ABOUT THIS BOOK

Stellar Transformations: Movie Stars of the 2010s circles around questions of stardom, performance, and their cultural contexts in ways that remind us of the alluring magic of stars while also bringing to the fore the changing ways in which viewers engaged with them during the last decade. A salient idea that guides much of the collection is the one of transformation, expressed in these pages as the way in which post-millennial movie stars are in one way or another reshaping ideas of performance and star presence, either through the self-conscious revision of aspects of their own personas or in redirecting or progressing some earlier aspect of the culture. Including a diverse lineup of stars such as Oscar Isaac, Kristen Stewart, Tilda Swinton, and Tyler Perry, the chapters in Stellar Transformations paint the portrait of the meaning of star images during the complex decade of the 2010s, and in doing so will offer useful case studies for scholars and students engaged in the study of stardom, celebrity, and performance in cinema.

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

STEVEN RYBIN is an associate professor of film studies in the Department of English at Minnesota State University, Mankato. He is the author of several books, including Geraldine Chaplin: The Gift of Film Performance and Gestures of Love: Romancing Performance in Classical Hollywood Cinema.

REVIEWS

"This illuminating volume examines a diverse selection of contemporary stars with varied career paths and personas, exploring how stardom is constructed, negotiated, and maintained in a rapidly changing industry."

— David R. Coon, author of Turning the Page: Storytelling as Activism in Queer Film and Media

“This is a brilliant collection featuring important performances during the 2010s, a decade marked by the emergence of an astounding number of ambiguously gendered and varied characters and performances. With readable, insightful analysis this volume strikes a balance between readability and in-depth analysis of celebrity, stardom and performance. A pleasure to read, this work is bound to attract both scholars and students who are fascinated with celebrity culture and its connection to the mysterious processes of embodiment and acting.”

— Rebecca Bell-Metereau, author of Transgender Cinema

"Taking up stardom in the tumultuous teens, this volume shows that as 'the pictures got small' and film stars were experienced via streaming services and social media as much if not more than on cinema screens—and as the death of cinema was proclaimed again and again—stardom enlarged to include more diverse actors who could speak to both niche and global audiences in well-crafted actorly performances in films ranging from small independent features to global blockbusters."

— Pamela Robertson Wojcik, co-editor of Media Crossroads: Intersections of Space and Identity in Screen Cultures

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Stardom in the 2010s
Steven Rybin
Chapter 1: Joaquin Phoenix: Ascendant
Brenda Austin-Smith
Chapter 2: Amy Adams and Emma Stone: Leaving the Ingénue Behind
Karen Hollinger
Chapter 3: Oscar Isaac: Melancholy By Degrees
Rick Warner
Chapter 4: Armie Hammer: The Elusive Appeal of a New Star
David Greven
Chapter 5: The Multiple Trajectories of Transnational Hollywood Stars: Marion Cotillard, Kristen Stewart, Diane Kruger
Celestino Deleyto
Chapter 6: Tilda Swinton: From Avant-Garde Androgyne to The Avengers
Jennifer O’Meara
Chapter 7: Tyler Perry: Madea Goes to Hollywood
Danielle E. Williams
Chapter 8: Jessica Chastain and Michelle Williams: Open Windows
Daniel Varndell
Chapter 9: The Predicaments of Queer Stardom: Ben Wishaw, Ezra Miller, Zachary Quinto
Kyle Stevens
Chapter 10: Timothée Chalamet: Refashioning Hollywood Masculinity
Matt Connolly
Chapter 11: Chadwick Boseman and Michael B. Jordan: Twenty-First Century Stars
Cynthia Baron
Chapter 12: Natalie Portman: Smart Star
Steven Rybin
In the Wings
Works Cited
Contributors
Index