Olga Carmona of Spain celebrates after scoring a goal during the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 Final soccer match between Spain and England at Stadium Australia in Sydney, Australia, 20 August 2023. (Photo by Dean Lewins/EPA/EFE)

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.

In this image taken with a slow shutter speed, Slovakia's Emma Zapletalová competes in the women's 400-meter hurdle race during the Bislett Games athletics meeting at Bislett Stadium in Oslo, Thursday, June 12, 2025. (Photo by Fredrik Varfjell/NTB via AP Photo)

Actress and model Charlotte McKinney attends the grand opening of NightSwim at Encore Beach Club at Wynn Las Vegas on May 5, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images for Wynn Las Vegas)

Sofia Raffaeli, of Italy, performs during the individual all-around final of the European Championships in Rhythmic Gymnastics at the Unibet Arena, Tallinn, Estonia, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (Photo by Sergei Grits/AP Photo)

Model Ashley Graham is seen walking in Soho on May 9, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Raymond Hall/GC Images)

An Indian Sikh Nihang (a traditional Sikh religious warrior) Baba 'Avtar' Singh wears an oversized giant traditional turban as he pay respects at the Golden temple in Amritsar on November 10, 2015 on the eve of the Indian festival of Diwali, the festival of lights. There will be no spectacular show of light and fireworks this Diwali at the Golden Temple as the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has decided not to celebrate the festival in the wake of series of incidents of alleged desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib (Sikh holy book). (Photo by Narinder Nanu/AFP Photo)

Eleonora Brunacci and Mariano Di Vaio walk the red carpet ahead of the “Racer And The Jailbird (Le Fidele)” screening during the 74th Venice Film Festival at Sala Grande on September 8, 2017 in Venice, Italy. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)