China Airlines stewardess Wang Wen Hwang leaps from the burning China Airlines plane after assisting the passengers to safety February 27, 1980. Miss Wang saved most of the lives of the passengers despite her injuries. She was the last to leave the planes. (Photo by AP Photo)

Members of the Times Square Alliance snow clearing team take a photo on a snowbank at Times Square in the Manhattan borough of New York January 23, 2016. A winter storm dumped nearly 2 feet (58 cm) of snow on the suburbs of Washington, D.C., on Saturday before moving on to Philadelphia and New York, paralyzing road, rail and airline travel along the U.S. East Coast. (Photo by Shannon Stapleton/Reuters)

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.

Three workers demonstrating the different types of gas masks used in mine rescue work. (Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images). December 1925

A high-kicking Parisian can-can dancer. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images). 1895

Toyoda Gosei Co Ltd's personal mobility concept airbag car "Flesby" is displayed at the 44th Tokyo Motor Show in Tokyo, Japan, October 28, 2015. (Photo by Yuya Shino/Reuters)

The new Lamborghini Centenario car is pictured at the 86th International Motor Show in Geneva, Switzerland, March 1, 2016. The Motor Show will open its gates to the public from March 3 to 13, presenting more than 200 exhibitors and more than 120 world and European premieres. ( (Photo by Denis Balibouse/Reuters)

Elephant polo players in action during the King's Cup Elephant Polo event 2016 final between teams King Power (blue) and The Elephant Story, in Bangkok, Thailand, March 13, 2016. Team King Power won the annual charity event, which is now in its 14th edition. This year's edition involved 18 elephants brought from tourist trekking camps in Pattaya as well as some unemployed in Surin, and a total of 10 teams encompassing over 40 players, in this event directed at raising funds to improve the lives of elephants and elephant conservation. (Photo by Diego Azubel/EPA)