I was incredibly pleased with this year’s Vanity Fair Hollywood Issue, which features SIX black actors on the fold-out cover. Chiwetel Ejiofor and Idris Elba made the coveted “front” of the fold-out, the part that everyone will see on newsstands. And now Essence has released their cover and… wow, there’s Chiwetel again! In nearly the same position as Vanity Fair – seated, and the furthest to the left. Essence let Oprah Winfrey and Forest Whitaker take the place of George Clooney and Julia Roberts, and Michael B. Jordan is the other dude who got to hang out on both covers. This issue of Essence also features some kind of editorial with Lupita Nyong’o, so YAY! Here’s the preview from Essence:
ESSENCE celebrates an epic year at the movies with a star-studded Black Hollywood Now portfolio in the March 2014 issue. Oprah Winfrey, Forest Whitaker, Chiwetel Ojiofor and Michael B. Jordan are in their red carpet best for the cover shoot of the special ESSENCE collector’s issue. In the feature, each actor discusses their craft and how they got into character for their powerful roles from 2013.
While preparing for her role as Gloria Gaines in the critically acclaimed film Lee Daniels’ The Butler, Oprah Winfrey’s acting coach told her she should be more sexy. “I don’t think of myself as being sexy and I’m not even sure how one is sexy,” she admits. Her acting coach instructed her: “Every time Gloria walks, pretend that she has a tail. And when Gloria sits down, she doesn’t sit without making sure there’s room for her tail.”
Chiwetel Ejiofor made a huge splash in this year’s 12 Years a Slave, but the role was a difficult one for the actor. He described it as walking the “fine line in between sanity and insanity.” After filming wrapped, it took the actor two months to “come out of it.” He describes why he pushed himself to the limit for the film: “Even though there were emotional moments to shoot, overall I think every member of the cast and crew was there for one reason: They felt it was a tale that deserved to be told.”
God, I want Chiwetel to win the Oscar. PLEASE. There’s always at least one big shocker every Oscar show, and I hope it’s for Best Actor. While I won’t rip out my hair if it’s Leonardo, I will be SO disappointed if it’s Matthew McConaughey. I really do think Matthew hurt his Oscar chances with his crazy, rambling SAG speech. No one wants that on Oscar night. Here’s the video from Essence:
Speaking of Chiwetel, VF released some behind-the-scenes videos of their cover shoot, and there’s some great Chiwetel moments, where he’s using his lovely accent and just looking gorgeous (Dear CB: Brace yourself, girl). Michael B. Jordan and Idris look pretty great too.
Photos courtesy of Essence & VF.
So, this year has been a KICkk, Oprah?
LOL.
Surprised they left out Naomie Harris and Lupita Nyong’o from the Essence cover. Why have only one woman and three men when this was a rich year for Black women too in film?
Julia sitting on Idris’s lap is still pissing me off. Bitch back up off my man.
And I’m just ready for the Oscars to be over with. I’ve never understood the hype they get.
I really HOPE Matt McC screwed his chances. Chiwetel is my sentimental favorite, but I think Leo will get his ‘FINALLY Oscar’ this year (no matter what the performance merits), because of Matty’s speeches and his not seeming grateful or humbled when he won awards this year. Leo’s speech when he won the GG this year was classy and low-key.
I’m still crying because Julia done stole my men. :'(
I’m hoping he’s the Academy surprise because his portrayal was heart wrenching.
+ 1
+2
I’m tired of actors being favored for Oscar wins just because they lost weight or cut off their hair (Mathew McConaughey Anne Hathaway). the win should be about the best performance.
I keep wondering how he pronounces his name. It looks like CHEE-wet-ell ee-JOY-for, but that’s probably not it.
Has anyone heard him say his name?
Youtube him on David Letterman he is teaching David how to say it.
