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.

People dressed as a zombie taking part in Zombie Parade on a streets of Belgrade during a zombie walk in Belgrade, on October 26, 2014. The zombie walk is part of the events of upcoming Serbian film fiction festival. (Photo by Oksana Toskic/SIPA Press)

Players, Sophie Powell, Cara Gainer and Gabriella Cowley and their caddies look on as a fire nears the 10th hole during day three of The Rose Ladies Series on The West Course in the first ever ladies professional event at Wentworth Golf Club on August 07, 2020 in Virginia Water, England. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)

A devotee, dressed as Hindu God Shiva, looks out from a window as he waits to perform during the annual Shiva Gajan religious festival on the outskirts of Agartala, India April 13, 2018. (Photo by Jayanta Dey/Reuters)

Valarie Allman of Team United States competes in the Women's Discus qualification on day four of the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 at Hayward Field on July 18, 2022 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Pawel Kopczynski/Reuters)

Chloe Kelly and Alex Greenwood of England pose during the official FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 portrait session on July 18, 2023 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Justin Setterfield – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

AFC Bournemouth's Marcus Tavernier celebrates scoring their first goal with Adam Smith during the Premier League match between AFC Bournemouth and Fulham FC at Vitality Stadium on April 01, 2023 in Bournemouth, England. (Photo by Paul Childs/Action Images via Reuters)

A Perseid meteor streaks across the sky above Inspiration Point early on August 12, 2016 in Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah. The annual display, known as the Perseid shower because the meteors appear to radiate from the constellation Perseus in the northeastern sky, is a result of Earth's orbit passing through debris from the comet Swift-Tuttle. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)