A series of Japanese good luck charms, called “Daruma”, are lined up ahead of the major national elections November 9, 2003 in Takasaki, Japan. The Daruma is said to bring exceptional good luck in all walks of life, but is used especially during election time by all candidates. People think that if they face a difficult situation, as symbolized by the doll that returns to its original position when knocked over, they will always bounce back. (Photo by Koichi Kamoshida/Getty Images)

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.

Tourists visit an art installation of colorful umbrellas on November 10, 2022 in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province of China. (Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images)

A Sunni Muslim child plays in the rain as she arrives for Eid al-Fitr prayers at the shrine of cleric Sheikh Abdul Qadir al-Gailani in Baghdad, Iraq on March 31, 2025. (Photo by Thaier Al-Sudani/Reuters)

Indian children dressed up as the Hindu deities Rama and Sita take a selfie photograph at an event to celebrate the Diwali festival in Ajmer in western Rajasthan state on November 6, 2018. (Photo by Shaukat Ahmed/AFP Photo)

An adorable baby owl has proved to be a real heart-breaker thanks to its heart-shaped head. Although Griffin the Lesser Sooty Owl might look like a feather duster, the tiny eight-week old chick will soon be ready to fly. And the heart outline that surrounds his giant eyes and beak means he is set to be the star of the bird show at Taronga Zoo, Sydney. (Photo by Caters News Agency)

A child performs opera during celebrations on the eight day of Chinese Lunar New Year of the Pig, in Taizhou, Zhejiang province, China on February 12, 2019. (Photo by Reuters/China Stringer Network)