A policeman stops a cyclist as demonstrators from Extinction Rebellion (XR) protest during the NATO Summit by blocking the A12 highway in The Hague, The Netherlands, 25 June 2025. The Netherlands, for the first time in NATO's history of existence, is hosting a NATO summit. (Photo by Sebastiaan Barel/EPA)

Maya Jama reaches for the skies in a rainbow swimming costume. Presenter Maya posed in the sun during a getaway trip to Ibiza on August 19, 2025. (Photo by Instagram)

Corinthians forward Jaqueline Ribeiro (L) celebrates with teammate midfielder Victoria Albuquerque after scoring a goal during the women's Brazilian Championship 2024 final match between Corinthians and Sao Paulo at the Neo Quimica Arena in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on September 22, 2024. (Photo by Miguel Schincariol/AFP Photo)

A Muslim woman wearing a Hijab kicks the water in the Mediterranean Sea as a woman wearing a bikini stands nearby at the beach in Tel Aviv, Israel August 30, 2016. (Photo by Baz Ratner/Reuters)

Members of the Radio City Rockettes rehearse for the “2022 Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes” in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., October 19, 2022. (Photo by Eduardo Munoz/Reuters)

Kaleen from Austria during the press meeting ahead of the concert Nordic Eurovision Party held at Berns in Stockholm, Sweden April 14, 2024. (Photo by Fredrik Sandberg/TT News Agency via 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.

Some Iraqi candidates for Miss Iraq beauty contest pose in front of the Ishtar Gate at the ancient archaeological site of Babylon, outside the modern city of Hilla, south of the capital Baghdad on December 17, 2015. The beauty contest, which is the first one in more than 40 years, aims to boost tourism in the city and will take place on December 19, 2015. (Photo by Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP Photo)