Canada's Melissa Humana-Paredes (L) and Brandie Wilkerson celebrate after defeating Argentina in the women's teams semifinals match 1 beach volleyball event during the Pan American Games Santiago 2023 at the Beach Volleyball Centre in Santiago on October 26, 2023. (Photo by Raul Arboleda/AFP Photo)

Emily clement, 9, left, and her sister, Mallory, 9, pick strawberries together at the Trunnell's Farm Market strawberry field, Saturday, May 31, 2025, in Owensboro, Ky. (Photo by USA Today)

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.

Tourists take pictures of straw figurines of traditional deities Shennong (R) and Zhang Wulang (L back) during China's National Day Holiday, in Xinhua county, Hunan province, October 4, 2015. (Photo by Reuters/China Daily)

Opposition students march against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's government in Caracas February 12, 2015. Venezuelan troops blocked students during marches against Maduro on Thursday as pro-government supporters also rallied on the anniversary of 2014 protests that led to 43 deaths. In Caracas, troops cordoned off scores of students on an unauthorized march to a church where they planned a mass in honour of demonstrators who died. (Photo by Jorge Silva/Reuters)

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)

A visitor poses for a photograph in front of a 3D painting depicting a Japanese Imperial army soldier at a 3D art gallery in Beijing January 16, 2015. (Photo by Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters)

A sunflower “smiles” in a field in Tokyo on August 7, 2014. Some 20,000 sunflowers were enjoyed by visitors to the area this week. (Photo by Yoshikazu Tsuno/AFP Photo)