celebrity

Amy Schumer is on fire in her Vanity Fair shoot... quite literally.

If there’s one thing we’ve come to expect from comedian Amy Schumer, it’s to expect the unexpected. And teaming up with celebrity photographer Annie Liebovitz for Vanity Fair‘s May issue, she’s done it again.

On the cover, Schumer appears old-Hollywood glam in a red corset and some curls in her hair. But it’s inside the issue, alongside a major profile feature on the comedian turned writer, actor and producer, that Schumer really shines in front of the lens.

Riding a rocket, slouching on a kitchen chair alongside her sister Kim, and … setting her crotch on fire.

Was there a fire brigade or extinguisher nearby for the Trainwreck star? We really hope so.

Thank you @vanityfair and Annie Leibovitz who I had to beg to take this shot

A photo posted by @amyschumer on Apr 25, 2016 at 12:13pm PDT

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Speaking to Vanity Fair about the shoot, the 34-year-old Comedy Central star said, “I begged Annie to photograph me with no underwear on in just a T-shirt.”

Schumer, who recently took issue with being included in Glamour Magazine’s plus sized issue continued, “I explained to her how important it was to me and she finally agreed. I felt powerful and beautiful. She understood once we shot it. Or maybe she ran to the bathroom to throw up.”

Now that it’s done and her crotch is presumably undamaged by the flames, Schumer is describing it as, “one of the most meaningful moments of my life.”

Woops wrong photo. Here I am! A photo posted by @amyschumer on Apr 25, 2016 at 5:12am PDT

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Encompassing the many roles Schumer embodies was the aim of the shoot, with comedic and satirical nods littered throughout.

“There had to be some sense of humor in the glamorising, because [the glamorising] is not the point of her,” says Vanity Fair’s fashion and style director, Jessica Diehl. “The point of her is not to be a red-carpet star—she does so much more than dress up for premieres or press circuits.

“We’re not telling a fashion story—we don’t have to stick to one look throughout,” Diehl continued.

“And she’s so multifaceted that if you put her in one box, you’re really not telling enough of this whole person’s story. Her voice is very zeitgeisty, and ballsy, and feisty, that it didn’t seem she could be boxed into one concept.”

#roadmanager

A photo posted by @amyschumer on Apr 25, 2016 at 5:16am PDT

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In her interview, Schumer discussed being a leader within her industry, her past versus the stratospheric celebrity present, and the tragic shooting that occured at a Trainwreck screening in July last year.

Killing two young women and injuring another nine, 59-year-old John Houser had no clear reason to attempt a killing spree during a screening of Schumer’s debut film.

“The idea of people trying to go out and have a good time—you know, like looking forward to it?—I don’t know why that makes me the saddest,” Schumer said.

“So my publicist told me. And then I put on the news. I was by myself in a hotel, and I was just like, I wish I never wrote that movie.” And despite knowing deep down that it wasn’t her fault, Schumer says, “I just felt helpless and stupid.”

Now, Schumer is a vocal advocate for gun control and is using her celebrity to promote political change. “Unfortunately, someone with some celebrity brings more attention to it than a politician,” she says.

The May issue of Vanity Fair hits newsstands this week.

Watch our awkward interview with Amy Schumer below.

Video via Mamamia