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.

Riot police stand guard behind a fire as refinery workers hold a blockade of the oil depot of Douchy-Les-Mines to protest against the government's proposed labour reforms, on May 25, 2016. Refinery workers stepped up strikes that threaten to paralyse France weeks ahead of the Euro 2016 tournament as the government moved to break their blockades, escalating a three-month tug-of-war over labour reforms. (Photo by François L.O./AFP Photo)

Two models sit in an acrylic “ZF-Car” from the German manufacturer of the same name at the Automechanika automotive service industry trade fair in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, 12 September 2016. The Automechanika Fair runs from 13 to 17 September 2016. (Photo by Boris Rössler/EPA)

Contorsionist Rich Miteku performs during the opening of the 41st Monte-Carlo International Circus Festival in Monaco on January 19, 2017. (Photo by Valery Hache/AFP Photo)

A doll, placed by stranded Iranian migrant protesters, hangs from barbed wire in front of Madedonian police at the Greek-Macedonian border near to the Greek village of Idomeni November 29, 2015. The protesters were demonstrating against what they say is the closure of the border for Iranian migrants. According to the demonstrators, the hanging toys and dolls represent the outcome of being unable to return, if they are sent back to Iran. (Photo by Yannis Behrakis/Reuters)

Polling station officials dressed as traditional Balinese performers vote in Badung regency on the Indonesian island of Bali December 9, 2015 in this photo taken by Antara Foto. Around 100 million Indonesians were expected to go to the polls on Wednesday in many parts of the country to elect heads of local government. (Photo by Wira Suryantala/Reuters/Antara Foto)

Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the U.S. compete during the ice dance short dance program at the ISU World Team Trophy in Figure Skating in Tokyo April 16, 2015. (Photo by Yuya Shino/Reuters)

In this Wednesday, July 23, 2014 file photo, Omaha photographer Lane Hickenbottom photographs the night sky in a pasture near Callaway, Neb. With no moon in the sky, the Milky Way was visible to the naked eye. More than one-third of the world’s population can no longer see the Milky Way because of man-made lights, according to a scientific paper by Light Pollution Science and Technology Institute's Fabio Falchi and his team members, published on Friday, June 10, 2016. (Photo by Travis Heying/The Wichita Eagle via AP Photo)