STAR STRUCK Hollywood 2025

It's the MOST AUDACIOUS ACTORS who POWER HOLLYWOOD and THRILL AUDIENCES. VF TOASTS 12 of the INDUSTRY'S BRIGHTEST LIGHTS

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ZENDAYA

STARS IN
Dune: Part Two, Challengers, The Drama

Movie star. Emmy winner. Fashion icon. The Euphoria superstar has stepped into her leading lady era with sci-fi and a tennis ménage à trois. As a fierce coach in Challengers, Zendaya had to get physical with her costars—sometimes too physical. “I’m like ‘Goodness, girl, stop putting your hands on people,’ ” she says.

Clothing and shoes by Alaïa;

earrings by Bulgari; ring by

Bulgari High Jewelry.

EVEN ZENDAYA WINS some and loses some. Years ago she was gearing up for a movie when it imploded right before production was slated to begin. “At the time we were like, shit,” she says. “Then I got the script for Euphoria, and that ended up shooting in its slot, and I was like, ‘Oh my God, thank God that movie fell apart.’ ” The gritty HBO drama about a troubled drug addict helped Zendaya graduate from Disney Channel star to bold leading dramatic actor, and this year she delivered two demanding performances, in the blockbuster sequel Dune: Part Two and the sexy tennis romp Challengers. The lesson? Don’t pretend to know what you can expect from Hollywood. “It’s not like a corporate job where you can climb a ladder,” she says. “This industry is weird. You’re constantly having to prove that you can still do it. There’s no blueprint, but there’s no blueprint to life. We all are doing this for the first time.”

The 12 stars on our 31st annual Hollywood cover earned their place on it by taking risks, refusing to be typecast, and navigating the industry’s notorious shifting sands. Some of the actors are still on the rise; many are already beloved. We’d argue that by following their guts—and by