Clutching a large paper bag and shading his eyes as he peers ahead, comic actor of the silent screen, Buster Keaton (1885–1966) arriving at Paris airport. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images). 1st August 1947

Christian Bale poses for a fan at the 25th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall on Sunday, January 27, 2019, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Mario Anzuoni/Reuters)

Austrian Bodybuilder and actor Arnold Schwarzenegger has some fun at a party on a yacht in Marina Del Rey in September 1979 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

Actors recreate scenes on the streets of Digbeth during The Legitimate Peaky Blinders Festival 2019 at the Custard Factory on September 14, 2019 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Jacob King/PA Wire Press Association)

American actor Tom Cruise was seen jumping from a water taxi on the set of “Mission: Impossible 7” on October 20, 2020 in Venice, Italy. (Photo by Splash News and Pictures)

Star of Cabaret, English actor Eddie Redmayne attends The Olivier Awards 2022 with MasterCard at the Royal Albert Hall on April 10, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by David Levene/The Guardian)

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.

Actor Bella Thorne (L) and model Amber Rose at the NYLON Young Hollywood Party at AVENUE Los Angeles on May 2, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for NYLON)