In this Thursday, May 25, 2017 photo, Donte, a musician who only gave his first name, straightens out dollar bills on his first day in a brand new Chewbacca costume purchased from eBay for $441, in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. Donte said he replaced the old one because he wasn't making any money with it. (Photo by Jae C. Hong/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.

Is it strange to party in a cemetery, do you think? Thousands, many elaborately dressed and made up, thronged the Hollywood Forever cemetery on October 30th to celebrate the Day of the Dead with music, dancing, food and artistic renditions of family altars, all among the graves of Rudolph Valentino, Marion Davies, Tyrone Power, Douglas Fairbanks and Johnny Ramone.

The Porsche 919 Hybrid No17 of the Porsche Team driven by Timo Bernhard of Germany is seen in action during the 83rd 24-hour Le Mans endurance race, in Le Mans, western France, Saturday, June 13, 2015. (AP Photo/David Vincent)

Wadha al-Sayyed, wife of captive Lebanese soldier Khaled Moqbel, protests for his release and government action, near burning tyres blocking a road in Beirut, December 15, 2014. More than two dozen members of the Lebanese security forces are being held by Sunni Islamists. (Photo by Hasan Shaaban/Reuters)

Participants demonstrate for the media before the role play event at Czocha Castle in Sucha, west southern Poland April 9, 2015. Harry Potter enthusiasts from all over the world are attending a four-day live action role play event at the medieval castle made into a close imitation of the “College of Wizardry”. (Photo by Kacper Pempel/Reuters)

Australian professional boxer Ebanie Bridges after her fight against Shannon Courtenay during the WBA World Bantamweight Title match at Copperbox Arena in London, Britain on April 10, 2021. (Photo by Andrew Couldridge/Action Images via Reuters)

One of the Houston Rockets NBA basketball team’s cheerleaders — known as the Power Dancers – in action during a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Toyota Center on March 19, 2023 in Houston, Texas. The Rockets won 114-112. (Photo by Thomas Shea/Reuters)