Ari Aster, Hollywood’s Master of Dread, Is Afraid of Everything — The New York Times MagazineThe man behind some of the 21st century’s most unsettling films takes his own anxiety and puts it onscreen.Photo by Jonno Rattman
How 'Love Island' Became a TV Reality of Sex, Fame, and Sometimes Tragedy — Vanity FairIn 2020, Love Island host Caroline Flack became the series’ third cast member to die by suicide. As Season 8 of the revelatory reality show starts, we’re still wondering: What kind of person survives that kind of fame? And whose fault is it when they don’t?Photo illustration by Sean McCabe
Seth Meyers Isn’t as Nice as You Think He Is — The New York TimesSeth Meyers has crafted a comedically precise but genial persona over more than two decades on “Saturday Night Live” and “Late Night.” A new stand-up special finds him reveling in his more acerbic side.Photo by Sinna Nasseri
Bruce Willis and Emma Heming Willis Built a Love and Life Together. Then, Everything Came Apart — Vanity FairIt’s been hard to find silver linings, or what Emma calls “cracks of light”—like the fact that she and Bruce never argue anymore. But they have built something new, and as a caregiver, she has found her voice helping others.Photo by Norman Jean Roy
The One-Track Mind of the Kentucky Derby Frontrunner — ESPN the MagazineThe stakes of the Kentucky Derby are crushing. Legacy, millions of dollars, literal life and death. Game Winner is a thoroughbred who doesn’t care about any of that.Photo by Gail Fisher
All Eyes on Ayo Edebiri — BustleThe most magnetic presence on The Bear (sorry, Carmy) brings sharp humor and actual knife skills to the breakout series.Photo by Myles Loftin
Billy Bush Has Nothing to Hide — Men's HealthThe Access Hollywood tape came out four years ago and Billy Bush can’t move past it any more than America can. This is the story of what it’s like to be the sidekick in the defining event of your life.Photo by Celeste Sloman
Eugene Levy Never Wanted to See the World — The New York TimesThe comic actor balked when he was offered a travel show. But hosting “The Reluctant Traveler” showed him the (mild) joys of leaving his comfort zone.Photo by Heather Sten
Our Lady of Pittsburgh — The Cut/New York MagazineGisele Baretto Fetterman has steered her kids and husband, Senator John Fetterman, through hell and back. What’s a few more fires?Photo by Susana Raab
How Bill Burr Became a Voice of the People — GQ“There’s no Beatlemania for a 56-year-old bald ginger,” says Bill Burr. And yet his new stand-up special and a starring role in Glengarry Glen Ross on Broadway arrive at a moment when, whether he’s praising Luigi Mangione or eviscerating the likes of Elon Musk, he can’t stop going viral for saying what many Americans are thinking.Photo by Dina Litovsky
You Know the ‘Crazy, Weird’ Meg Stalter. Now Meet the Real Her — Rolling StoneOnstage and onscreen, the Hacks breakout and Too Much star is bold, bratty, and slightly deranged. In person, she’s just a shy, soft-spoken Midwestern girl living out God’s plan.Photo by Erik Carter
A House Divided — Vanity FairAmid disturbing allegations, Bethenny Frankel’s calls for a union, and a whole lot of drinking, reality TV’s most popular stars are facing their demons.Photos by Gillian Laub
Steve-O Forever! — Men's Health“I'm in a terrible position,” he says. “I'm Steve-O in my 40s.” The Jackass with a pure soul is (almost) ready to (eventually) stop hurting himself for our entertainment. All Steve-O has to do first is figure out how to stop being himself.Photo by Rafael Rios
For Nikki Glaser, Comedy Is Easy. Living Is Hard — Rolling StoneThe comedian had a breakout set at The Roast of Tom Brady, put out an acclaimed special, and hosted the upcoming Golden Globes. Now if she can just find a way to be happy about it...Photo by OK McCausland
Aubrey Marcus Is On It — Men's HealthFrom sex fasts and darkness retreats to ecstatic dancing and ayahuasca, Onnit founder Aubrey Marcus is searching for meaning in the ruins of traditional masculinity.Photo by Andrew Hetherington
Taylor Kitsch Forever — GQNo actor has been better (or more telegenic) at expressing silent pain since Clint Eastwood and his chapped lips crawled out of the desert in A Fistful of Dollars. So you have to wonder: is Taylor Kitsch better off keeping his mouth shut?Photo by Lauren Dukoff
The Soul of Bravo — New York MagazineIn the last year, the real world permeated the world of reality TV. New York talked to Bravo producers, executives, and stars (and, of course, Andy Cohen about the growing pains of growing a conscience — including as a viewer.Photo by Landon Nordeman
You Miss Nature. Nature Misses You, Too. — The Washington Post MagazineSome zoo residents do just fine without people. And some, like so many of us, are making it clear how much they rely on human interaction.Photo by Matthew Bender
John Turturro Wants to Share His Spinach with You — Men's JournalJohn Turturro is lionized for his portrayals of outcasts and scoundrels. But four decades into his career, the actor—and star of The Plot Against America—is still hunting for fresh ways to provoke and perplex.Photo by Marco Grob
Shalita Grant Fights Sweet — BustleWith a life story more astonishing than most Netflix dramas, Grant's scene-stealing turns in Search Party and You are waking the world up to one of Hollywood's most underrated talents.Photo by Apollo Branagh
The Annotated Profile of Judd Apatow — EsquireFilmmaker, producer, and writer Judd Apatow wanted to take a pass at his profile. What could go wrong?