Indian actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas, American actress Anne Hathaway and American actress and singer Zendaya attend the “Bulgari Mediterranea High Jewelry” event at Palazzo Ducale on May 16, 2023 in Venice. (Photo by Pietro S. D'Aprano/Getty Images for Bulgari)

Photographer Howard Schatz had an idea: place actors in a series of roles and dramatic situations to reveal the essence of their characters. Such was the premise behind his book, In Character: Actors Acting, which captures some of Hollywood’s most emotive stars in the act of, well, making faces. Luckily for us, he continued the tradition for Vanity Fair. Here are some of the best.

An animal rights activist, wrapped in packaging labelled “carne humana” (human meat), participates in a protest against meat consumption to promote vegetarianism in central Barcelona, in Spain, May 22, 2016. (Photo by Albert Gea/Reuters)

Visitors and a dog stand on the new “Skywalk” viewing platform on the Sonnenstein mountain in the Eichsfeld region near Bad Lauterberg im Harz, central Germany, on May 22, 2017. (Photo by Martin Schutt/AFP Photo/DPA)

American rapper Saweetie and Quavo seen leaving Boa Steakhouse in West Hollywood, CA. on July 19, 2020. The couple appeared to enjoy dinner and posted a pda filled Instagram story at the restaurant. Saweetie and Quavo looked stylish as they made their way to their car. (Photo by Backgrid USA)

Members of the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) demonstrate their skills on motor-bikes during the BSF Golden Jubilee Day celebration in New Delhi on December 1, 2015. (Photo by Money Sharma/AFP Photo)

An Indonesian man (C), one of two to be publicly caned for having s*x, is caned in Banda Aceh on May 23, 2017. .The pair, aged 20 and 23, were found guilty of having broken sharia rules in conservative Aceh province – the only part of Indonesia that implements Islamic law – and sentenced to 85 strokes of the cane each. (Photo by Chaideer Mahyuddin/AFP Photo)

Miranda Kerr poses at the David Jones Spring/Summer fashion preview on Burke Street on August 10, 2011 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Lucas Dawson)