What makes a star in 2017? It’s a question we asked when conceiving The Acting Up Issue. Starting with the covers, we focus on three giants of fashion: Mathilde Henning for Céline, shot by David Sims, Selena Forrest for Dior, shot by Zoë Ghertner, and Paris Jackson for Calvin Klein, shot by Willy Vanderperre.
Inside, we turn our lens towards L.A., the land where everybody’s got big dreams, and sometimes they really do come true. We’re on the precipice of a new age of TV and film, where the old standards are set to be seriously shaken up and then torn down, with audiences hungry to see the stories untold till now, and a new generation of talent are determined to use their growing fame for good. There’s still a long way to go until we see real diversity on screen, so it’s more important than ever to champion those pushing for change. We’re celebrating stars on the rise telling vital stories and tackling issues from sexual identity and race, to mental health, poverty, and appropriation.
This issue we shine the spotlight on Hollywood’s new gen: Danielle Macdonald and Mamoudou Athie, leads of hip-hop underdog tale Patti Cake$, champion for the non-binary, Asia Kate Dillon from Orange Is the New Black, Miles Heizer of 2017’s most talked about show, 13 Reasons Why, and the UK’s very own Harris Dickinson, the luminescent star of the forthcoming gay cruising drama Beach Rats, a film that delivers a raw and unflinching look at male nudity and the discovery of sexual identity.
Of course, Hollywood wouldn’t be Hollywood without a good old-fashioned blockbuster; it’s time for your close-up Finn Wolfhard, as everybody’s favorite ghostbuster returns to Stranger Things this October. If you can’t wait until Halloween, fret not, Finn can be seen in Stephen King’s terrifying clown saga, IT, alongside 15-year-old Sophia Lillis, who tells us what gives her the shivers. British actor Fionn Whitehead makes his big screen debut in Christopher Nolan’s new blockbuster is in danger of becoming as famous as his Dunkirk co-star Harry Styles.
It’s not surprising to hear that L.A.-based actor Yara Shahidi had her pick of Ivy League colleges (she chose Harvard). Since winning a role on Black-ish, this voraciously intelligent teenager has consistently used her platform as a place for considered thought and discussion. In an essay for i-D, Yara tells us why she wants to provoke conversation through creativity.
As film and television continues to challenge expectations, fashion too is moving far beyond the boundaries of gender; No Sesso and 69 US are L.A. based labels challenging the ideas of identity with their non-demographic visions of the future. The sprawling city is abuzz with a new generation of designers, skateboarders, singers, activists, actors, and rappers. Get into our guide of the town, while Dexter Navy travels to the heart of the city to celebrate the kids creating something truly special in the City of Angels.
Who better to close out The Acting Up Issue than the impossibly perfect plastic princess and poster girl for trans identity, Amanda Lepore, the inimitable original club kid celebrating 50 years of the decriminalization of homosexuality in the UK.
Remember, all the world’s a stage, and we’re all merely players. Live the dream, live your dream, be the dream.