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.

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)

NASA's DHC-3 Otter plane flies in Operation IceBridge-Alaska surveys of mountain glaciers in Alaska in this image released on September 18, 2014. Over the past few decades, average global temperatures have been on the rise, and this warming is happening two to three times faster in the Arctic. (Photo by Chris Larsen/Reuters/NASA/University of Alaska-Fairbanks)

Lady Gaga left her hotel to party in the east end of london for the night on September 10, 2016. She was wearing shiny hot pants and a little crop top showing off some under boob. But had sticky tape covering her nipples. Lady Gaga and Mark Ronson performed her new single “Perfect Illusion” at the General Browning Club in Hackney. Afterwards she went with a few friends to Metropolis strip club in Hackney. Lady Gaga left at 4am and returned to her Hotel. (Photo by Splash News and Pictures)

“The Antonov An-124 Ruslan (NATO reporting name: Condor) is a strategic airlift jet aircraft. It was designed by the Soviet Union's Antonov design bureau. It is the world's largest ever serially-manufactured cargo airplane and world's second largest operating cargo aircraft. During development it was known as Izdeliye 400 in house, and An-40 in the West. First flown in 1982, civil certification was issued on 30 December 1992”. – Wikipedia

Photo: The new metro called “Bombardier MOVIA” with 22,50 meters long and 3,2 meters wide is load on a Antonow An-124 plane for transport to India on February 25, 2009 in Parchim, Germany. (Photo Handout Bombardier Transportation via Getty Images)

Model Bella Hadid falls as she walks the runway at the Michael Kors Spring 2017 Runway Show duing New York Fasion Week at Spring Studios on September 14, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Rex Features)

A Sikh warrior, wearing a huge turban attends the annual fair of “Hola Mohalla” in Anandpur Sahib, in the northern Indian state of Punjab, Monday, March 17, 2014. Believers from various parts of northern India collect at the religious fair to celebrate the festival of Holi in a tradition set by the tenth Sikh guru Guru Gobind Singh in the seventeenth century. Nihangs, or Sikh warriors, display their martial skills and attire during the fair, believed to be maintained in the exact tradition as set by the Guru. (Photo by Altaf Qadri/AP Photo)

Mother and daughter volunteers Niki, right, and Rachel practice their pancake tossing technique in the streets of Wimborne model town and gardens before taking part in the Wimborne Minster virtual pancake race, in Wimborne, England, Tuesday February 16, 2021. Although a physical race cannot take place this year due to the coronavirus restrictions, Wimborne Minster has invited people to film themselves tossing a pancake for 30 seconds and posting it to Facebook. (Photo by Andrew Matthews/PA Wire via AP Photo)