Actress Elizabeth Debicki is, quite simply, beauty personified.

Lithe and lissome, the former ballet dancer uses her graceful body as an instrument that allows the characters she plays to not just speak, but sing from the depths of their soul without making a sound. Her performances are magnetic and entrancing, her demeanor positively regal. 

And while her exquisite features beguile audiences and critics, there’s more to her than just looks. Her keen intellect, sharp wit and vulnerability allow her to transcend the scripted word in a chameleon-like fashion.

Be it villain, housewife, mistress or gilded high priestess — Debicki plays every role with relish and unwavering commitment to explore the essence of the characters she embodies, digging deep into her psyche to unleash the part of herself that connects with those she portrays.

Born in Paris to ballet dancer parents of modest means, Debicki moved to Melbourne, Australia, when she was five.

A self-described “dag” — Australian slang for nerd — Debicki’s childhood dreams of becoming an archaeologist gave way to an affinity for dance, the family business, which she credits with teaching her discipline and tenacity.

“The older I get and the more experience I have, the more it becomes apparent that your truest strength is to speak with your own voice. It’s scary to be authentically yourself.”

When she realized that her height — Debicki stands at a statuesque  6’3” — made her too tall for ballet, she set her sights on law school. Yet her interest in becoming a lawyer waned as she drifted into acting and instead chose to pursue drama at the Victorian College of the Arts.

Upon graduation, she managed to capture the attention of famed Australian director Baz Luhrmann who cast the unknown actress in the pivotal role of Jordan Baker in 2013’s The Great Gatsby, opposite Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire and Carey Mulligan.

Just 22 when the film was released, Debicki stole her every scene, mesmerizing audiences and critics with her poise and charm. The echo of old Hollywood glamour lurking behind azure eyes that sparkle even brighter than the sequins on her Roaring Twenties-era dresses.

On the heels of the film’s release, Debicki took to the theater opposite stage and screen legends Cate Blanchett and Isabelle Huppert in the Sydney Theatre Company’s production of The Maids which won her the Company’s award for best newcomer, further establishing her acting chops.

By 2015, her dance card was full. That year she appeared in three major productions, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Macbeth and Everest, an eclectic choice of roles that reflect Debicki’s incredible range and versatility.

“The beauty of acting is that you can try on so many different roles without having to commit to them in real life.”

In 2016, Debicki starred in two acclaimed television series, playing the lead role of Dr. Anna Macy in Australia’s The Kettering Incident and as Jed in The Night Manager, based on the John le Carré novel.

“Dancing gives an innate physical awareness — it’s physical training. Acting feels like the same medium but just with words.”

As a result, her career continued to skyrocket. In 2018 Debicki appeared in five major films, most notably as Alice in director Steve McQueen’s Widows alongside Viola Davis. That performance earned her the best reviews of her career, and the cast of all-female leads spoke to her passion for supporting women’s empowerment.

In addition to her whirlwind acting career — Debicki has appeared in a total of 18 films, three plays and three television series in the past 11 years, won two Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards and the Cannes Film Festival’s Trophée Chopard  — she is also a global ambassador for Women for Women International, a non-profit organization helping provide support for women survivors of war around the globe.

Her penchant for helping others is just one of several traits she shares with the late Princess Diana, whom she will portray in the final two seasons of one of the most-watched series in history, The Crown, set for release in 2022.

The casting of Debecki as Diana is a stroke of brilliance. Both have a similar blonde, lanky look and share expressive blue eyes that speak volumes about emotions ranging from dark inner turmoil to sheer delight with a mere gaze.

Some have called it the role of a lifetime for the actress who turns 31 this year, but undoubtedly the greatest role Debicki has played is that of herself. Majestic beauty aside, Debicki’s intellect, power and strength  make her a force to be reckoned with now and for years to come.

Send in the Cavill-ry

With his chiseled features, steel blue eyes and daunting physique, Henry Cavill’s clearly got the looks of a star, and no wonder British Glamour named him the World’s Sexiest Man in 2013. But over the course of a nearly 20-year career, Cavill’s acting chops have proven he’s much more than a pretty face.

“I want to tell stories. That’s what excites me.”

Audiences have delighted at his portrayals of Superman in three films, August Walker in 2018’s Mission: Impossible — Fallout, Gerhart of Rivia in Netflix’s 2019 series The Witcher, which drew 76 million viewers in the first four weeks of its release, and most recently as Sherlock Holmes in 2020’s Enola Holmes. With particularly praised performances in the latter two projects, Cavill’s star power is unstoppable.

“I kept looking in the mirror, going, ‘I don’t believe it. I’m Superman? I’m Superman!”

Yet, as his 14.3 million Instagram fans can attest to, there’s a depth to this 37-year-old star; he may look like the Man of Steel, but in his private life, Cavill’s decidedly down to earth, taking delight in hobbies and interests well outside the realm of celebrity.

