A Harley Davidson biker is dressed as Santa Claus as he takes part in a charity ride in Zurich, Switzerland December 6, 2015. (Photo by Arnd Wiegmann/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.

A model's make up picture is stuck to a mirror backstage during the Autumn/Winter Madrid's Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, in Madrid, Wednesday, February 1, 2012. (Photo by Daniel Ochoa de Olza/AP Photo)

A vendor prepares paan, a betel nut-based chewable stimulant at a flower market in Kolkata, India, January 18, 2016. (Photo by Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters)

Ferrari driver Fabio Barone and his Ferrari 458 Italia competes against a Roman chariot drawn by two horses on “Ben Hur” movie set at Cinecitta World amusement park on May 11, 2017 in Castel Romano near Rome. (Photo by Andreas Solaro/AFP Photo)

A model walks during the Black Tape Project fashion show at New York Fashion Week Fall 2024 powered by Art Hearts Fashion at The Angel Orensanz Foundation on February 11, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Arun Nevader/Getty Images for Art Hearts Fashion)

A dragon crew team performs at a shopping mall to welcome the Lunar new year in Taoyuan, Taiwan on February 1, 2022. (Photo by Ann Wang/Reuters)

Lava gushes from the southern side crater of Mt. Etna, Europe's largest active volcano, near Catania, southern Italy Sicily, early Tuesday, May 25, 2021. (Photo by Salvatore Allegra/AP Photo)