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.

Tourists pose with pigeons in the flooded St. Mark's Square in Venice, on November 7, 2014. The high water, a combination of high tides and a strong Scirocco wind in the Adriatic Sea, stood at 110 centimeters early on November 7. The city has for years been wrestling with the problems posed by the threat of rising sea levels. (Photo by Olivier Morin/AFP Photo)

A Muslim woman reads the Quran following noon prayers on the first day of the holy fasting month of Ramadan at Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia, Monday, June 6, 2016. Devout Muslims began to celebrate Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar, refraining from eating, drinking, smoking and sеx from sunrise to sunset. (Photo by Tatan Syuflana/AP Photo)

Ng Sin Nee (L) and Lee Shin May (R) from Malaysia take pictures with the panoramic view of the city from the Sky Box at KL Tower, the world's seventh tallest telecommunications tower, in Kuala Lumpur on May 24, 2016. Officially opened on May 20, the Sky Box has been the latest attraction for tourists arriving to the Malaysian capital. It stands 300 metres above ground and can fit six people at any one time, and offers spectacular views of the Kuala Lumpur skyline, including the iconic Petronas Twin Towers. (Photo by Mohd Rasfan/AFP Photo)

A model prepares backstage before the Heaven Gaia Collection show by designer Xiong Ying during the China Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2022 Collection at the 751D.PARK on September 03, 2021 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Yanshan Zhang/Getty Images)

A Muslim worshipper attends a mass prayer against COVID-19, the new coronavirus, in Dakar on March 4, 2020, after two cases were confirmed in Senegal in the previous days. Across the world, 3,155 people have died from the virus. More than 92,723 have been infected in 78 countries and territories, according to AFP's latest toll based on official sources at 1700 GMT on March 3, 2020. (Photo by John Wessels/AFP Photo)

On February 16, 2025, Finna Indriani, a 27-year-old female jockey, showcased her skills in a specialized “sport-action” performance during the “Roda Gila” entertainment event at a traditional night market in Deli Serdang, North Sumatra Province, Indonesia. (Photo by Sutanta Aditya/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

Filipino boys play basketball at an improvised court hooked on multi-layered tombs at a public cemetery in Navotas, north of Manila, Philippines on Thursday Oct. 31, 2013. Filipinos are expected to flock to cemeteries on November 1 to remember their dead as they observe All Saints Day in this predominantly Roman Catholic country. (Photo by Aaron Favila/AP Photo)