In his series of untitled photographs Nobody Claps Anymore, the Mexican-American photographer Alec Dawson portrays ordinary people in their homes in a downbeat, ultra-stylised manner. Staring into space as they watch TV or water the garden, the real-life subjects of photographer hint at vast reserves of boredom and regret. (Photo by Alec Dawson)

A man waits for Queen Beatrix's abdication ceremony outside the Royal Palace in Amsterdam April 30, 2013. The Netherlands is celebrating Queen's Day on Tuesday, which will also mark the abdication of Queen Beatrix and the investiture of her eldest son Willem-Alexander. (Photo by Paul Vreeker/Reuters)

Recording artist Yeini arrives at the 17th Annual Latin Grammy Awards in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S., November 17, 2016. (Photo by Steve Marcus/Reuters)

Film actress Audrey Hepburn (1929–1993) on a film set with her pet poodle, circa 1960. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

A ballet dancer attends a photo shooting as activists from the environmentalist group Greenpeace unfurl a giant banner on the Eiffel Tower which reads “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity” in a call on French citizens to vote against the National Front (FN) presidential candidate Marine Le Pen, in Paris, France May 5, 2017. (Photo by Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters)

Heidi Klum, dressed as a werewolf, performs a dance from Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video her 18th Annual Halloween Party at Moxy Times Square on Tuesday, October 31, 2017, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP Photo)

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.

John McEnroe kicks back a television camera that he felt was crowding him on the court during the finals of the U.S. Pro Indoor Tennis Championships in Philadelphia January 27, 1985. McEnroe defeated Czech Miroslav Mecir to win the tournament. (Photo by Amy Sancetta/AP Photo)