year in review
The Biggest Scandals of 2023
Scandoval, Hasan Minhaj, The Idol, and more of this year’s most gripping headlines.
The Crown Season 6
- Critic’s Notebook
The Crown Is Dead, Long Live The Crown
Looking back at the royals series to end all royals series, now that it’s reached its end. - Still Watching
Episode 8: Lesley Manville Says Ta-Ta to Princess Margaret
The celebrated actress drops by Still Watching to chat about portraying Princess Margaret as her health deteriorated, as well as her long friendship with costar Imelda Staunton. - The Crown
Did Carole Middleton Really Mastermind Kate and Prince William’s Relationship?
The Crown’s head of research, Annie Sulzberger, tells VF about the show’s depiction of Kate and Carole Middleton, who meet Prince William in the show’s final episodes. - Still Watching
Episode 9: All About the Fashion Show Where Kate Snared William
Julie Miller returns to Still Watching to chat about the infamous charity event, and whether Carole Middleton was as manipulative in real life as she is on the show. - The Crown
Kate and William’s Real-Life College Romances
The pre-Kate girlfriend The Crown pairs William with is fictional—but he and his future wife really did date at St. Andrews before they coupled up. - The Crown
The Crown Finale Revisits Prince Harry’s Nazi-Costume Scandal
Prince Harry is a peripheral player in The Crown’s sixth season until the finale, which revisits one of his most humiliating events. - Still Watching
Inside The Crown’s Three-Queen Farewell
As The Crown comes to an end, executive producer Suzanne Mackie drops by Still Watching to discuss the series’ legacy and that final scene that united Imelda Staunton, Olivia Colman, and Claire Foy for the first time.
TRUE CRIME
How Celebrity Surgeon Scammer Paolo Macchiarini Fooled So Many for So Long
On the eve of two Peacock projects based on his VF reporting, Adam Ciralsky looks back on one of the stranger stories of his career.
Awards Insider!
Jack Black on His Christmas-Movie Rivalry and Those White Lotus Rumors
On the awards campaign trail for his Super Mario Bros. Movie song, “Peaches,” and fresh off an Emmy win, Black is hitting new milestones even more than two decades into Hollywood stardom.
Year in Review
The Year That Broke Hollywood
Dual strikes, layoffs, and budget cuts made for a tough 2023. Can Hollywood rebuild for a more sustainable future?
From the Magazine
Is This the Year a Queer Actor Goes All the Way at the Oscars?
Films like Strange Way of Life, Cassandro, and All of Us Strangers could break down some of Oscar’s most stubborn walls this season.
Team Coco
“You Better Be as Good as Letterman!” Conan O’Brien’s Wild First Year: An Oral History
In 1993, NBC made a historic decision—and gave Late Night to a nobody. O’Brien, Letterman, Lorne Michaels, Lisa Kudrow, and more tell all.
Little Gold Men
Carey Mulligan on the “Soul-Baring and Crying” That Made Maestro Possible
The actor used dream workshops and a deep dive into Felicia Montealegre’s past to embody Leonard Bernstein’s wife.
Awards Insider!
Dua Lipa Thinks Greta Gerwig “Defied All Odds” on Barbie and Was Happy to Come Along for the Ride
The pop star tells Vanity Fair about “Dance the Night,” her secret contributions to the film during a busy world tour, and what she learned from reuniting with her “Electricity” partner Mark Ronson.
Little Gold Men
With The Taste of Things, Juliette Binoche Confronted Her Past—And Paved a New Path Forward
The Oscar winner opens up about the profound insights gained from making her luminous new film, which France is campaigning for this year’s international-film Oscar.
Review
The Color Purple Is a Sturdy Song-Delivery System
Fantasia Barrino, Danielle Brooks, and Taraji P. Henson get the job done.
in conversation
Erika Alexander Is American Fiction’s Quiet Storm
The Indie Spirit nominee chats about going toe-to-toe with Jeffrey Wright, her penchant for playing lawyers, and the state of the Black sitcom.
FROM THE MAGAZINE
Will Oppenheimer, Killers of the Flower Moon, or Barbie Be Crowned Best Picture?
Bold artistic gambles, sweeping historical dramas, and a pair of idiosyncratic blockbusters make for an unusually captivating top Oscar race.
Awards Insider!
How Poor Things’ Intimacy Coordinator Made All Those Sex Scenes Possible
Elle McAlpine helped center Yorgos Lanthimos’s coming-of-age movie around female orgasm, modesty garments, and empowered sexual exploration.
Review
There Are No Winners in Wrestling Drama The Iron Claw
Zac Efron does his best to lend a brutal story some real humanity.
majors on trial
Jonathan Majors Found Guilty in Domestic Assault Trial, Dropped by Marvel
Shortly after the verdict, Marvel announced that the studio is officially parting ways with the Ant-Man actor.
33 of the Biggest Celebrities Who Died in 2023
From Matthew Perry to Norman Lear, we say goodbye to the entertainers who died this year.
Awards Insider!
Greta Lee Isn’t Sure She Can Go Back to Supporting Roles After Past Lives
At the Unforgettable Gala in Beverly Hills on Saturday, Lee was honored before a predominantly Asian crowd: “I think it’s time now for us to be at the center of our own stories, on our own terms.”
this is how we win
The 22 Best Feel-Bad Movies to Destroy Your Mood
What’s the opposite of a feel-good movie? Uncut Gems, Taxi Driver, Melancholia, or one of these other great films that’ll leave you feeling terrible.
From the Magazine
Smoking Is Back in Movies. Here’s Why
Maestro, Cassandro, Saltburn, and more movies this season use lighting up to capture time, character, and sometimes tragedy.
the last luncheon
Carrie Coon Loves Your Mean Gilded Age Tweets
The Gilded Age star on the opera war’s culmination, the cast’s “nerdy theater camp” energy, and what she’d love to see Mrs. Russell conquer next.
live from new york
Kate McKinnon’s Triumphant Return is SNL’s Best Show of the Year
From “Tampon Farm” to ABBA, Saturday Night Live was filled with Christmas cheer—and great performances from McKinnon.