Kristen Stewart, Nicole Kidman and Marion Cotillard Pose Without Makeup for W Magazine,

Bradley Cooper, Ben Affleck and Jessica Chastain are among the other A-list actors who made the list of today's brightest stars

By Alyssa Toomey Jan 25, 2013 8:27 PMTags
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What do Kristen StewartBen Affleck, Bradley Cooper and Jessica Chastain have in common?

They're among the elite group of A-list actors who are the best performers in Hollywood today, according to W Magazine.

W's annual Best Performances February issue features a slew of Tinsel Town's top talent—from Marion Cotillard to Nicole Kidman to K.Stew—and the stunning stars are photographed by Juergen Teller, sans make-up, in their natural state, reflecting this year's cinematic shift away from typical Hollywood glamour. 

K.Stew goes topless for On the Road and more stars who got naked for (good) movies

Each talented star shares a tidbit about his or her performance in the issue, as they are all nominated for a specific role (Kristen for On the Road, not Twilight, in case you were concerned). 

In addition to the performances feature, the W website also has a slide show where today's top stars reveal their own cinematic crush.

A few of our favorites?

Ben Affleck, who confesses to worshiping Brad Pitt, calling him "the perfect man and actor."

K.Stew, who admits she has a "total crush" on Amy Adams, and Rebel Wilson who provides the best answer of them all:

"Channing Tatum. See I'm too nervous to even say it because what if he sees this and he's like ‘Oh my god Rebel Wilson is my celebrity crush. Yeah, let me get divorced from my wife and come and find out where she lives.'"

Talented, sassy and spectacular, indeed!

Head over to W Magazine for all the interviews with 33 of this year's brightest stars. And then hit the comments to tell us if you agree with the iconic list.