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.

Flying pigeons pass over Nepalese street vendors near the earthquake damaged UNESCO World Heritage Site, Durbar Square in Kathmandu on May 20, 2015. Nearly 8,500 people have now been confirmed dead in the disaster, which destroyed more than half a million homes and left huge numbers of people without shelter with just weeks to go until the monsoon rains. (Photo by Ishara S. Kodikara/AFP Photo)

A man from the Dani tribe cuts the head of a pig after cooked by traditional way which is use burned hot stones at Obia Village on August 9, 2014 in Wamena, Papua, Indonesia. The stone-age Dani tribe live a traditional existence in the Baliem Valley, which is situated 1600 metres above sea level in the heart of the Cyclops Mountains. (Photo by Agung Parameswara/Getty Images)

A racegoers walks into a rubbish bin following 2016 Melbourne Cup Day at Flemington Racecourse on November 1, 2016 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)

Model Adriana Lima attends Madonna presents An Evening of Music, Art, Mischief and Performance to benefit Raising Malawi at Faena Forum on December 2, 2016 in Miami Beach, Florida. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic for Raising Malawi)

Passengers take photos at a wildfire while traveling on a train in Zamora, Spain, Monday, July 18, 2022. When Francisco Seoane's train unexpectedly stopped in Spanish countryside that was being engulfed by a wildfire, he and other passengers got a fright when they looked out at flames encroaching on both sides of the track. The Spaniard told The Associated Press it was scary to see how quickly the fire spread. Video of the unscheduled – and unnerving – stop shows about a dozen passengers in Seoane's railcar appearing alarmed as they look out of the windows Monday. (Photo by Francisco Seoane Perez/AP Photo)

People walk to the Venezuela Aid Live concert that will play on the Colombian side of the border near the Simon Bolivar International Bridge, from San Antonio del Tachira, Venezuela, Friday, February 22, 2019. (Photo by Rodrigo Abd/AP Photo)

An Indian Hindu devotee celebrates Holi, the spring festival of colours, during a traditional gathering at a temple in Nandgaon village in Uttar Pradesh state on March 16, 2019. Holi, the popular Hindu spring festival of colours is observed in India at the end of the winter season on the last full moon of the lunar month. (Photo by Noemi Cassanelli/AFP Photo)