Photo: BEImages/Alex J. Berliner.
Drew Barrymore
It's actually unbearable how cute this is. That is a statement that would apply to almost anything Drew Barrymore does at any age, but it's particularly true here. Like most interviews with child stars, it's an uncanny mixture of entirely raw moments and statements that sound freakishly adult (the way she says "Kathy Kennedy, the producer of E.T. is so weirdly mature, it's jarring). To quote 8-year-old Ms. Barrymore, well, "Sometimes, you know, you feel like crying."
Jennifer Lawrence
While she's now best known for Silver Linings Playbook and The Hunger Games, Winter's Bone was Lawrence's true breakout role. Before that, though? She earned her creative cred in a variety of roles, including The Poker House, directed by Lori Petty. She's nowhere near as outspoken here, at only 18, but you can still see that signature personality shining through. Also, by the way, can we borrow that dress?
Natalie Portman
Before she was a Black Swan or a Manic Pixie Dream Girl, Natalie Portman was just a girl. With a dog. Who happened to be featured on The Jon Stewart Show.
Image: Courtesy of Seventeen Magazine.Meryl Streep
Before she had even broken into the world of film, Meryl was an accomplished actor on Broadway and in other theatrical productions. Seventeen had the good sense to highlight her work in a brief feature in 1977. Streep had just landed her first movie role in the film Julia, at 28. Of her first day on set, she humbly said, "I thought I'd perpetrated some sort of great hoax, that they would find out I was a charlatan. I was so nervous the first day on the set that I broke out in hives!"
Will Smith
Today, Will Smith is the pinnacle of professionalism. Even though he's done some less-than-perfect movies, he's sort of beyond reproach as a Hollywood figure. That's why it's so exciting when you see him and his family doing something silly. That's also why it's even more exciting to see him acting like a quintessential cocky teenager, goofing off and messing around as if totally unaware that the world is watching.
Miley Cyrus
Oh. Em. Gee. Can you believe how cute she is? Also, we need to get the "Mileymeter" out of storage. We're willing to bet the readings would be off the charts these days.
Lady Gaga
Or, should we say, Stefani Germanotta? Given the highly polished, perfectly orchestrated facade of Gaga we now know, it's hard to imagine that she was ever stumbling her way up the ladder, facing the classic struggle of publicity vs. dignity that every musician knows so well. This "photoshoot" was conducted for her first-ever album and it appears she is interviewing herself. Still, though, you can see her talent for clever self-promotion and her obsession with the concept of fame — and it's kinda fascinating to watch her work in such a relatively unmediated way.
Kanye West
So, we all know Kanye is kind of a crazy guy. Maybe just a touch arrogant. But, it turns out, back in the day he was...well, not that different. He was already making all kinds of vague statements about his design abilities, and had more ambition than he knew how to handle. It's kinda cute, though, right?