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.

British-American actress and model Lily Collins (R) celebrates wrapping up the latest season of “Emily in Paris” in the last decade of September 2022. (Photo by lilyjcollins/Instagram)

Cadets of the Sikh Regimental Center perform Gatka martial stunts during a combined display ahead of a graduation ceremony at the Officers Training Academy, in Chennai on October 28, 2022. (Photo by Arun Sankar/AFP Photo)

Demi Rose, the 23-year-old star, who has been dubbed the British version of Kim Kardashian, strolled around the party town of Tulum in Mexico on January 10, 2019 in a peep hole bikini. (Photo by KP Pictures)

American singer Melissa Viviane Jefferson, known professionally as Lizzo performs at O2 Academy Brixton on November 06, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Chiaki Nozu/WireImage)

A woman carries portraits of Red Army soldiers during the celebrations of Victory Day, which marks the 78th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, in Almaty, Kazakhstan on May 9, 2023. (Photo by Pavel Mikheyev/Reuters)

From hookers, sеx toys & heartbreak – how Lily Allen’s open marriage imploded, as her ex David Harbour’s lover is named . English singer-songwriter and actress Lily Allen in the last decade of October 2025 put her spectacular marriage breakdown into the public domain. (Photo by Morgan Maher/Perfect Magazine)

Brazilian navy soldiers watch a woman as they patrol the area at the Copacabana Beach before carnival festivities in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil February 14, 2017. (Photo by Sergio Moraes/Reuters)