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Issue Date: December 31, 2006
USA WEEKEND's COOL PIX 2006
Behind-the-scenes tidbits! Never-before-seen photos! Check out what really was going on during our favorite cover shoots from USA WEEKEND this past year. It's our holiday treat for you. Enjoy!
Cover photograph by Robert Sebree for USA WEEKEND
Alicia Keys
 Keys showed up with an ample, chatty entourage, which included her mother, Terry Augello. "Her mom is really pretty, so I invited her into the shoot," photographer George Lange says. "She started dancing and singing and having a great time." Keys had recently recorded a duet with Bono, "Don't Give Up (Africa)," to help fight AIDS. "She hadn't seen the finished video yet, and I had it on my iPod," Lange says. "I showed it to her."
Michelle Monaghan
The "Mission: Impossible III" star lived up to her girl-next-door image, a real "go-with-the-flow" person. "She's a no-nonsense type, someone you'd want to go have coffee with," Lange says. Lange also was impressed by how much the camera loves her: "Her photos look really fantastic, but she's not a super-glam actress. That's what makes her so appealing."
Shaun White
The Olympic snowboarder came to his cover shoot straight from training. "We shot it in a conference room, and his board was dripping all over as the ice melted," says photographer Robert Sebree. "He's also really into his family, talking up his brother's art. At one point, his mom called, asking him why his car smelled like pepperoni."
Clive Owen
The actor welcomed an unexpected guest to his shoot. "A friend of mine had just had a baby and got there while we were still shooting," Lange says. "Clive just zeroed in on that baby." A photo session with the charmed star and baby ensued.
Owen Wilson
 Photographer Matthias Clamer wanted to capture the actor's goofier side, but the shoot went in another direction entirely. "He wanted to look sharp," Clamer says. "He kind of squinted his eyes because it makes him look good. And he was concerned about his hair -- although it's an untidy look, it's actually very intentional."
Thandie Newton
For a holiday background, Sebree and crew drilled 1,000 holes in the wall and hand-threaded string to secure 1,000 red ornaments -- which took 10 hours. "Then Newton walked through the door, and I've never seen a face so flawless," he says of the actress. "She doesn't have a line on it."
Geena Davis
Davis didn't say a thing during the entire shoot, but the actress had a good reason: "She was suffering from a horrible case of laryngitis," Sebree says. "She was told not to utter a word." Davis communicated with facial expressions and hand gestures. Before they parted, Davis gave Sebree a goodbye hug.
Alyson Hannigan
A self-described reformed tomboy, the actress played video games on her cellphone while in hair and makeup. "She's a fun chick," Sebree says. "She's from Atlanta, like me. We teased her, slinging mud, because we were from different parts of the city. But she held her groundand fought back. She's a big fan of where she's from."
Patrick Dempsey
Dempsey was not so McDreamy. "He looked beat -- he'd been working non-stop for several days," says photographer Chris Cuffaro. Thankfully, the actor's wife, Delux Beauty founder Jillian Fink, did hair and makeup to give her husband a fresh look. Dempsey was good-natured as always. "He said he hatessmiling, but then he did it anyway," Cuffaro says. "He's a very laid-back guy."
Jerome Bettis
Bettis took photographer Brad Trent on an errand before the shoot. "He forgot what we needed -- his Super Bowl ring," Trent says. "I went with him back to his house to get it so he could use the HOV lane."
Sacha Baron Cohen
 Sebree knew shooting Cohen -- in character as Borat -- with funnyman Mickey Rooney for our Holiday Movie Preview would be hilarious. "Mickey was a thousand miles an hour, and Borat wascracking up," Sebree says. "When it was done, Sacha put his arm around me and said, 'That was the most surreal experience of my life.' Coming from him, after making that movie -- that was a huge compliment." After Rooney left, Sebree shot Borat by himself, just for fun.
Eva Longoria
 Longoria played along when the petite actress was asked to pose in a special tiny room, to make her look like a giant. Acquiring the furniture was no small task for Sebree. "I put in a call to Verne Troyer, who played Mini-Me [in the Austin Powers movies]," Sebree says. "I am friendly with his manager and publicist -- they are both little people -- and they sweetly offered their own furniture for the shoot." Sebree ultimately took their suggestion to go to Pottery Barn to find mature-looking children's furniture. Longoria felt at home: "She thought it was so cute."
Christina Aguilera
Aguilera was all business at our shoot. "She went directly into the makeup room, remained in there and came out looking gorgeous," Sebree recalls. "She was there to do ajob, and there was verylittle small talk." Still, the singer was willing to try different things, like this stunning shot. "We did itin a very classic Hollywood, 1940s way," Sebree says. "With her blond hairand her current style, it worked well as a simple, elegant portrait."
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