#film star portraits

[theseimmortalcoils]

Classic film star Marlene Dietrich photographed by Horst P. Horst,  1942. © Condé Nast/Horst Estate

[artistcalledbella]

Some studies

[forgotteninsides8765]

My drawing of han solo from star wars

[labyrinthofstreams]

Elizabeth Taylor photographed by John Bryson, 1959.

[thatrickmcginnis]

ALICE COOPER Toronto 1989

You could not have grown up in the '70s without being aware of Alice Cooper, the band or the man - by now it's an academic point. Shock rock or glam or punk precursor, the band led by the eponymous Alice (born Vincent Furnier in Detroit in 1948) made a major mark on the decade with albums like Love It to Death, Killer, School's Out, Billion Dollar Babies and Welcome to My Nightmare. I was delighted - and a little bit frightened - when I was assigned to take Alice's portrait for NOW magazine a few months into working full-time for the paper. I had heard stories - at some point in the '70s and early '80s Alice had nearly killed himself trying to live up to his image (see the 2014 documentary Super Duper Alice Cooper) - but everyone kept reassuring me: "He's a really nice guy. You'll see."

Alice Cooper, by now a solo act, was in town promoting the record that would make his major comeback at the end of the '80s, Trash, on which members of Bon Jovi and Aerosmith as well as Dead Boy Stiv Bators made guest appearances. (Alice always had punk rock bona fides: don't forget that John Lydon lip synched to "I'm Eighteen" on the jukebox of Vivienne Westwood's shop when he tried out for the Sex Pistols.) He ended up playing the Skydome (now the Rogers Centre) on New Years Eve that year, so I suppose I was assigned this shoot in advance of that gig. I took my new Nikon F3 and Rolleiflex and some lighting up the elevator to a suite at the old Sutton Place Hotel and found Alice waiting, surrounded by record company people and his manager. I quickly scanned the room to find a decent location for what I assumed would be the usual lightning quick shoot.

Did I have "School's Out" and "I'm Eighteen" playing in my head when I shook Alice Cooper's hand in that hotel suite in the fall of 1989? No doubt I did, but I had to find a spot for our shoot and settled on an antique chair with brocade upholstery in front of a wall where the flocked pattern on the curtains and wallpaper matched each other. I thought the formal, floral background would contrast with Alice in his leather vest and skinny jeans, but for a moment I thought I made a mistake explaining this when his beefy manager said that he didn't think it was a good idea for Alice.

Gratefully - you have no idea how tough it is to pivot during a shoot when you have one idea and no time - Alice disagreed and said he thought it was a great idea, and his manager backed off. The shoot went fast: Alice mugged and glowered for me, slipping in and out of the Alice persona, while I shot a roll each on the Nikon and the Rollei, and then I got the high sign from his manager, packed up and thanked Alice for his time. And yes - he turned out to be "Mr. Nice Guy", in the best possible way.

[pedroam-bang]

Carrie Frances Fisher (1956-2016)

[dontbestingybaby]

Alla Nazimova by Ralph Barton from Photoplay, August 1921

[historyguide]

Alain Delon - the most beautiful man ever made.

Explore our visual guides and documentaries about art & history.

[fanchlebu]

Based on photograph of Peter Cushing as Tarkin.

[theseimmortalcoils]

Hedy Lamarr. Photographer unknown.

[takunwilliams]

Django

by technodrome1

[forgotteninsides8765]

My drawing of Anakin Skywalker from the film star wars episode 3, drawn using graphite, watercolour and white gel pen.

[schlock-luster-video]

On June 2, 1983, Return of the Jedi debuted in the United Kingdom.

Here's some new Princess Leia art!

[wallpapers4screen]

[nesmamahmoud12]

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[pedroam-bang]

Carrie Frances Fisher (1956-2016)