People make their way on an algae-covered beach in Qingdao, Shandong province, China, July 19, 2015. (Photo by Reuters/Stringer)

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.

Rita Ora attends the Rita Ora “Phoenix” Album Launch Party At Annabel's on November 19, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by David M. BenettGetty Images)

Josef Stalin's head is left in a Budapest street after a statue to the communist dictator was torn from its plinth during the Hungarian Revolution in 1956. (Photo by Robert Hofbauer/Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)

Ariel Winter attends the 4th Annual Just Jared Summer Bash on August 13, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by JB Lacroix/Getty Images)

Canadian actress and model Shay Mitchell enjoys time to herself after giving birth in the last decade of August 2022. (Photo by shaymitchell/Instagram)

American actress Sydney Sweeney arrives at the premiere of “Immaculate”, Friday, March 15, 2024, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP Photo)

Canadian actress Nina Dobrev takes her injured leg to Jessica Szohr’s bachelorette party early July 2024. (Photo by nina/Instagram)