Derek Zoolander Brings His Blue Steel to the Cover of 'Vogue'
Ben Stiller and Penelope Cruz are staying in character for Vogue magazine's Zoolander 2 photoshoot.
Derek Zoolander (Stiller) poses for his first cover of the high-fashion magazine alongside the femme fatale Valentina (Cruz). Anna Wintour, American Vogue's editor-in-chief, even played along and had Derek and Hansel (Owen Wilson) show their runway walks.
While the fashion world was very open to participating in the film sequel, Stiller says that they couldn't manage to get Karl Lagerfeld to commit to a cameo in the movie. "He’s iconic,” Stiller said of Chanel's creative director. "It breaks my heart. Maybe if we ever do another."
WATCH: Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson Walk the Valentino Runway as Derek and Hansel
Marc Jacobs, however, was more than happy to play himself in the comedy. "I was thrilled to say yes to Ben,” he said. “I thought the first one was hilarious."
The Zoolander franchise, which debuted in theaters 15 years ago, is special for Stiller, who prefers the daft model to reamin a part of his legacy over his other on-screen, persona, Greg Focker in Meet the Parents. "I’d much rather have somebody say, ‘Hey, Zoolander,’ than ‘Hey, Focker,'" he quipped.
MORE: Justin Theroux Responds to Zoolander 2 Transphobia Controversy -- 'It Hurts My Feelings'
The director/actor also revealed how he came up with the character's iconic Blue Steel pose. "That look came out of me in the mirror at home, when I brush my hair or whatever," Stiller recalled. "I guess with the selfie culture, it’s just a natural extension. Did I have any idea that it would live on? No."
Although Cruz is new to the Zoolander world but has always been a fan of the comedy. “I’m one of those people who’s seen the first Zoolander four or five times,” she said. “I’ve done comedy in Spain, in my own language, but I’ve always said I want to do more comedies in English. I do all these intense dramas, and all my characters are always suffering. For many reasons I need to once in a while do a crazy comedy.”
Zoolander 2 hits theaters February 12. In the meantime, here's a flashback to when ET visited the set of the first film in 2000.