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.

Japanese actress and singer Anna Sawai, left, winner of the award for outstanding lead actress in a drama series for “Shogun”, and Hiroyuki Sanada, winner of the awards for outstanding lead actor in a drama series, and outstanding drama series for “Shogun” pose in the press room during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jae C. Hong/AP Photo)

Glamour model and actress Sabrina seated on the knee of Arthur Askey. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images). 1955

American actress Jayne Mansfield (1933 - 1967), a model before she became an actress, she won several beauty contests including the title of "Miss Magnesium Lamp".

Actress Zendaya arrives at the 27th Annual Kids' Choice Awards in Los Angeles, California March 29, 2014. (Photo by Danny Moloshok/Reuters)

French actress Frederique Bel arrives for the NRJ Music Awards ceremony at the Festival Palace in Cannes December 13, 2014. (Photo by Eric Gaillard/Reuters)

The 29-year-old English actress Kimberley Garner is seen in Cannes, France on May 20, 2019. (Photo by The Mega Agency)

Canadian actress Nina Dobrev kicks her leg up at Burning Man in the first decade of September 2022. (Photo by nina/Instagram)