An Atlantic seal pup lies amongst the rocks at St Martin's Haven, Pembrokeshire, Wales, Britain October 8, 2018. Seal pups are born with fluffy white non-waterproof coats which they moult out in their fourth week. (Photo by Rebecca Naden/Reuters)

A person performs during the 2022 NYC Pride parade, in New York City, New York , U.S., June 26, 2022. (Photo by Brendan McDermid/Reuters)

British model Megan Barton-Hanson seen at the filming of Celebs Go Dating at Opium club on August 07, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Splash News and Pictures)

A printed photograph taken on September 28, 2017 shows people bathing on the highway after Hurricane Maria destroyed people's homes, held up at the same spot of the highway where motorcyclists ride past in Naranjito, Puerto Rico, May 27, 2018. Thanks to the owners of the land alongside the highway, creek water was piped to the side of the road for people without water to use for bathing, washing clothes and dishes. (Photo by Ramon Espinosa/AP Photo)

A chicken gingerly crosses the double yellow line of a country road near Roseburg in western Oregon, USA on July 16, 2018. (Photo by Robin Loznak/ZUMA Wire/Alamy Live News)

In this Sunday, March 2, 2014 photo, animal barber Mohamed Mahmoud shaves a customer's initials onto the rump of a donkey in Cairo, Egypt. Clients typically request for regular trims to keep animals cool in the summer, initials in English letters, and patterns – but sometimes they give Mahmoud full creative license. (Photo by Maya Alleruzzo/AP Photo)

A mermaid poses under water during a shoot with photographer Brett Stanley during MerMagic Con at the Freedom Aquatic Center in Manassas, Virginia on August 7, 2021. MerMagic Con is advertised as the largest Mermaid convention in the world. Some parts of the convention are based on modeling and looks like the Miss Mermaid USA Pageant. The Society of Fat Mermaids looks to bring together plus size people and promote the idea that anyone can become a mermaid. Becoming a mermaid is not cheap, most merfolk spend thousands of dollars on their tail and outfit. Most tails are custom made out of silicone and others are foam and fabric. (Photo by Joseph Prezioso/AFP Photo)

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.