Image : Vanity Fair Vanity Fair released the cover of its annual Hollywood issue is out today, and for the first time ever in the issue’s 25-year history, the majority of its featured stars are actors of color, including a healthy number of women of color. Advertisement The annual cover is often scrutinized as a barometer of whether progress has been made in an industry that still limits the opportunities given to men and women of color, not to mention queer and trans actors. This year, the cover features, from left to right, Chadwick Boseman, Saoirse Ronan, and Timothee Chalamet, with Nicholas Hoult (was he even in a movie this year??? ), Yalitza Aparicio, Rami Malek, and Regina King on the middle third. Rounding it out are John David Washington, Elizabeth Debicki, Tessa Thompson, and Henry Golding. Aparicio and Boseman both spoke directly to the changes happening within Hollywood. “While my time in the business has been short, it has been a source of pride and hope for many people to see someone that looks like me—an indigenous person—starring in an Oscar-winning director’s film. And a big change for Hollywood,” Aparicio said. Boseman added, “The actors who are within the pages of this issue give new breath to what Hollywood is and what Hollywood is going to be. And that’s in terms of diversity, ethnicity, gender, and the type of work that we’re doing.” It is the magazine’s first Hollywood Issue cover under the helm of new editor Radhika Jones, who took over the magazine from Graydon Carter last March. In an editor’s letter that Jones wrote last year, she all but shouted that Vanity Fair under her leadership would prioritize coverage that better reflects the viewing public: “Arguments that have simmered for years—about the importance of championing women, new voices, people who come from a wide range of ethnicities and backgrounds—are finding an audience.” If the optics of representation still stands in for real progress in Hollywood when it comes to racial and gender diversity, then this cover has done its job. If the reaction to this year’s cover is any indication, it is progress of a sort that many have been hungry for.<doc-sep>Just two days after 2019 Oscar nominations, Vanity Fair released its 25th Hollywood issue and really captured the zeitgeist of the moment, celebrating diversity in the industry and where it could be heading with stars like Regina King and Rami Malek. The magazine debuted the spectacular spread accompanied with quotes from the actors and actresses on where they want Hollywood to progress toward in the near future. "Guardians of the Galaxy" star Elizabeth Debicki was the first to be quoted and really summed up how the future in film is female. "The change I’m seeing more and more is women directors, producers, and writers. Not necessarily stories that have never been told before, but they’re finally being told from a female perspective," she said. The "Black Panther" himself, Chadwick Boseman, didn't pull any punches, saying, "The actors who are within the pages of this issue give new breath to what Hollywood is and what Hollywood is going to be. And that’s in terms of diversity, ethnicity, gender, and the type of work that we’re doing." Here are some other inspiring quotes from your favorite stars: Tessa Thompson: "I am optimistic about the real activism happening inside of the industry and the conversations about equity that are creating material changes." John David Washington: "As I was putting this wonderful suit on, I realized it’s not about me, it’s about somebody who looks like me in Kansas or North Carolina, Middle America or in the South, who sees a cover like this and will be inspired to change their environment, to be motivated and say, I can be this, I can do this." Henry Golding: "Did I expect this at the beginning of the year? Definitely not. I’m super-fresh on the scene, but I plan on sticking around for a long time." Yalitza Aparicio: "While my time in the business has been short, it has been a source of pride and hope for many people to see someone that looks like me -— an indigenous person —- starring in an Oscar-winning director’s film. And a big change for Hollywood." Regina King: "The regard for television has changed. There was a time where film actors only did film. Now the storytelling on television is multifarious, and you see actors on both platforms."