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.

Gemma Collins in the last decade of October 2024 sent temperatures soaring with a sеxy look. The iconic reality star channelled her inner Playboy bunny as she posed in her kitchen, wearing a black lace leotard and corset with fishnet stockings, a bowtie, cuffs and high heels. (Photo by Instagram)

José María Larocca of Argentina riding Finn Lente soars over a water jump in the Rolex Grand Prix in Falsterbo, Sweden on July 13, 2025. (Photo by Petter Arvidson/Bildbyran/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

A protester jumps on the table in front of the European Central Bank President Mario Draghi during a news conference in Frankfurt, Germany April 15, 2015. (Photo by Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters)

“Lobsang and 66 fellow monks were imprisoned in 1959. When released 21 years later, he was one of only three survivors. While in prison his best friend, a rinpoche, died in his arms. Tensin was later discovered to be the reincarnation of that friend. Lobsang said there are so many characteristics of his old friend in the young boy”. (Photo and caption by Phil Borges)

People in quarantine exercise in front of their homes amid Covid-19 full lockdown of the city in Shanghai, China, 27 April 2022. According to the Shanghai Health Commission on 27 April, there were 48 new Covid-19 deaths, 1,606 locally transmitted cases, and 11,956 local asymptomatic infections, in Shanghai city. Despite the death toll rising in Shanghai, the number of daily infections has gradually declined. (Photo by Alex Plavevski/EPA/EFE)

People look at a funnel cloud formed near the beach in Barcelona, Spain, Monday, September 21, 2020. (Photo by Emilio Morenatti/AP Photo)

Football fans watch a broadcast of the UEFA Euro 2020 round of 16 match between The Netherlands and Czech Republic on a terrace in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, 27 June 2021. Visitors had to be tested in advance and once did not have to keep a distance of 1.5 meters. As one of the relaxation of the corona measures, catering establishments are allowed to place large screens to show the matches. (Photo by Ramon van Flymen/EPA/EFE)