In August, Amber Heard gushed to Vanity Fair: “I can’t think of anyone who’s better accomplished, [with] the kind of trajectory I admire, than Angelina Jolie.” Lately, Heard, 27, seems to have stepped right into Jolie’s heels — getting engaged to the only A-lister cooler than Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp (he even owns his own island!); leg-bombing the Golden Globes in a slit-to-there gown. And if you’ve seen Heard in her new film “3 Days to Kill,” you might wonder: How is that sexy CIA agent not Jolie?
“Marrying into a secret island lair is ‘out-Jolie-ing’ Jolie. If Amber dusts off a brother and gets to second base with him in public, it’s checkmate,” says screenwriter Dan Ewen, referring to Jolie’s infamous liplock with her brother. Here, a look at how imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
Home-wrecking reputations
Both ladies are accused of man-stealing. Heard was first linked to Depp in 2010, while filming “The Rum Diary” — when he was still with Vanessa Paradis. Jolie hooked up with Pitt, then married to Jennifer Aniston, while filming 2005’s “Mr. & Mrs. Smith.”
The world was rocked by the Pitt-Aniston split, but Jolie’s career has blossomed. Will Heard be as lucky?
“Women will judge her a lot more harshly than men — [as a] home wrecker, gold digger, opportunist,” warns Ron Geraci, author of “The Bachelor Chronicles.” Still, Amanda Sanders, CEO of New York Image Consultant, predicts Heard’s casting luck will “absolutely” improve now that she has an A-list ally: “Even bad publicity is good publicity.”
Let’s talk about sex
Jolie, 38, and Heard have been open about their romantic relationships with women — most notably, actress Jenny Shimizu for Jolie and photographer Tasya van Ree for Heard. Yet each has managed to snag one of Hollywood’s hottest leading men. What gives?
“Often, when a man chooses a more androgynous woman, it helps him get in touch with his androgyny, as well,” says Diana Kirschner, psychologist and author of “Find Your Soulmate Online in Six Simple Steps.” “These types of women are more experimental . . . risk-takers.” Sounds like Amber and Angelina to us!
Wedding belles
Both of these glamour goddesses are sporting massive engagement rings … but will they ever make it down the aisle? The world has been waiting for Jolie to wed Pitt ever since the two confirmed their engagement in April 2012 (complete with a bauble designed by Pitt himself). Although the two had once said they wouldn’t marry “until everyone could,” Jolie said in 2012: “I don’t think we’ll be able to hold out. It means so much to my kids.” Then again, that was two years ago.
Heard and Depp announced their own wedding intentions in January. Of course, Depp has been engaged before — including to Winona Ryder and Jennifer Grey. And he was with baby mama Paradis for 14 years without getting hitched. So, is it a race of who can make it down the aisle first — or who can hold out longer?
Fearless femininity
It’s no secret that Jolie loves flying planes and performing her own stunts (such as firing a gun while riding on the hood of a car in “Wanted,” left). While Heard hasn’t said anything about getting a pilot’s license — yet — the native Texan does cruise LA in a vintage Mustang, and says of film roles like 2010’s “And Soon the Darkness” (right): “I’d rather shoot the gun than wear the wedding dress.” She also told the Daily Mail, “I am an active member of a gun club.”
The leg(s) that launched a thousand memes
While Sanders believes Heard’s leg-revealing Atelier Versace gown at this year’s Golden Globes was “just something she wore” rather than a conscious imitation of Jolie’s Versace dress from the 2012 Oscars, she also thinks Heard should emulate Jolie’s style. “Being sophisticated gets you attention,” Sanders says. “Because [Heard’s] young, the press will view her as a more serious actor than if she dressed in a quirky way.” Just think of how opinions changed when Jolie switched from her all-Goth wardrobe to more regal clothes. Instant A-list!