Even Matt Damon and Tom Hanks Are Not the Biggest Stars in This Vintage Picture of 13 Iconic Hollywood A-Listers

Imagine a constellation of stars—not in the sky but arrayed across the shimmering surface of a Vanity Fair cover. Who could outshine the radiant glamour of Matt Damon and Tom Hanks when gathered with their companions in this vintage picture of 13 iconic Hollywood A-listers in 2003? 

2003’s Vanity Fair special on the ‘Kings of Hollywood’ showcased some of the most prominent faces in the industry, including Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, Jack Nicholson, Harrison Ford, and Brad Pitt. However, it was not until you delved further into the magazine that you discovered the other eight actors in the picture.

That being said, the star-studded lineup featuring Cruise, Nicholson, Ford, and Pitt has left some aficionados pondering: How does one truly measure the magnitude of stardom in the glittering hierarchy of Tinseltown?

Iconic Hollywood Throwback: A-Listers Who (Still) Ruled the Silver Screen

Our dream came true in 2003 when thirteen of Hollywood’s most famous leading men showed up at Culver Studios’ Soundstage 12 in Los Angeles to work on a picture shoot with Annie Leibovitz (via NY Post).

The pretext was Vanity Fair’s yearly Hollywood issue, which features 41 pages of opulent celebrity images. Brad Pitt, Tom Hanks, Jack Nicholson, Edward Norton, Harrison Ford,  Samuel L. Jackson, and Tom Cruise are among the biggest Hollywood stars that are featured in it. 

Among these additional actors were: Jude Law, Hugh Grant, Don Cheadle, Dennis Quaid, Ewan McGregor, and Matt Damon. For five weeks, VF editor Krista Smith arranged meetings and twisted people’s limbs to bring these powerful people together. She said, per the outlet:

Everyone wanted to wait to commit until they heard who else was involved. But getting them in the room is the hard part; the shoot itself was a blast.

It was about noon when the celebrities began to arrive. “The King! The King!” Top Gun star sobbed as he shuffled across the floor after seeing Nicholson, his old friend, and fell to his knees. While all of this was going on, Nicholson was attempting to get a few notable celebrities to come to Alexander Payne’s About Schmidt premiere the following day.

Smith noted back then:

He had a Sharpie pen and a pad, and he was going, ‘All right, guys, give me your numbers. 

With the exception of Nicholson and Ford, who brought their own groomers, the men were getting their hair and makeup done while Cruise kept everyone amused by performing handstands with his son. The actual shot only took a couple of minutes. With the help of stand-ins, Leibovitz had established positions the day prior. The stars kept their word, just like seasoned pros.

Smith was aware that an incredible picture had been taken when she said:

We got the big guns this year.

So, the next time you see a star-studded Hollywood photo, take a closer look at who’s front and center and who’s pushed to the side. 

Fans View: The Actors Who Didn’t Make the Cut for Vanity Fair’s 2003 Cover

Even Matt Damon and Tom Hanks are not the biggest stars in this vintage picture of 13 iconic Hollywood A-listers. As we discussed above, among the stars of the 2003 Vanity Fair special on the ‘Kings of Hollywood’ were Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, Harrison Ford, and Brad Pitt.

But fans were left wondering why Will Smith, Johnny Depp, George Clooney, Ben Affleck, Michael Douglas, and Leonardo DiCaprio—among the other well-known actors—were left out.

One fan commented, “Incomplete without Depp and Leo”, while another asked, “Where is Michael Douglas?” Many fans expressed their disappointment that actors like Ed Norton and Don Cheadle made the cut over the likes of Denzel Washington and George Clooney.

Let’s have a look at a few comments by disappointed fans:

Denzel Washington, Ben Affleck, George Clooney & Will Smith couldn’t make the shoot? Especially over Ed Norton & Don Cheadle. This was the last era of true Alist actors. I don’t even know who’s considered AList after comic book films took over HW.

— Joy Dees (@Creati_Dees88) May 23, 2024

Change Bruce Willis with Ed Norton

— Nikreim (@Nikreim1) May 23, 2024

De Niro and Pacino should be on this.. Tom Cruise and Harrison Ford are famous for action movies but surely not the best actors…sorry fans…🙈😅

— Bohemian1963 (@HelmaH0110) May 23, 2024

Incomplete without Leo & Depp

— Dwayne (@Dwayne63917949) May 23, 2024

Denzel Washington should have been there.

— Julie C (@jcja56) May 23, 2024

It seems that even in a group of Hollywood’s biggest stars, there will always be room for debate and discussion about who truly deserves the title of A-lister. Despite the star-studded lineup, some fans felt that the Vanity Fair cover was missing some key players from the era of true A-list actors.

Who do you think should have been included in the iconic photo? Let us know in the comments below!