Dancers from Tokyo wearing traditional costumes perform during a celebration event, a day before Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako's royal parade in front of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan November 9, 2019. (Photo by Issei Kato/Reuters)

A pedestrian reacts as she caught a gust of wind while walking down the famed “Kokusai-dori” street, a tourist spot, in Naha in the main Okinawa island, southern Japan, Thursday, June 1, 2023, as a tropical storm was approaching. (Photo by Hiro Komae/AP 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.

A man daubed in colours looks on as he takes part in “Lathmar Holi” celebrations inside a temple in the town of Barsana, in Uttar Pradesh, India, March 15, 2019. (Photo by Altaf Hussain/Reuters)

New York Sports Club Gets In The Election Spirit With Hillary Clinton And Donald Trump Boxing Inspired Class on October 27, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Thos Robinson/Getty Images for DKC for New York Sports Clubs)

American singer-songwriter and TV personality Katy Perry takes advantage of “American Idol’s” Disney Night to dress up as Cinderella on May 12, 2024 in Los Angeles. (Photo by Eric McCandless/ABC)

A man carries his wife on his back as they make their way with their luggage along a flooded tunnel to catch their train, after heavy rainfall hit Jinhua, Zhejiang province, China, July 21, 2015. (Photo by Reuters/China Daily)