Mandy Moore Details “A Lot of Teenage Drama” and “A Fight Over a Boy” at Star-Studded 2003 ‘Vanity Fair’ Famous Teens Shoot

Perhaps not surprisingly, there was apparently a lot of drama at the 2003 Vanity Fair famous teens shoot, according to someone who was there—Mandy Moore. Moore said on the “Not Alone” podcast yesterday that the reason for the drama was “a fight over a boy,” People reports, and that Moore and friend Hilary Duff “laugh about that all the time.”

The cover shoot featured young Hollywood’s hottest rising stars of the moment—think Moore, Duff, Amanda Bynes, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Lindsay Lohan, Alexis Bledel, Raven-Symoné, and Evan Rachel Wood. Those assembled were “in-demand and at the beginning of their illustrious careers,” People writes. “The group of young actresses defined a generation.”

And, famous though they most certainly were, the girls were still young. “A lot of teenage drama for sure,” Moore said. “There was a fight over a boy, I want to say, between two people. I don’t even remember who. [Editor’s note: We have some guesses.] I remember feeling like a real outlier and outsider, like, ‘I am not part of the cool kids club.’”

That said, Moore recalled that “one of the Olsen twins” had a crush on Moore’s boyfriend at the time, and “I just remember feeling really cool about that,” she said.

Moore said of herself and Duff that “We were such babies then and to think, fast-forward 20 years from now…our husbands are best friends,” Moore said. “She’s a very, very dear friend to me.” She added “We have all these kids and kids running around. Hilary is just, like, ultimate mom goals in every sense. She is the most incredible mother and businesswoman and she does everything with such grace.”

Of the shoot, Moore added “One day we’ll be able to show our kids, like, ‘Isn’t this so funny? We knew each other back then, and now look at us.’”

Moore isn’t the only one who has confirmed the on-set drama in the years since. Duff, in a 2022 interview with Vanity Fair, said the 2003 shoot was “anxiety-inducing.” She told the publication “I remember being like, ‘This is cool I was included in this,’ but, no, this was a very high-stress, anxiety-inducing day,” Duff said. “Also, Mandy [Moore] and I are great friends now, so this is very funny.” 

In 2014, Wood shared that she was “almost in tears” after the shoot: “They tried that dress on me, I wasn’t comfortable, but they told me there was no time ‘cause everyone else took up too much time with their fittings,” she said in tweets on her since-deactivated Twitter account, which were captured by The Daily Mail. “Then I was given a choice on whether I wanted to wear flats or heels. I chose flats and was immediately handed heels and told they looked better. Then we were all lined up, stared at, and approved. I was 15 and felt for the first time my identity being erased and the pressure to shut up and do what you are told. I felt like meat. Since then, I have found my voice. Never again.”

In a follow-up post, Wood added “Side note, I have shot the cover of Vanity Fair since and had a much different experience. It was quite lovely.”

Inside the 2003 cover story—with the headline “It’s Raining Teens”—features some pretty epic snapshots of the time period, like Moore saying, likely with pride, when asked how many Juicy Couture outfits she had, “No joke, probably 25.” Shia LeBaouf, who wasn’t on the cover but was inside the magazine, raved over his Panasonic cell phone, marveling that “It has a freakin’ camera on it.” Oh, the early aughts—what a ride.