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Those famous Annie Leibovitz photos for Vanity Fair's Hollywood issue, like the one out this month, usually feature a large grouping of actresses, artfully slouched or draped over something (or someone), who are poised to be the Next Big Things. Looking at the trends of who was on the cover when, and how many times, it seems like the mag has created basically two categories: 1) Women who've proven themselves as successes and therefore merit a spot and 2) Women who are random and out of the blue and whose careers will forever be ruined by the premature exposure (not that VF cares. Or Annie, who always gets what she wants). Someone like Gretchen Mol comes to mind when thinking of the latter category; the poor kewpie doll has been ruined by a VF cover more than once. Also, does anyone remember Monica Potter? Sarah Wynter? Allison Elliott? Probably only IMDB commenters. Other actresses, like Cate Blanchett and Scarlett Johansson, continue to hold onto both their careers and the covers, having graced three each themselves. The secret to these ladies' success seems to be finding that exact chemistry between buzz, exposure, timing, etc. Or, you know, having talent. To see a gallery of all the Hollywood issue covers click here, and after the jump find a breakdown chart of some of the bigger actresses' VF appearances.