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.

Giant panda Ying Ying rests on a rock in its enclosure while a visitor takes a selfie at Ocean Park in Hong Kong, China, 24 September 2020. An An turned 35 in August. Giant pandas in the wild can live up to 20 years on average, while lifespans of those under human care can reach over 30 years. (Photo by Jerome Favre/EPA/EFE)

Dancer and musician Seira Soraya, plays the trumpet near Bow Bridge in Central Park on November 09, 2020 in New York City. Soraya has been out of work due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and is using this time to work on a personal project. (Photo by Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images)

A woman walks past a mural amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Manchester, Britain, January 4, 2021. (Photo by Phil Noble/Reuters)

An Indian boy sells flowers to Hindu devotees of Lord Shiva as they perform rituals after collecting water from the river Ganges during the holy month of Shravan, In Allahabad on July 22, 2019. Shravan is considered the holiest month in the Hindu calendar with many religious festivals and ceremonies. (Photo by Sanjay Kanojia/AFP Photo)

Cuban-American singer-songwriter Camila Cabello posts a silly selfie in Miami on June 13, 2022. (Photo by camila_cabello/Instagram)

A showgirl in a face mask stands by the door at the reopening of Bally's Las Vegas hotel and casino, Thursday, July 23, 2020, in Las Vegas. The casino reopened for the first time since March following a closure to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. (Photo by John Locher/AP Photo)

Women take shelter at a pedestrian overpass during heavy rains caused by Cyclone Tauktae in Mumbai, India, May 17, 2021. (Photo by Niharika Kulkarni/Reuters)