Canadian actress and model Shannon Ashley Garcia “Shay” Mitchell early January 2023 discovers flowers that complement her dress. (Photo by shaymitchell/Instagram)

British model Joanna Halpin has been announced as swimwear brand Seafolly Australia first British global ambassador. Joanna was captured by renowned photographer Steven Chee on the picturesque shores of Shelly Beach in the Sydney suburb on February 10, 2023. (Photo by Steven Chee/Seafolly/The Mega Agency)

A view of Worker and Kolkhoz Woman, a sculpture by Vera Mukhina, at the main entrance to Moscow's VDNKh exhibition center in Moscow, Russia on September 27, 2017. (Photo by Dmitry Serebryakov/TASS/Barcroft Images)

Dancer and musician Seira Soraya, plays the trumpet near Bow Bridge in Central Park on November 09, 2020 in New York City. Soraya has been out of work due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and is using this time to work on a personal project. (Photo by Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images)

A drone view shows vehicles in the area affected by the floods, in Encantado, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, on May 3, 2024. (Photo by Diego Vara/Reuters)

The Chinese-flagged cargo ship Yu Zhou Qi Hang, which ran aground near Yehliu Geopark as a result of rough weather relating to typhoon Kong-rey, is seen in Yehliu on November 1, 2024. Taiwan on November 1 raced to remove 284 tonnes of oil from the Chinese carrier that ran aground off the island after losing power in rough seas as Typhoon Kong-rey neared. (Photo by I-Hwa Cheng/AFP Photo)

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.

A policeman stands by a burning car, set alight during a communist march in the East End of London. (Photo by Topical Press Agency/Getty Images). Circa 1936