Revisting Vanity Fair’s Doomed Class Of 2000

To celebrate the 14th year of its always breathlessly anticipated Hollywood Issue, Vanity Fair has posted an online gallery of every meticulously composed Annie Leibovitz gatefold cover in the series, which, when unfurled, generally provide a stunning, at-a-glance guide to up-and-comers ready to enjoy a speedy ascent to superstardom.

But back in 2000, perhaps inspired by the apocalyptic dread accompanying the arrival of the new millennium, VF and Leibovitz decided to mix things up with an eerily prescient “Near Misses of The Coming Aughts” spread (a hat tip to the Hot Blog for singling out this particular class), accurately predicting which of the previous year’s rising stars would eventually be doomed to a decade of mostly steady, unspectacular work. As with any such bold, forward-looking list, one can argue endlessly about its composition–for example, Cruz’s inclusion is undermined by unforeseen creative triumphs like Volver and Bandidas and a career-boosting relationship with Tom Cruise–but the haunted look in a reclining Chris Klein’s eyes seems to anticipate his coming stretch of American Pie sequels, ill-advised remake projects, and soon-to-be-short-lived CBS sitcoms.

• V.F.’s Hollywood Issue: The Annie Leibovitz Covers [VF via The Hot Blog]