Firefighters work to put out flames during a wildfire in Sokcho, South Korea, April 5, 2019. South Korea grappled with the massive blaze that roared through forests and cities along the eastern coast, declaring a national emergency and mobilizing all available resources to bring the inferno under control. (Photo by Yonhap via Reuters)

Clouds turn shades of red and orange when the sun sets behind One World Trade Center and the Manhattan skyline on Wednesday, November 5, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by John Angelillo/UPI/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

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.

For her series “Japanese Whispers”, Belgian photographer Zaza Bertrand headed inside the intimate world of rabuhos – Japanese love hotels. Love hotels became popular in Japan from the 1960s onwards, due to a lack of privacy in many family homes. There are now around 37,000 of these hotels in Japan, allowing short daytime “rests” or overnight stays. (Photo by Zaza Bertrand/The Guardian)

Kelsea Ballerini performs at the 59th Annual Country Music Association Awards in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S., November 19, 2025. (Photo by Seth Herald/Reuters)

Jesinta Campbell arrives at “Bridesmaids” Celebrity Girls Night Out to celebrate the Australian premiere at Event Cinemas George Street on June 14, 2011 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Lisa Maree Williams)

A worker loads palm fruit at a palm oil plantation in North Mamuju regency, West Sulawesi province, Indonesia March 10, 2016 in this photo taken by Antara Foto. (Photo by Sahrul Manda Tikupadang/Reuters/Antara Foto)

The Baby Nager dragon, from DreamWorks’ new “How to Train Your Dragon” Live Spectacular touring musical, shows off it’s colors outside of the New York Public Library. (Photo by Mark Von Holden)