New Orleans Saints linebacker Willie Gay Jr. signs autographs for a young fan before the start of an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs Monday, October 7, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (Photo by Ed Zurga/AP Photo)

The Villarrica Volcano is seen at night from Pucon town, Chile, July 12, 2015. Villarrica, located near the popular tourist resort of Pucon, is among the most active volcanoes in South America. (Photo by Cristobal Saavedra/Reuters)

Derek Hough, right, and Julianne Hough, co-winners of the award fo rOutstanding Choreography for “Dancing with the Stars”, pose in the press room at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards at the Microsoft Theater on Saturday, September 12, 2015, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP 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.

Sue Bunclark, 40, from Rotherham poses for a photograph besides her 1964 first generation or T1, split-screen Volkswagen Transporter Samba van in Newquay on August 6, 2014 in Cornwall, England. The van, which she and her family have owned for five years is nicknamed Sammy. The Volkswagen Transporter was first produced in 1950 and has sold over ten million units worldwide evolving through five generations of functional and practical body styles, each representing the ultimate multi-purpose vehicle of its time. To commemorate the model's 60th anniversary in the UK Volkswagen has launched a special edition of the Transporter dubbed the Sportline 60. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

Dhofar Region, Oman. Much of Oman is desert, but the Arabian Sea coast in the Dhofar region represents a startling difference in climate. This coastal region catches the monsoon rains, or khareef, during the summer months. Drenching rains fall primarily on the mountainous ridge that separates the lush, fertile areas along the coast from the arid interior, recharging streams, waterfalls and springs that provide plentiful water supplies in the fertile lowlands for the remainder of the year. Image taken by Landsat 5 on April 2, 2005. (Photo by USGS/NASA)

Pakistani laborers transport the front portion of a vehicle using a handcart at a road in Peshawar, Pakistan, Monday, August 3, 2015. (Photo by Mohammad Sajjad/AP Photo)

In this photo taken on Monday, January 5, 2015, a mallard duck attempts to walk on a frozen pond in Yukon, Okla. (Photo by Steve Gooch/AP Photo/The Oklahoman)