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.

A marcher dressed as Marilyn Monroe during the annual Gay Pride march in London, July 1994. (Photo by Steve Eason/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Detail of the shoes of Detroit Pistons guard Langston Galloway (9) in the first half against the Philadelphia 76ers at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan, USA on December 23, 2019. (Photo by Rick Osentoski/USA TODAY Sports)

UK Love Island's Maura Higgins attends the Pretty Little Thing X Molly-Mae party at Rosso on September 01, 2019 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Splash News and Pictures)

Indonesian tourists take a selfie as Mount Bromo spews volcanic material and ash into the air during an eruption in Probolinggo, East Java, Indonesia, 31 December 2015. Indonesia's Mount Bromo is on the second highest alert level as its activity has increased in the last two months. (Photo by Fully Handoko/EPA)

Canadian singer-songwriter and dancer Tate McRae performs during the iHeartRadio Music Awards at Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California, U.S., April 1, 2024. (Photo by Mario Anzuoni/Reuters)

American fashion model Bella Hadid is seen promoting Orabella in SoHo on May 02, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Gotham/GC Images)

Taylor Swift performs “All Too Well” at the 56th annual Grammy Awards at Staples Center. (Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision)