A machine works on a Rio 2016 Olympic medal at the Casa da Moeda do Brasil (Brazilian Mint) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, June 28, 2016. The Casa da Moeda do Brasil is the Brazilian mint, owned by the Brazilian government and administratively subordinated to the Ministry of Finances. It was established in 1694. (Photo by Sergio Moraes/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.

Hundreds of amazonian models strutted the streets of New York in order to be given a chance to make it big in the lingerie brand as they returned for the first set of call backs. Here: Model Diane Mello attends the 2016 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show castings on October 21, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Stewart/Getty Images)

Katy Perry poses backstage during rehearsals for the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards at The Forum on August 25, 2017 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by John Shearer/Getty Images for MTV)

An assault at 125th Street and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Harlem, after a basketball game on August 9, 2020. Police vehicles responded but no officers intervened. (Photo by G.N.Miller/The New York Post)

The annual Santacon pub crawl tradition where all the participants have to dress in a Christmas themed costume returns to New York City for its 25th year on December 9, 2023. (Photo by Edna Leshowitz/ZUMA Press Wire/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

A fight between two female musk oxen, Norway, 2021. The image was captured in Norway’s Dovrefjell national park, where the musk ox (Ovibos moschatus) was reintroduced several years ago for its conservation. It is normal for males of this species to engage in fierce battles during the mating season but unusual for two females. (Photo by Miquel Angel Artús Illana)

Runners compete in the women's 300-meter steeplechase finals during the U.S. Championships athletics meet in Eugene, Ore.,Saturday, August 2, 2025. (Photo by Ashley Landis/AP Photo)