Air, The Roses
The Rwandan Scottish actor is a shape-shifting maverick who bends every role into something surprising and new, whether it's the immortal Doctor Who or a gay high schooler in Sex Education. "I like to think of myself as Madonna," he says. "I'm still reinventing myself!"
Pants by Zegna; shoes by Husbands Paris; socks by Falke; vintage tank top from Kincaid Archive Malibu.Photograph by Gordon von Steiner; styled by George Cortina.
Bill SkarsgårdSTARS IN: Nosferatu, The Crow, Welcome to Derry, Locked
He's not the kind of actor who makes you feel for the monster. The Swedish star, best known as Pennywise in the It remakes, tends to shed his humanity as he probes our nightmares. In Nosferatu, he brings new life to the vampire: "The darker characters tend to be more complex. More mental gymnastics are needed."
Credits
Photographed and directed by Gordon von SteinerStyled by George CortinaHair by Adir Abergel (Kidman), Kim Kimble (Zendaya), Mara Roszak (Saldaña), Ward Stegerhoek (all others)Makeup by Ernesto Casillas (Zendaya), Vera Steimberg (Saldaña), Gucci Westman (Kidman), Romy Soleimani (all other women)Manicures by Alex Jachno (all except Zendaya)Grooming by Romy SoleimaniTailors, Alvard Bazikian, Hasmik Kourinian, Susie Kourinian, Irina TshartaryanSet design by Marla WeinhoffProduced on location by ProdNPostproduction by GlossLocation, Milk Studios, LA
Cover Fashion Credits, Beauty and Grooming Credits Throughout
Glen Powell's clothing by Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello; boots by Husbands Paris; tie by Paul Stuart; pocket square by Charvet. Zendaya's suit by Tom Ford; shoes by Christian Louboutin; earrings by Bulgari. Nicole Kidman's custom-made gown by Balenciaga Couture; shoes by Christian Louboutin. Zoe Saldaña's clothing and shoes by Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello. Dev Patel's suit and shoes by Gucci; shirt, tie, and pocket square by Charvet; socks by Pantherella. Sydney Sweeney's dress by Miu Miu; shoes by Christian Louboutin. Josh O'Connor's jacket, pants, and shoes by Loewe; socks by Pantherella; watch by Cartier. Danielle Deadwyler's bodysuit by Dior Haute Couture; shoes by Jimmy Choo. Jonathan Bailey's suit by Giorgio Armani; shirt and tie by Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello; shoes by Husbands Paris; pocket square by Charvet. Lisa's dress by Louis Vuitton; shoes by Gianvito Rossi. Ncuti Gatwa's suit by Dolce & Gabbana; shirt and tie by Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello; shoes by Husbands Paris; socks by Pantherella; ring by Tiffany & Co. Bill Skarsgård's suit by Dior Men; shirt by Tom Ford; shoes by Husbands Paris; tie by Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello; pocket square by Charvet.
Throughout: hair products by Color Wow (Zendaya), Rōz (Saldaña), Virtue Labs (Kidman), Kérastase Paris (all others); makeup products by Addiction Tokyo (Saldaña), Armani Beauty (Sweeney), Dior Beauty (Deadwyler), Westman Atelier (Kidman); nail enamel by Essie (all women except Zendaya); grooming products by Dior Sauvage.
For details, go to VF.com/credits.
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