Nick Franklin, in action during the FMX competition at the 23rd edition of Free4Style this Saturday, July 2, 2016 in Estavayer-le-Lac,Switzerland. (Photo by Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone/APA)

An Indonesian woman known as Linda (C) is helped by two Sharia officials after being caned for spending time in close proximity with a man who is not her husband, which is against Sharia law, in Banda Aceh on February 2, 2017. Aceh is the only province in the world's most populous Muslim-majority country that imposes sharia law. People can face floggings for a range of offences – from gambling, to drinking alcohol, to gay sеx. (Photo by Chaideer Mahyuddin/AFP Photo)

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.

Thomas Thwaites of the United Kingdom accepts the 2016 Ig Nobel Prize in Biology for “creating prosthetic extensions of his limbs that allowed him to move in the manner of, and spend time roaming the hills in the company of, goats” during the 26th First Annual Ig Nobel Prize ceremony at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S. September 22, 2016. (Photo by Brian Snyder/Reuters)

An artist has discovered a bizarre way to create his work – by coating the feet of insects with paint who then crawl across the canvas creating intricate pieces of art. (Photo by Caters News)

A forest on a mountain slope next to a township is seen on fire in Dharmsala, India, Monday, April. 25, 2022. Dry pine needles covering the forest floor and high daytime temperatures result in many forest fires in summer months. (Photo by Ashwini Bhatia/AP Photo)

Proud Boys and Antifa fight after the “Million MAGA March” from Freedom Plaza to the US Capitol in Washington, DC, United States on December 12, 2020. Rally held to back President Donald Trump's unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud in the US election. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Charistan Hood, 4, eats an ice cream near a picture of former President Barack Obama at the Black-owned Ice Cream Heaven store on Blackout Day 2020 on July 07, 2020 in Miami Gardens, Florida. Supporters of Blackout Day have committed to only spending money at Black-owned businesses to showcase the economic power of the Black community. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)