To commemorate MLK Jr. Day, and because it's an excuse to write about beautiful women, I made a list of the 11 black actresses who make me sit up and take notice when they're on screen. (Alas, none of them are openly gay, but I've tried not to hold that against them.) You may be surprised that some of the usual suspects — like Halle Berry and Jada Pinkett Smith — aren't here. I've got nothing against them, and often enjoy their performances, they just aren't among my favorites. Feel free to tell me why I'm crazy for leaving them or someone else off the list in the comments (and I know you will!).

11. Vivica Fox

Whether she's playing a bank robber in Set It Off (1996), a woman on a mission in Independence Day (1996), the responsible older sister on Soul Food (1997) or an FBI agent role on two seasons of the poorly named Lifetime drama 1-800-Missing (2004-2006), Vivica leaves a strong impression. And she has a cool name.

We just won't mention Booty Call (1997) or Boat Trip (2002).

10. Gabrielle Union

Gabrielle first caught my attention in Bring It On (2000) — no easy feat considering the strength of that cast overall (Eliza Dushku! Kirsten Dunst! Eliza Dushku!). Some of her roles since then have annoyed me (most notably, her star turn as a stereotypical controlling bitch in Deliver Us From Evie), but as a general rule, I pay attention when she's on screen.

And I loved her guest appearance in Friends in 2001, where Ross and Joey fight over her so ridiculously that she finally shuns them both. She should have hooked up with Rachel instead. … continue reading

Annie Leibovitz is possibly the best, and certainly the most famous, celebrity photographer around. And whether she is shooting for editorial or commercial use, I always pay attention to her gorgeous images. So when the Gap rolled out its new fall “Classics Redefined” campaign, I took a peek. And, once again, wow.

The array of famous (and somewhat less famous) faces posing in sweater vests, wide-leg trousers, French-cuff shirts and the like are actors Selma Blair, Lucy Liu, Regina King, Liev Schreiber, Forest Whitaker and Ken Watanabe; musicians John Mayer and Puffy AmiYumi; comedian Sarah Silverman; director Davis Guggenheim; designer Marcel Wanders and dancer-choreographer Twyla Tharp. (See them all here.) … continue reading

Are you ready for a remake of The Big Chill? Wait, before you start chucking your Motown records at the computer screen in protest, let me give you the twist. This remake of Lawrence Kasdan’s classic '80s ode to yuppie disillusionment will feature an all African-American cast.

Helming the project is actress Regina King, who will co-produce with her sister, Reina King, and Will Packer (Stomp the Yard). I like Regina; she is smart and funny and tough. It’s a testament to her talent that she somehow managed to come away from the spectacularly terrible Miss Congeniality 2: Armed & Fabulous with her dignity intact.

Still, I feel like this remake has a lot of inherent disadvantages versus the original. In the 1983 film, seven 30-something friends reunited for a weekend after the suicide of a college pal and ended up examining their own lives. The group went to college together in the '60s and shared the decade’s optimistic radicalism. The remake will be contemporized, meaning the 30-something friends now will have matriculated sometime in the '90s. Now, I went to college in the '90s and would be hard-pressed to think of a common generational philosophy, other than perhaps beer. … continue reading