A local resident rests on a bench as Mount Bromo volcano erupts in the background in Ngadisari, Probolinggo, East Java, Indonesia January 5, 2016. (Photo by Darren Whiteside/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.

Horrified animal welfare groups fear baby sharks kept as a bizarre attraction in a brothel have been eaten – by the landlord. Shocking videos show the the fish crammed into an aquarium illuminated with red lights hanging above s*x works at a seedy “gentlemen's club” in, Bangkok Thailand. Five exotic black tip sharks – which can grow up to 8.5ft – float in the filthy water while holidaymakers take their pick of women in skimpy dresses. The deadly fish were just one form on entertainment employed by the establishment in the Thai capital Bangkok. (Photo by SWNS.com)

Covered body is seen at the site of missile strike downtown Kyiv, Ukraine, October 10, 2022. Ukrainian officials report that at least eight people were killed and 24 wounded in the Ukrainian capital. (Photo by Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters)

Guinness World Records declared Afshin Ghaderzadeh 20 years old as world’s shortest man with the height of 65.24 cm in Dubai on December 15, 2022. The Iranian citizen takes the title from previous record-holder Edward Hernandez, from Colombia, who stands at 72cm tall. (Photo by Pawan Singh/The National)

An employee brings a photo of late Italian actress Gina Lollobrigida for the installation of her lying in state, to allow the public to pay their respects, at Rome's Capitoline Hill on January 18, 2023. Italian actress Gina Lollobrigida, one of the last icons of the Golden Age of Hollywood, has died aged 95, culture minister Gennaro Sangiuliano said on Twitter on January 16. (Photo by Tiziana Fabi/AFP Photo)

A model presents a creation from the LaQuan Smith Fall and Winter '23 collection at the Rainbow Room during Fashion Week in New York City, New York, U.S., February 13, 2023. (Photo by Caitlin Ochs/Reuters)

A young worshipper holds a lotus flower as Buddhist monks gather at Wat Arun Buddhist temple during Asaha Bucha day in Bangkok on July 20, 2024. (Photo by Chanakarn Laosarakham/AFP Photo)