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.

Kourtney Roy makes eerie self-portraits in desolate yet dramatic locations – with wigs and wardrobe straight out of 1950s melodrama. In these shots, from her “Enter as Fiction – California” series, she plays characters caught in desolate, often abandoned settings. (Photo by Kourtney Roy/Galerie Catherine et André Hug/The Guardian)

American rapper Megan Jovon Ruth Pete, known professionally as Megan Thee Stallion dresses as Sailor Moon in Japan in the second decade of August 2022. (Photo by theestallion/Instagram)

American model and socialite Hailey Bieber in the first decade of August 2025 rolls solo onto a flight with bags of fries and other treats from In-N-Out Burger. (Photo by Hailey Bieber/Instagram)

An osprey flies with a fish in its talons at the Sebastian Inlet State Park in Melbourne Beach, Florida on April 1, 2025. (Photo by Ronen Tivony/ZUMA Press Wire/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

A model prepares backstage at the Meskita fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Spring 2015 on September 4, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Meskita)

This image released by Paramount Pictures shows Taron Egerton as Elton John in a scene from “Rocketman”. (Photo by David Appleby/Paramount Pictures via AP Photo)

Model Georgia Salpa attends the UK Premiere of “A Good Day To Die Hard” at Empire Leicester Square on February 7, 2013 in London, England. (Photo by UK Press)