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.

Gelada baboons (Theropithecus gelada) play in their enclosure at the Zoo in Zurich, Switzerland, Wednesday, May 15, 2013. (Photo by Steffen Schmidt/Keystone/AP Photo)

Iranian skiers rest at the Dizin ski resort, northwest of Tehran January 15, 2016. (Photo by Raheb Homavandi/Reuters/TIMA)

A woman prepares to fly a kite, during an event celebrating spring at the Citadel in Amman, Jordan, April 15, 2016. (Photo by Muhammad Hamed/Reuters)

Damselflies covered in dew rest on a wild flower by the Po River, northern Italy on August 15, 2016. (Photo by Alberto Ghizzi Panizza/Barcroft Images)

Michelle Rodriguez attends the De Grisogono Party during the 71st annual Cannes Film Festival at on May 15, 2018 in Antibes, France. (Photo by INSTARimages.com)

Model present creations by Emilia Wickstead for Matchesfashion.com during Australian Fashion Week, May 15, 2018. (Photo by Edgar Su/Reuters)

Chinese-American actress Bai Ling is seen on October 15, 2018 in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Hollywood To You/Star Max/GC Images)