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.

Netapp Endura team rider Slovenian Blaz Jarc (R) crashes into Katusha team rider Russian Viacheslav Kuznetsov (ground) during the 112th Paris Roubaix cycling race, in Roubaix, France, 13 April 2014. (Photo by Nicolas Bouvy/EPA)

Using digital editing, designer Anton Repponen places Manhattan buildings in desolate landscapes, “inviting viewers to see them as if for the first time”. Here: 8 Spruce Street/New York By Gehry. Photo by Anton Repponen/The Guardian)

Demi Sims her older sisters Chloe and Frankie, cast members of the British television series “The Only Way Is Essex” during filming in Marbella, resort area on southern Spain’s Costa del Sol on September 17, 2019. (Photo by Beretta/Sims/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

The model Gigi Hadid receives attention in Soho, New York, USA on June 27, 2017. (Photo by Broadimage/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

A 2 year old cattle dog emerges from the water after retrieving a ball during the 2nd Annual Rio Grande Doggy Paddle held at the Rio Grande Pool, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA on September 12, 2021. (Photo by Adolphe Pierre-Louis/Albuquerque Journal via ZUMA/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

Revellers make the most of Boxing Day in Liverpool city centre, United Kingdom on Sunday, December 26, 2021. Boxing Day is a holiday celebrated after Christmas Day, occurring on the second day of Christmastide. (Photo by London News Pictures)

Miss Fantasy performs on the stage of The Nest club during the Vogue Nights Jozi Ball, an event dedicated to the gender-fluid culture in Marshalltown, Johannesburg on September 24, 2022. (Photo by Luca Sola/AFP Photo)