Los Angeles Rams cheerleaders including the first two male cheerleaders in Super Bowl history (C) perform in the third quarter of Super Bowl LIII between the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Rams at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, 03 February 2019. (Photo by Mike Zarrilli/EPA/EFE)

In this picture taken on January 5, 2022, people take part in a demonstration march after the Pyongyang City rally to carry out the decision of the 4th Plenary Meeting of the 8th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang. (Photo by Kim Won Jin/AFP Photo)

Women wearing historical costumes walk past a tank before a rehearsal for the Victory Day parade, which marks the anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, in Saint Petersburg, Russia on April 28, 2022. (Photo by Anton Vaganov/Reuters)

Members of contemporary circus group perform inside the subway train, amid the energy crisis in Prague, Czech Republic on March 2, 2023. (Photo by David W. Cerny/Reuters)

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.

In this Saturday, September 5, 2015, photo, three women in costumes look at sea life swimming above them during a private party held at the Georgia Aquarium as part of Dragon Con in Atlanta. The convention draws fans from around the country to take part in sci-fi and fantasy costume contests, a massive parade through downtown Atlanta and educational seminars about science and costume making. (Photo by Ron Harris/AP Photo)

Reuters photographers Carlos Barria and Bobby Yip photographed protestors and details of life on the barricades, asking demonstrators what their role was in the movement, and what they wanted to happen. Here: Crystal, 15, a part-time boutique sales assistant, poses on Nathan Road in Mongkok shopping district in Hong Kong October 7, 2014. Holding a walkie talkie for fast communication with other supporters, Crystal said, “I am not demanding Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying to quit, but (want) to protect protesters from being threatened badly by opponents and the police”. (Photo by Bobby Yip/Reuters)

Jan Kara (R) and Jan Holan pedal their boat, made with plastic bottles, on the Elbe river near Kostelec nad Labem July 15, 2014. Jan Kara, a 22-year-old student, and Jakub Bures, a 22-year-old car mechanic, built the 10-metre (32.8-feet) long boat from 5000 plastic bottles strapped to a wooden frame. (Photo by David W. Cerny/Reuters)