Raka Soko, a traditional healer and Poro society member is deep in prayer while holding a broom and a bottle filled with spiritual wine that is purified to show gratitude to the gods before a ceremony in Waterloo on November 26, 2018. Standing across the field from him another member, Amos Nicol, holds a statue of the spiritual god Sama Yorbu which is used to communicate directly to other gods for permission to perform. (Photo by Lynn Rossi/AFP Photo)

A handout photo made available by the Indian Air Force (IAF) showing an IAF helicopters during the rescue operation in flood affected areas of Dhanyaghari of Khanakul in West Bengal, India, 02 August 2021. According to the IAF, helicopters of Indian Air Force rescued 31 people from rooftops and brought them to safety to Arambaug. The helicopters also dropped emergency food supplies in the affected areas after the torrential rain in the state has thrown life out of gear and created flood like situation in many districts. (Photo by Indian Air Force/Handout via EPA/EFE)

Taliban soldiers ride bumper cars at an amusement park in Kabul, Afghanistan on September 13, 2021. (Photo by WANA via Reuters)

Afghan wrestlers compete in a bout of traditional mud wrestling competition during the Friday weekend at a field in Chaman-e- Huzuri ground in Kabul on October 21, 2022. (Photo by Wakil Kohsar/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.

Kuwaitis play in front of kites at for Kuwaiti al-Farsi Kites team, Kuwaiti desert, 50 kilometers south of Kuwait City, 06 January 2017 (Issued 07 January 2017). (Photo by Raed Qutena/EPA)

Britain Horse Racing, Royal Ascot, Ascot Racecourse on June 17, 2016. Chelsea pensioners with a racegoer posing between them. (Photo by Toby Melville/Reuters/Livepic)

A leopard attacks a forest guard at Prakash Nagar village near Salugara on the outskirts of Siliguri on July 19, 2011. Six people were mauled by the leopard after the feline strayed into the village area before it was caught by forestry department officials. Forest officials made several attempt to tranquilised the full grown leopard that was wandering through a part of the densely populated city when curious crowds startled the animal, a wildlife official said. (Photo by Diptendu Dutta/AFP Photo)