You are close—I’ve heard it as “CHEE-wah-tell EDGE-i-for” (or EDGE-yi-for) on every talk show he’s been on. That’s where I learned!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bt1mB7AmzNw
CHEE-weh-tell EDGY-OR-For
Thanks guys!
Haha George just shaded Goop. Anyways i’m glad to see they actually all really come together,i used to thing the majority of these types of shoots where Photoshopped.
I think there was one year where at least half if not everyone had to be placed in via photoshop since they had so many stars that not everyone could get together at the same time. I remember the set up being stairs or ladders and it might have be 40 or so stars.
They all look nice, except I dislike the bottom of Oprah’s dress. Chiwetel looks amazing in a suit, always.
Chiwetel…smooth as buttah…
Just offering my pedestal and a general sigh. Offering my pedestal to Chiwetel, that is, not to you lot!
It needs less Oprah, more Chiwetel . She’s too much of the focal point.
I have this sort of combination crush/fear of Chiwetel Ejiofor and have since I saw Serenity. He was freaking terrifying and brilliant in that. Seriously, anybody who hasn’t seen that movie, watch it. I remember listening to Joss Whedon’s director’s commentary and he was talking about casting Ejiofor and his reasons. He basically said that he chose Chiwetel to play this dramatic stone cold badass character because Ejiofor is such an accomplished comedic actor. I believe his words were, “Well, comedy is the hard stuff, so I knew he’d have no trouble with drama.” And, um, yeah. Seriously, watch Serenity. He’s this government killing machine who manages to portray one of the most fascinating attitudes on morality that I’ve ever seen in a mainstream film. He was an absolute powerhouse. I haven’t seen Twelve Years a Slave. I’m a little afraid to because after reading all this stuff about Lupita Nyong’o I kind of adore her too much. I’m worried if I go see it, I’ll lose my shit seeing her character get abused. Like, I’ll literally stand up in the theater and yell out, “Get your hands off my Princess, you blond bastard!” at Michael Fassbender and then get kicked out of the theater.
I really wouldn’t be surprised if Leo won at all. The Oscars so often aren’t really about the best performance, but about who is “due” for their Oscar and the politics. Like, with Denzel losing the Oscar he should have gotten for Malcolm X because that year Al Pacino was “due” for the Oscar. And then a few years later, they gave Denzel the Oscar he was “owed” for Glory instead. Or Jennifer Lawrence winning for Silver Linings Playbook when in fact she should have gotten the Oscar for Winter’s Bone a few years ago instead. Jennifer Lawrence only had to wait a couple of years for her Oscar. Leo’s been “due” ever since Gilbert Grape, and that was in the nineties. I truly doubt it will be McConaughey because before this, he hasn’t really done any Oscar worthy work, he isn’t “due” for anything based on past performances, and the focus will all be on Chiwetel and Leo. Jared Leto is very, very likely to get the supporting award though. He’s actually sort of “due” based on Requiem for a Dream.
I’m just so glad to see a non-urban site cover this. It’s important and these headlines constantly get brushed under the rug.
Yes, Julia need to take several seats and back away from Idris now….girl is not cute
Can I just say that I’m not only glad that black folks are rocking Hollywood this year, but that they are not all American, but from at least three different continents? And that it is not just actors making an impact, but directors too? Yay.
P.S. And yay that Chiwetel and Idris are finally getting the recognition they deserve. Two of my fave actors who’ve both been working for a very long time.
Oh crap, just realised that Chiwetel is actually younger than me. How depressing.
It’s annoying me that Julia is sitting in Idris’ s lap wearing what appears to be no bottoms. It seems too much…like why? He is a brilliant actor and a sexy man with a wonderful accent and nice personality. Why is Julia draped across him as though he were a pool boy?
I guess it’s safe to say Idris and Chiwetel have 2 different Brit accents. I believe both have African immigrant parents but Idris sounds a bit Cockney? It’s cool and fascinating but I guess no different than the accents of Denzel Washington and Morgan Freeman.