COVER WARS: Fresh For Fall, Child Starlets Grow Up

With her film debut at age 5, E.T. by 7, rehab soon after and an autobiography by age 15, Drew Barrymore epitomized the life of a child star. Growing up in a famous family wasn’t easy for the actress but somehow she came out not just alive, but stellar. Now she’s debuting as a director with Whip It in October, but don’t worry, she plays a roller derby chick in it, too.

Mediaite Grade (A-): The fact that she can still look youthful and radiant on a magazine cover after all she’s been through proves that Drew really is an anomaly. On Marie Claire, she takes a turn with her Whip It co-star Ellen Page (and inside they kiss). Barrymore is 34, but holds her own against the 22-year-old Page, both clad in yellow and pushed close. It’s flattering to cover the Big Beauty Issue, but in this case, it’s not much of a stretch.

Natalie Portman was 13 when she blew everyone away in The Professional and 24 when she blew everyone away rapping on SNL. In between, she’s had one of the most fun and consistent careers imaginable, alternating between Hollywood blockbusters (Star Wars, V For Vendetta) and theatre-like art films (Closer, Paris je t’aime). Oh, and she went to Harvard.

Mediaite Grade (A+): On the over-sized art mag Interview, Portman is bewitching, as usual, all done up with dark eyeliner and photo editing. The cover text is spare, leaving her ample room to shine, while her eyes would be piercing staring back from the magazine rack. The cover is flawless really, and her career isn’t much worse. Portmans reputation is at an all-time high (and only rising), as she continues to choose compelling projects while staying out of trouble. Consider her a beacon of hope for the child-actor set.

COVER WARS WINNER: It seems fitting that the child star with the (arguably) most stable and successful career is the one with the finest cover. Natalie Portman is hard to beat in general, but on this month’s Interview cover, she’s in a another league altogether from Jennifer Love Hewitt’s admittedly beautiful, but lowbrow Shape cover and an immature-looking Anna Paquin. Drew, we wish you the best — you have many more covers in your future. This time, it’s all Natalie.