Born in Jersey, United Kingdom, Cavill was the fourth of five boys He attended Stowe School in Buckinghamshire where the chubby teenager was known as “Fat Cavill,” bullying that he would later draw on when exploring a character like Superman’s ostracization.

The then-budding actor recalls a fateful encounter one day in 2000 when Russell Crowe was at the school shooting scenes for his film Proof of Life. Cavill approached Crowe and queried him on his profession which led to a short discussion on the merits and pitfalls of being an actor. Crowe later sent Cavill a gift box including a signed photo from Gladiator, with the words “Dear Henry: A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Both men would remember the encounter when they met up again on the set of Man of Steel 13 years later with Crowe playing Superman’s father.

Cavill’s big-screen debut came when he was cast as Albert Mondego in The Count of Monte Cristo (2002), and he has been working continuously since, landing roles ranging from rakes to romantic leads in 18 films and numerous television projects.

But there’s a nerdy side to Cavill that he openly embraces. He’s a history buff with a fondness for Egyptology and Ancient Rome.

One of his favorite creatures ever is his Akita, Kal, named for Superman’s name on his home planet, Kal-el. The beloved pooch accompanies him on film shoots and figures prominently in his Instagram posts.

He’s also a big fan of American Football, having adopted the Kansas City Chiefs as his home team because, of course, that’s where Clark Kent was raised.

“People shouldn’t see me as a sex symbol. I’m really just Henry. I’m just telling a story.”

Cavill is also a huge gamer and builds his own gaming consoles. Cavill’s keen interest in playing Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher came after playing the video game based on the series of fantasy novels for hundreds of hours.

And when he lobbied for and was cast in the part of the monster-slaying Rivia, Cavill made sure, just as he did with Superman, that his character respected the lore surrounding the fantasy genre’s stories, knowing that die-hard fans, himself included, are sticklers for details.

After wrapping the first season playing the monster-slayer, in which his eight-pack abs and grueling physical fitness regimen came in handy, Cavill mild-mannerly slipped into another iconic role, that of Sherlock Holmes opposite Millie Bobby Brown in the title role of Enola Holmes, donning a three-piece suit and portraying the beloved character better known for his cerebral, rather thank physical, prowess.

Cavill’s performance is more subtle and nuanced in this 2020 film, allowing the spotlight to be placed firmly on Brown, while also providing the emotional connection needed to support the siblings’ relationship.

Halle, Hallelujah!

There’s an undeniable glow to a woman who feels comfortable in her own skin, and at 54, Halle Berry is simply luminous, more beautiful inside and out than ever before.

Earlier this year the former beauty queen, award-winning actress and mother of two unabashedly skateboarded through the streets wearing bikini bottoms, looking flawless, supremely confident and re-energized as she navigates new chapters in her nearly 30-year-career.

“Self-esteem comes from who you have in your life. How you were raised. What you struggled with as a child.” — Halle Berry

Berry wows whether she’s in sweats or sequins but her talent is her most stunning quality, one that has allowed Berry to slip into varied roles like a shape shifter.

She has come to life on the screen as a comic book hero, a mutant, a spy, an assassin, the Queen of Sheba and a junkie, among other memorable performances, lifting the lid on the multi-faceted characters she has chosen to portray with honed insight and heartfelt grit.

Berry, born in Cleveland, Ohio, to a British mother and African American father, began her career as a model and beauty pageant queen but it was acting she chose to pursue, and she wasn’t about to let her looks, or her color, get in the way.

Berry’s beakout film role was in Spike Lee’s Jungle Fever (1991) in which she played the role of Vivian, a crack-addicted prostitute. The play against type was intentional, Berry says, as she fought to be taken seriously as an actress.

Her talent definitely got her noticed, and she went on to star with Eddie Murphy in Boomerang (1992), then The Flintstones (1994), and Bulworth in 1998, among others.

But it was her turn in the title role of Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (1999), which would prove to be prophetic.

Berry immersed herself in the character of Dandridge, the first woman of color to be nominated for a Best Actress Oscar for her role in 1954’s Carmen Jones, garnering an Emmy and a Golden Globe for her portrayal.

Just three years later, Berry would find herself stepping into her character’s shoes once again as she was nominated for, and won, the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in 2001’s Monster’s Ball, becoming the first and only woman of color to win the Oscar in that category.

Berry’s 2002 acceptance speech noted the groundbreaking moment, which she dedicated to those who had come before her, as well as future generations.

“It’s for every nameless, faceless woman of color that now has a chance because this door tonight has been opened,” Berry said through tears.

