Arabian Saluki dogs chase a lure during a race at the Mazayin Dhafra Camel Festival in the desert near the city of Madinat Zayed, 150 kms west of Abu Dhabi, on December 26, 2017. The festival, which attracts participants from around the Gulf region, includes a camel beauty contest, a display of UAE handcrafts and other activities aimed at promoting the country's folklore. (Photo by Karim Sahib/AFP Photo)

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.

Gigi Hadid and Emily Ratajkowski celebrated the opening of the shopping centre by taking part in the evening's ribbon cutting ceremony in Mykonos, Greece on June 30, 2018. (Photo by Richard Young/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

This picture taken on February 16, 2017 in Fangshan village in China's coastal province Fujians, shows a villager performing the “eating flowers” ritual. Villagers in eastern China have a unique way of washing away the taint of evil spirits – by bathing in a shower of scorching sparks. (Photo by Johannes Eisele/AFP Photo)

The Flying Bull's P-38 Lockheed Lightning N25Y / 13 – Red Bull – Flying Legends Airshow 2012 Duxford (Photo by Rob Lovesey)

A woman poses as she beside David Hammons painting on an America flag “Injustice case” at the exhibition Soul Of A Nation, exploring the art made by African American artists between 1963 and 1983, in London, Tuesday, July 11, 2017. The exhibition starts on July 12, 2017 nd ends on Oct.22, 2017. (Photo by Frank Augstein/AP Photo)

International film actress Gillian Anderson pictured on the rooftop of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel overlooking Red Square in a British Airways Business Class seat to launch the British Airways long haul service on the London – Moscow route on March 6, 2012 in Moscow, Russia. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images For British Airways)

Lauren Metzler, founder of Sydney Mermaids, prepares for a swim at Manly Cove Beach in Sydney, Australia, Thursday, May 26, 2022. There is a strong need, especially after COVID-related lockdowns, to simply play and enjoy creativity, Metzler says. (Photo by Mark Baker/AP Photo)