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.

Protester Nadine Wolf demonstrates against the proposed Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect IP Act (PIPA) outside the offices of U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) and U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) on January 18, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

A woman walks up the steps decorated ahead of the Chinese New Year festival in Beijing, China, Thursday, January 12, 2017. The Chinese Lunar New Year is the most important holiday for Chinese and hundreds of millions are expected to return to their hometown to spend the new year with their family and relatives. (Photo by Ng Han Guan/AP Photo)

Members of the Chinese military orchestra march past a screen showing the Chinese Communist flag on Tiananmen Square before a celebration marking the 100th founding anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party, in Beijing, China, 01 July 2021. China celebrates on 01 July the 100th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Chinese Communist Party. (Photo by Roman Pilipey/EPA/EFE)

A family dressed in traditional chinese clothes celebrates the Chinese New Year in Chinatown in Bangkok, Thailand February 8, 2016. (Photo by Jorge Silva/Reuters)

A dramatic sunset acts as a backdrop to Stonehenge on November 20, 2008 in Stonehenge, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Spain's acting acting Minister of Labor and Sumar MP Yolanda Diaz (Front-C) takes her seat at the Lower House in Madrid as they attend the Constitutive Session of the Lower House for the 15th legislature in Madrid, Spain, 17 August 2023. The Upper and Lower chambers celebrate their Constitutive Session for the 15th legislature after the general elections that took place last 23 July 2023. (Photo by Juan Carlos Hidalgo/EPA)

Members of the Dominican Armed Forces participate in a commemorative act on the 170th anniversary of national independence at the esplanade of Santo Domingo, on February 27, 2014. (Photo by Orlando Barria/EPA)