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 Sadhu or a Hindu holy man performs to receive money from pilgrims at a makeshift shelter, before heading for an annual trip to Sagar Island for the one-day festival of “Makar Sankranti”, in Kolkata, India, January 10, 2018. (Photo by Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters)

People splash mud water in a paddy field on National Paddy Day in Tokha village, on the outskirt of capital Kathmandu, Nepal, 29 June 2021. Nepal is celebrating National Paddy Day with various events on 29 June. On this day, known as Asar Pandra, farmers begin the annual rice planting season and mark the day with various festivities such as preparing rice meals with muddy water, mud being a symbol for a prosperous season. Sixty percent of Nepal's agriculture industry relies on monsoon rain while 40 percent is carried out through irrigation. Agriculture is a major contributor to the country's GDP. (Photo by Narendra Shrestha/EPA/EFE)

Dark clouds hang over the Great Belt Bridge connecting Nyborg and Halsskov, Denmark, on June 26, 2023. (Photo by Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix via AFP Photo)

A Hindu devotee wearing a t-shirt printed with a portrait of Lord Shiva takes a holy dip while participating in the “Bol Bom” pilgrimage in Kathmandu August 10, 2015. The faithful, chanting the name of Lord Shiva, run about 15 km (9 miles) barefooted toward Pashupatinath temple seeking good health, wealth and happiness. (Photo by Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters)

The moon rising above the Forth Rail Bridge in The Firth of Forth from North Queensferry, England on July 16, 2019. (Photo by South West News Service)

Medieval jousters Luke Binks (L) and Andrew McKinnon pose for a photograph in Sydney, Australia, August 16, 2017 during a photo call for the World Jousting Championships to take place in Sydney on September 23 and 24. (Photo by Dan Himbrechts/Reuters/AAP)

A participant wearing a costume poses for members of the public before the 40th anniversary of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade in central Sydney, Australia, March 3, 2018. (Photo by David Gray/Reuters)