<doc-sep>Sex. Photo: Vanity Fair I am very pleased to announce that my new, and only, sexual orientation is Vanity Fair’s most recent Hollywood Issue cover. It’s unclear if this is what the esteemed publication intended, but we’ve arrived here somehow. For the issue’s 25th anniversary the cover features the Black Panther himself, Chadwick Boseman, the world’s most Beautiful Boy, Timothée Chalamet, our very own Lady Bird, Saoirse Ronan, and other supremely hot and talented icons such as Henry Golding, Regina King, Yalitza Aparicio, Tessa Thompson, Rami Malek, Nicholas Hoult, John David Washington, and Elizabeth Debicki. To celebrate this anniversary and these industry titans, Vanity Fair decided to create “moving images of [their] own.” With the help of “three-time Academy Award-winning cinematographer Emmanuel ‘Chivo’ Lubezki” the magazine recorded all of its cover subjects in “full, diamond-sharp motion and then edited them into the images you see here.” Okay! These moving images, combined with the musings of the artists about Hollywood (“The actors who are within the pages of this issue give new breath to what Hollywood is and what Hollywood is going to be,” says Boseman), has ya’ girl truly turnt the fuck up! This lineup is so stacked, I thought I was having a cardiac event, until I realized I was simply experiencing a sexual urge so strong that I was able to overlook Chadwick Boseman’s business casual, day-to-night, Givenchy blouse in his moving image. My mind wandered to a fictitious world where Boseman, in his Black Panther catsuit, makes his way to Northern Italy in 1983 to seduce Chalamet as Call Me by Your Name’s Elio. Later, T’Challa, Elio (Mr. Chalamet’s, who in my fantasy is an accurate and age appropriate 23 years old), and Elio’s peach travel to Sacramento in 2002. Chalamet retains the impish Elio qualities, but is somehow also Lady Bird character Kyle. There Boseman as T’Challa and Chalamet as Elilye (Elio + Kyle) invite a college-aged Lady Bird to be a third party in their sexual relationship. In my fantasy, the trio live happily and on a trip to Singapore become involved with Henry Golding as Crazy Rich Asian’s Nick. Tessa Thompson appears along the way, because why fucking not. Unfortunately for my parents, therapist, and pastor, I could go on all day. Fortunately for all of those people, I shan’t. Some things should be kept private, you know? What I will do is leave you with this tidbit from Lil Timmy Tim, Timothée Chalamet, who said, in addition to being an “honor” the cover feature is “a pinch-me moment.” Oh, baby, don’t threaten me with a good time.<doc-sep>
Vanity Fair revealed the cover of its 25th annual Hollywood issue on Thursday, just two days after the 2019 Oscar nominations were announced. The snapshot features 10 of this year's brightest stars: Chadwick Boseman, Saoirse Ronan, Timothée Chalamet, Nicholas Hoult, Yalitza Aparicio, Rami Malek, Regina King, John David Washington, Elizabeth Debicki, Tessa Thompson, and Henry Golding. And if there's anything that this spread shows, it's that we've come a long way when it comes to diversity in Hollywood, and we're hopefully heading toward a better future. The Academy Awards have particularly been under scrutiny in recent years for lacking representation in who it nominates and awards. Frustrations finally boiled over in 2016 when the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite took over social media as fans and celebrities called out the blatant disregard for people of color in the awards show. Thankfully, the Academy seems to have received the message, as we saw progress in 2017 and 2018. And although there's still work to be done, we have something to celebrate with this year's nominations, as people of color and movies that honor different cultures continue to break barriers. For instance, Black Panther became the first superhero movie to be nominated for best picture. Chadwick Boseman, the film's lead hero, shared his optimism for the industry in Vanity Fair's latest issue, saying, "The actors who are within the pages of this issue give new breath to what Hollywood is and what Hollywood is going to be. And that's in terms of diversity, ethnicity, gender, and the type of work that we're doing." Roma actress Yalitza Aparicio — who is the second Mexican woman ever to receive an Oscar nomination for best actress — also reveled in the thought of increased representation in Hollywood, telling Vanity Fair, "While my time in the business has been short, it has been a source of pride and hope for many people to see someone that looks like me — an indigenous person — starring in an Oscar-winning director's film. And a big change for Hollywood." There are even more powerful words of wisdom from the cover stars, so be sure to read all of their quotes and view the magazine's stunning photos from the spread, especially if you're in need of some serious inspiration.