celebrity photographer george pimentel s aging gr acefully the shutterbug s best shots of timeless hollywood icons In Hollywood, for many, you re here today and gone tomorrow, remarks Canadian photographer George Pimentel, who has snapped the globe s hottest celebrities for more than 15 years. But some stars stand the test of time. There s a class of icons that age gracefully. These actors enjoy careers that span decades, he adds, and are able to hang on to the beauty and charisma that made them famous in the first place. Here, in the second of our three-part Hello! Hollywood special package, George shares photos of the screen stars who are only shining brighter with age. demi moore At every event I do, there s one prize shot that I need to get. It s like fishing: sometimes it s skill and sometimes it s luck. At the Sundance Film Festival, Jan. 17, 2009, I was in the right place at the right time to catch this moment with Demi. I ve been a fan for years and there s no doubt that she s gotten even more beautiful with age. 56 HELLOMAGAZINE.CA HELLO! 57
cate blanchett This photo was taken at the Golden Globe Awards on Jan. 16, 2005. Cate is so natural. She doesn t have to try very hard to look stunning. She has this unique look. And her fashion choices are always spot-on. She has a wonderful sense of colour and is so classy and elegant. Above all else, Cate has this arresting presence and that presence comes from within. At the end of the day, she s just a really great person. She s so approachable. She makes it easy to take her picture. For more fabulous photos, open here For more fabulous photos, open here nicole kidman I love Nicole Kidman, but she s the only celebrity that I feel intimidated around. Her beauty is overwhelming. She s also very fragile. You have to be cautious with Nicole. You can t holler her name because it will work against you. If it gets too loud, she won t make eye contact. She s the only star that I keep my mouth shut around. 58 HELLOMAGAZINE.CA HELLO! 59
halle berry Halle s beauty is utterly flawless. You can t take a bad photo of her. Short hair, long hair, dressed up, in jeans she always looks amazing. She has a gorgeous smile. And her skin radiates youth. She doesn t seem to register age at all. I have a hard time keeping the camera steady when I shoot her. Pretty much every guy I know wishes he was Gabriel Aubry. pierce brosnan I took this photo at the Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 23, 2009. If all men could look as good as Pierce does in his 50s, this would be a beautiful world. He s sophisticated, classy and charming. He is James Bond. 60 HELLOMAGAZINE.CA HELLO! 61
warren beatty and annette bening Warren and Annette are the kind of stars that I look up to. They re a couple that s held it together. They ve risen above the pressures of Hollywood. They are comfortable with themselves and each other, and you can see it in this photo from the Vanity Fair Oscar party on March 24, 2002. Annette is gorgeous. And even at the age of 72, Warren still looks like a classic movie star. george pimentel and mike myers I love photographing Canadians. It s great when you have a personal connection with stars. It just so happens that I went to school in Toronto with Mike Myers. He was in my brother s grade. Every time I see him, I yell out, Lescon Public School! and he goes out of his way to give me the shot. I was backstage with him at the Emmy Awards on Sept. 21, 2003, and we were reminiscing about the old days. I said, Let s do something funny! A friend of mine came and took this photo of us. Mike is one of the funniest guys I know. He cracks me up every time I see him. 62 HELLOMAGAZINE.CA
penelope cruz This is one of my favourite moments of all time, because I felt like I was in the 1950s. I was at Cannes on May 16, 2004, when Penélope decided to walk to her première. A huge crowd was behind her, forming a sort of procession. She stood out because she was all in white. She looked like an angel. This photograph is so Old Hollywood to me, like a scene from La Dolce Vita scarlett johansson She was leaving a première at Cannes on May 12, 2005, when the press mobbed her. Unfortunately, in the confusion, her mother slipped and fell. This shot is so Old Hollywood to me, like a scene from the classic film La Dolce Vita. Her mother was not injured, but I ve never published this photo until now out of respect for Scarlett. madonna Madonna was in Toronto with Guy Ritchie on Sept. 11, 2005. I got wind they were eating at [the restaurant] Nectar. Security was at the back to pick her up, but I convinced them to use the front instead so fans would get their moment and not chase her all night. When she came out, I instructed everyone not to rush her and it all ran smoothly. She gave me my shot.
This looks like a photo that Brad and Jennifer could have had on their fridge bruce willis and demi moore This is from the opening of Planet Hollywood in Toronto in March 1997. It was -30 C outside and I froze for four hours, waiting to get the shot. At the time, Bruce and Demi were the hottest couple in Hollywood. Not a lot of stars were coming through Toronto back then it was just a handful. They were the very first celebrity couple I photographed. brad pitt and jennifer aniston I was at Sundance Jan. 12, 2002, and Brad and Jennifer were there for a première. I was so excited because it was the first time I d seen Brad. I wanted to get close so I blew off the arrival, went into the theatre, found their seats and sat in front until they arrived. Then I turned around and asked for the shot. This looks like a photo they could have had on their fridge. nicole kidman and tom cruise This is a shot at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party on March 26, 2000. For me, this photo is all about Tom Cruise. It was the first time I photographed him and I hadn t realized how short he was! I soon discovered that Tom is easily the nicest guy in Hollywood for the press and the fans. He embraces stardom, loves it. Tom is also the kind of guy that doesn t hide his feelings for the women in his life. He always puts his love on display.