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.

Performance of the actress Asia Argento dedicated to the exhibition of the tattoo artist Marco Manzo at the Vittoriano museum in Rome, Italy on December 11, 2018. (Photo by Barbara Amendola/IPA Press)

The Indiana Pacemates perform during an NBA game between the Indiana Pacers and the Cleveland Cavaliers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on January 14, 2025. (Photo by USA Today)

Local residents participate in the annual carbide shooting on New Year's Eve in Zwolle, the Netherlands on December 31, 2023. (Photo by Vincent Jannink/EPA/EFE/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

Participants wearing colorful costumes take part in the Flowers Parade of the 151th annual Carnival of Nice, in Nice, France, 20 March 2024. The annual Carnival of Nice run from 17 February to 03 March 2024, and the main theme will be “King of Pop Culture”. (Photo by Sebastien Nogier/EPA)

American actress, model, and singer Ashley Benson arrives at Paris Hilton's wedding party inBeverly Hills, CA. on November 14, 2021. (Photo by Backgrid USA)

In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, a worker drinks at the construction site of the T3B terminal project of Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport in southwest China's Chongqing, July 11, 2022. Flooding and extreme high temperatures have caused multiple deaths in eastern China as summer heat descends earlier than usual. (Photo by Huang Wei/Xinhua via AP Photo)

Soldiers ask a tourist to evacuate Mirador beach ahead of Hurricane Beryl's expected arrival in Tulum, Mexico, July 4, 2024. (Photo by Fernando Llano/AP Photo)