A goose walks on the road as Belarusian villagers take part in the Yurya religious rite to bring a good harvest in the village of Lutki, some 270 km south of Minsk, on May 6, 2019. (Photo by Sergei Gapon/AFP Photo)

Clowns Perlita and Tapetito, wearing protective gear amid the new coronavirus pandemic, speak with resident Enrique Zeballos as they arrive to disinfect his home free of charge, in El Alto, Bolivia, Friday, September 11, 2020. The lack of traditional employment for the clowns due to the pandemic has led them towards other avenues of making money. But for people with limited income they provide their disinfection services free of charge. (Photo by Juan Karita/AP Photo)

A woman reacts to the sun coming out of the clouds during the annual Easter Parade and Bonnet Festival on Fifth Avenue in New York City, New York, U.S. April 21, 2019. (Photo by Stephanie Keith/Reuters)

East Berliners crossing into the West Berlin on November 11, 1989 at the Potsdamer Platz, Germany. (Photo by Kai Wiedenhoefer)

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.

Miley Cyrus broke onto the scene as “Hannah Montana” in 2006. Since the show ended, she’s been desperate to shed the Disney image, first with “Can’t Be Tamed” in 2010, then with open marijuana use and twerking on Robin Thicke’s crotch in 2013. (Photo by Getty Images)

Kosovo- born British singer and actress Rita Ora performs in Pristina on February 17, 2018 on the occasion of the 10 th anniversary of Kosovo Independence. Kosovo celebrates 10 years since it declared independence, a moment of pride for its ethnic Albanian majority, although sovereignty remains fiercely contested by Serbia. (Photo by Armend Nimani/AFP Photo)

Competitors bear more than their bikinis during a spring break bikini contest at Summers' in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA circa 1985. (Photo by Nik Wheeler/Corbis via Getty Images)