US actress Alexandra Daddario attends the “Baywatch” Photo Call in Berlin on May 30, 2017 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Splash News and Pictures)

Yuccas catch fire as the Powerhouse fire makes a fast run toward Lake Hughes, south of Lake Hughes, California, on June 1, 2013. The 19,500-acre wildfire destroyed numerous homes overnight. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)

Dana Clark, and her son 18 month old Mason, wait in line at City Hall as early voting begins for the upcoming presidential election in New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S., October 16, 2020. (Photo by Kathleen Flynn/Reuters)

Ducati Lenovo's Italian rider Francesco Bagnaia rides during the free practice 1 session of the MotoGP Thailand Grand Prix at the Buriram International Circuit in Buriram on February 28, 2025. (Photo by Mohd Rasfan/AFP Photo)

U.S. singer Katy Perry slips on the icing of a giant cake that she had jumped onto as part of her performance at the MTV Latin America Awards in Guadalajara, in this October 16, 2008 file photo. (Photo by Daniel Aguilar/Reuters)

The finishing touches are made to a giant sculpture on the Hayward Gallery entitled “Urban Fox” and made from straw bales on April 18, 2011 in London, England. The sculpture features in the Southbank Centre's 60th anniversary celebration of the 1951 Festival of Britain. The celebration will feature various cultural and creative events and runs from April 22 until September 4, 2011 at London's Southbank Centre. (Photo by Oli Scarff/Getty Images)

Chloe Goodman attending the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them European Premiere at Leicester Square, London. (Photo by Ian West/PA Images via Getty Images)

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.