The 2000s saw Berry’s career skyrocket, with memorable roles as Storm in four X-Men films, and as Bond-girl Jinx in Die Another Day. She was awarded a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame and appeared in more than a dozen films in that decade, further certifying an appeal that goes beyond skin deep and becoming one of Hollywood’s highest-paid actresses in the process.

In 2008, six months after having her first child, Berry was named Esquire’s “Sexiest Woman Alive,” at age 42. She also became the face of Revlon and launched a fragrance with Coty.

In 2010, she became the second black woman ever to grace the cover of Vogue’s coveted September issue, continuing to push racial boundaries.

Last seen in Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017) and John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019), Berry took on a new challenge both in front of and behind the camera last year when she directed and starred in Bruised, a film tracking the career of a mixed martial arts fighter

In order to get in shape for the film, Berry worked out incessantly, showing the same tireless devotion to her craft as she has at every stage of her lauded career, and sharing her progress with 6.3 million Instagram fans.

But the role she is proudest to play she’ll never win an Oscar for, and it involves no red carpet premieres or press junkets. Berry’s finest performance is that of mother to twelve-year-old daughter Nahla and six-year-old son Maceo, who she considers her most cherished body of work.

“Career is important, but nothing really supersedes my roles as a mother.” — Halle Berry

Jenaissance: Hollywood’s Golden Girl is Having (Another) Banner Year

Take a bow, Jennifer Aniston, you’ve earned it.

Nearly a quarter-century since Aniston first arrived on the scene, the beloved actress is poised to enjoy her best year ever and fans and audiences can’t wait to see what lies next for one of the world’s brightest stars.

Perennially sexy, savvy, and refreshingly down-to-earth, Aniston started off 2020 with a media trifecta.

In January there was her Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Female Actor in A Drama Series for her much-acclaimed work on “The Morning Show.”

Aniston celebrated her 51st birthday, on February 11, the same day Interview magazine released a jaw-dropping photo shoot of an incredibly fit Aniston posing in clothing designed to highlight her yoga-toned abs, arms and legs.

A scant 10 days later came the announcement that a “Friends” reunion special was in the works and Aniston’s Instagram followers have since jumped to more than 30 million. When Aniston first joined Instagram in October 2019, she broke the site — and a Guinness World Record — amassing one million followers in just five hours and 16 minutes, beating the previous record set by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Aniston is once again reminding us she’s a force to be reckoned with, combining that same sweet spunk we fell in love with when we first met her as “Rachel” with the added confidence of a woman supremely comfortable in her own skin.

But it’s her natural style and effortless beauty that have made her America’s sweetheart, and Aniston is consistently named to lists of the world’s most beautiful women. In 2011 Men’s Health magazine named Aniston the “Sexiest Woman of All Time,” beating out top five contenders Raquel Welch, Marilyn Monroe, Madonna and Britney Spears.

One of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood, Aniston has been in the public eye for more than two decades. Hounded by paparazzi, we’ve watched her triumphs and challenges play out in the pages of magazines, and endless speculation on who she’s dating and whether she’s pregnant has become an international tabloid obsession.

It’s her vulnerability, quick comic timing, and strong acting chops that have endeared her to worldwide audiences over the years. Apart from her decade on “Friends,” Aniston has starred in a string of box office hits, including Office Space (1999), Bruce Almighty (2003), Marley & Me (2008), Horrible Bosses (2011), We’re the Millers (2013), and Dumplin’ (2018).

While adept at romantic comedies, Aniston’s range is broad. One of her most critically acclaimed roles, that of chronic pain sufferer Claire Simmons in 2015’s Cake has the style icon eschewing her trademark little black dress and make-up in a dramatic turn lauded as the performance of her lifetime. The dark role saw Aniston plumb the depths of desperation, and earned her Best Actress nominations for both the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild Awards.

But there is much more to this actor, producer, director, businesswoman and style icon. Aniston is also known for her philanthropical contributions and has quietly donated millions to causes such as St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Habitat for Humanity, and disaster relief in Haiti and Puerto Rico.

Whether opening her heart to the less fortunate, or to her tight-knit group of friends, Aniston’s approachability and likeableness are some of the qualities that makes her so intriguing. Regular guests at holiday parties and other celebrations held at her sprawling Beverly Hills home include Courtney Cox, Reese Witherspoon, Sandra Bullock, Jason Bateman, and other A-listers.

She’s also fond of taking friends with her on vacations to luxury resorts in Los Cabos, which has become somewhat of a second home for the sun-loving star and a place to recharge away from the spotlight.

One would think that decades of constant media scrutiny would wear her down, but there’s a purposefulness to how Aniston lives her life, a deep devotion to caring for mind, body and soul. The resulting inner glow and flawless beauty have never burned brighter as Aniston eases into a new chapter in life with her typical down-to-earth grace, infectious smile and effortless glam.