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.

Heesco, Windsor. Born and raised in Mongolia and now living and working in Melbourne, Heesco is well known for his skill in rendering photo-realistic portraits. They speak to the viewer in a way that the subtext is enjoyable to decipher. Just what is the Blue Lady’s message? The sunglasses might mask the confronting gaze but her body language fills in the gaps. Heesco’s characters often wear traditional jewellery and clothing that remind us of his Mongolian cultural heritage. (Photo by Lou Chamberlin/The Guardian)

An overview of “Closer”, an art projection by conceptual artist and photographer Wim Tellier, at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels on June 15, 2021. Tellier, a Belgian photographer and artist, is known for his installation projects using giant-size photographs. (Photo by James Arthur Gekiere/Belga/AFP Photo)

An officer takes a pictures of another officer while controlling the traffic in the Jing'an district of Shanghai on June 1, 2022, after the end of the lockdown that kept the city two months with heavy-handed restrictions. (Photo by Hector Retamal/AFP Photo)

Traditional “Tantawawas” bread shaped like children sit on a grave as a Day of the Dead offering at the Villa Ingenio cemetery in El Alto, Bolivia, Monday, November 2, 2020. (Photo by Juan Karita/AP Photo)

Revelers stained with colored powder cheer during the Holi festival celebrations in Chennai, India, 08 March 2023. Holi, also known as the “Festival Of Colors” is an ancient Indian Hindu festival symbolizing the victory of good over evil and marking the arrival of spring. It is celebrated with joyful gatherings during which revelers cover each other in colored powders. (Photo by Idrees Mohammed/EPA/EFE)

A man shelters from the rain with plastic bags, at a market in Tembisa, east of Johannesburg, South Africa, Monday, March 23, 2020. South Africa, Africa's most industralized economy and a nation of 57 million people, will to go into a nationwide lockdown for 21 days from Thursday to fight the spread of the new coronavirus. (Photo by Themba Hadebe/AP Photo)

Participants in the 3rd Annual Amber Rose SlutWalk in Los Angeles, California. October 1, 2017. The event seeks to highlight issues such as: gender equality, ending rape culture, victim blaming and body shaming. (Photo by Ronen Tivony/NurPhoto via Getty Images)