Argentine-Spanish model Georgina Rodriguez attends the Kering Foundation's Caring for Women dinner during the Spring-Summer 2026 New York Fashion Week in New York City, U.S., September 11, 2025. (Photo by Angelina Katsanis/Reuters)

Trinidadian rapper Nicki Minaj poses at the Met Gala, an annual fundraising gala held for the benefit of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute with this year's theme “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion” in New York City, New York, U.S., May 6, 2024. (Photo by Andrew Kelly/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.

Actors and dancers perform during the press rehearsal for the “ARISE Grand Show” at the Friedrichstadt-Palast theater in Berlin, Germany, 15 September 2021. Premiere of the show is scheduled for 16 September and will amaze vistors with “extravagant costumes, breathtaking stage sets and artistic excellence” until February 2022 as the theater promises on its website. (Photo by Filip Singer/EPA/EFE)

Nacho Libre wrestlers perform during the Lucha Vavoom “Valentines Day” show at the Mayan Theatre, California, on February 12, 2020. Lucha Vavoom combines Mexican Nacho Libre wrestling with cabaret and burlesque acts to make a uniquely Los Angeles variety show. (Photo by Mark Ralston/AFP Photo)

An artist performs with a lion during the presentation of the new international show “Extreme arena” at the Ukrainian National Circus in Kiev, Ukraine, 15 September 2016. The show will be staged from 15 September to 11 December 2016. (Photo by Roman Pilipey/EPA)

A picture taken with slow shutter speed shows members of the group “The Kattfiller” from Attendorn taking part during the Norddeutsche Championship carnivalesque dance sport in Kassel (Hessen), Germany, 28 February 2016. About 1,100 qualified dancers show in different disciplines their skills. (Photo by Swen Pfoertner/EPA)

A picture rotated 180 degrees shows visitors walking inside an “Upside-down House” attraction at the VVTs the All-Russia Exhibition Center in Moscow, on January 14, 2014. The attraction to experience a new perspective of a house standing upside down was opened first time in Russia, the show organisers said. (Photo by Alexander Nemenov/AFP Photo)