Feature: Top 25 Celebrity Portraits of 2017, Captured by Joe Arce

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5. Sir Anthony Hopkins

Sir Anthony Hopkins
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

Sir Richard Attenborough – who directed Anthony Hopkins no less than five times – simply calls him the greatest actor of his generation. His Oscar-winning portrayal of Dr. Hannibal Lecter in “Silence Of The Lambs” has been called the number one scariest on screen villain in the history of American cinema, according to the American Film Institute. His current Emmy nominated role, as the mysterious creative director Dr. Richard Ford in HBO’s “Westworld,” is akin to Lecter… he has an ability to mesmerize, while spinning webs that we may not feel smart enough to follow. In “Transformers: The Last Knight,” Hopkins has the best role in the film as Sir Edmond Burton, who is once again the man with the secrets. It was at that film’s Chicago world premiere that I got the reveal I was seeking, which was Hopkins removing his shades per my request, to give me that famous mad genius stare.

LOCATION/DATE: Civic Opera House, Chicago, June 20th, 2017

4. Kevin Spacey

Kevin Spacey
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

It was the best of times and the worst of times for Kevin Spacey in 2017. The two time Oscar winner was on top of the world when he was presented with the Gene Siskel Film Center Renaissance Award in May… it was there that I photographed him. By year’s end – on the heels of the Harvey Weinstein scandal – the actor had over 15 plus sexual assault allegations against him, ending his run on the aptly titled series “House of Cards.” Kevin Spacey has since been dropped from both his management and publicist, “while he steps out from the limelight seeking evaluation and treatment.” Also famously in 2017, his performance in the film “All The Money in the World” was re-done by director Ridley Scott, with replacement Christopher Plummer inserted in all of Spacey’s previously filmed scenes. Personally for me, the scandal turned a great portrait of a great performer even more newsworthy.

LOCATION/DATE: Four Seasons Hotel, Chicago, May 13th, 2017

3. Jane Fonda

Jane Fonda
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

Jane Fonda recently threw herself a little birthday celebration, marking her Eight Decades Of Jane. True to her nature she gave more than she received… the star studded fund-raiser in Atlanta raised a staggering $1.3 million dollars in one night for her pet charity, The Georgia Campaign For Adolescent Power And Potential. Fonda’s acting and activism have always gone hand-in- hand, and neither show any sign of dimming.

Also recently, the two time Oscar winner received yet another Emmy nomination for her critically acclaimed series with Lily Tomlin, “Grace And Frankie.” I got to photograph her for a second time as she was presented with the Golden Hugo Career Achievement Award from Cinema/Chicago, the organization that puts on the Chicago International Film Festival. That night, she shimmered just as bright as her golden trophy. Ah Sweet Jane!

LOCATION/DATE: Radisson Aqua Blu Hotel, July 29th, 2017

2. Mark Wahlberg

Mark Wahlberg
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

In the journey from Marky Mark to Richie Rich, 2017 found the once rapping Calvin Klein model-turned-actor becoming the highest paid leading man in Hollywood. According to Forbes Magazine, Mark Wahlberg raked in a staggering $68 million dollars in a 12 month period. The Boston native’s earnings from “Transformers: The Last Knight” and “Daddys Home 2,” in addtion to his AT&T endorsements and the A&E Network reality show “Wahlbergers,” placed him firmly on top of “The Rock” (Dwayne Johnson).

LOCATION/DATE: Civic Opera House, Chicago, June 20th, 2017

1. Hillary Clinton

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

So who’s a bigger star than the biggest star in Hollywood? Well, who is someone that everyone is talking about? Hillary Clinton comes to mind, even as an obsessive focus in Tweets of the supposed “leader of the free world.” Her memoir “What Happened” was named by Time Magazine, The New York Times, The Washington Post and even Vogue Magazine as the best non-fiction book of 2017… thus qualifying it for story of the year.

Hillary Rodham Clinton was in Chicagoland the morning that Special Council Robert Mueller revealed his first indictments, so needless to say she was in a very festive mood! The line at the book store easily reflected the numbers for the winner of the 2016 presidential election popular vote. As the press was escorted out, the “Madame Secretary” briefly paused so that she could quickly pose for this Exclusive Portrait. Imagine that… a politician actually keeping their promise, and keeping hope alive.

LOCATION/DATE: The Book Stall, Winnetka (Ill.), October 30th, 2017