“Show Time”. It's a normal behavior of mantis. They're doing defence. When they're afraid of; raising their arms and spreading their wings. They looks like smiling dancer. Photo location: Nicosia, Cyprus. (Photo and caption by Hasan Baglar/National Geographic Photo Contest)

Undercover Israeli police arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during clashes following protests against U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Wednesday, December 13, 2017. (Photo by Nasser Shiyoukhi/AP Photo)

Hundreds of people pack the Canaveral national seashore's Playalinda Beach as a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket, carrying a U.S. Navy communications satellite, lifts off from Complex 41 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Friday, June 24, 2016, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. The satellite is designed to significantly improve ground communications for U.S. forces on the move. (Photo by Craig Rubadoux/Florida Today via AP Photo)

An athlete dressed as a clown jumps into the Mediterranean sea as he takes part in the Copa Nadal in the Spanish port of Barcelona in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, December 25, 2016. The Copa Nadal (Christmas Cup) is a traditional swimming competition that takes place in Barcelona every December 25th, where participants swim 200 meters in the open sea in the port of Barcelona. (Photo by Manu Fernandez/AP Photo)

A boy looks at a six-metre tall luminescent puppet, operated by ten performers, during a preview of Vivid Sydney, promoted as the world's largest festival of light, music and ideas, in Sydney, Australia on May 23, 2018. “Vivid” is a major outdoor cultural event featuring light installations and projections with the annual event this year running from May 25 to June 16, 2018. (Photo by David Gray/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.

Ukraine's Ruslana performs her song Wild Dance ands wins the Eurovision Song Contest on May 15, 2004 at the Abdi Ipekci Stadium, in Istanbul, Turkey. The event – hosted by last year's winners Turkey – also celebrates the 30th Anniversary of ABBA's win. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Carlos Melendez prepares to feed his pet squirrel “Colita” in downtown San Salvador January 29, 2015. (Photo by Jose Cabezas/Reuters)