Actress and singer Rachel Zegler attends the World Premiere of Disney's Snow White at El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California on March 15, 2025. (Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images for Disney)
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.
BEVERLY HILLS, CA - FEBRUARY 15: Actor Mel Gibson attends the 59th Annual ACE Eddie Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on February 15, 2009 in Beverly Hills, California (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
Tokio Hotel fan Jennifer poses with Bill Kaulitz wax figure at Madame Tussauds on September 30, 2008 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Florian Seefried/Getty Images)
Kacey Musgraves performs at the 49th annual CMA Awards at the Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, November 4, 2015, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP Photo)
(L-R) American actress Joey King, English actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson and American actor Brian Tyree Henry attend the “Bullet Train” Photocall at The Corinthia Hotel on July 20, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)
Hailey Bieber attends Alexander Wang & Bvlgari Celebrate A.W. BVLGARI'S 712 Fifth Avenue on September 07, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images)