A general view shows smoke and volcanic ashes billowing from volcano Cotopaxi in Pedregal, Ecuador, late 07 October 2015. (Photo by Jose Jacome/EPA)

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.

An Indian Sikh Nihang, or warrior, performs Gatka martial arts skills during a procession at the Golden Temple in Amritsar on January 6, 2014, as part of birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Gobind Singh. The birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh guru, is marked on January 6. (Photo by Narinder Nanu/AFP Photo)

A view of the Tianducheng development in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province August 1, 2013. Tianducheng, developed by Zhejiang Guangsha Co. Ltd., started constructing in 2007 and was known as a knockoff of Paris with a scaled-replica of the Eiffel Tower, standing 108 metres, and Parisian houses. Although designed to accommodate at least ten thousand people, Tianducheng remains sparsely populated and is now considered as a “ghost town”, according to local media. (Photo by Aly Song/Reuters)

Iran's Hanieh Rajabi performs during the women's Daoshu competition at the 13th Wushu World Championships in Jakarta, Indonesia, Monday, November 16, 2015. (Photo by Tatan Syuflana/AP Photo)

Germany's Angelique Kerber reacts after popping a bottle of champagne, a day following her win in the final match at the Australian Open tennis tournament, at the Government House in Melbourne, Australia, January 31, 2016. (Photo by Issei Kato/Reuters)

Former NBA player Yao Ming (R), a member of the 12th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, is seen during an interview in Beijing, China, in this picture taken March 9, 2016. (Photo by Reuters/China Daily)

People look at the Turrialba volcano as it spewes ashes on May 20, 2016, in Cartago, Costa Rica. The Turrialba volcano started erupting columns of smoke and ash that the wind extended towards the Costa Rican capital, in what according to experts is the strongest eruption in the past six years. (Photo by Ezequiel Becerra/AFP Photo)