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.

Martin Joe Laurello, originally Martin Emmerling, was born in Germany around 1886. He was a sideshow performer who could turn his head a full 180 degrees. He performed with groups such as Ripley's Believe it or Not, Ringling Brothers, and Barnum & Bailey. He moved to America in 1921. He also trained dogs to do things such as acrobatics.

Astronaut Chris Hadfield Explains How to Wash your Hands in Space.

This adorable and unlikely pair of best friends are inseperable. Kitty the kitten was abandoned and Buttons the Jack Russell was rejected by his mum. They eat, sleep and play together while they are being hand reared at our centre in Old Windsor, Berkshire. We would love for them to find a new home together when they are ready to leave our care in the near future.

The World’s Smallest Horse according to Guinness World Records is Thumbelina from Missouri, but another tiny horse named Einstein.

Fighters Holly “The Lotus” Mei (L) and Teri “Feisty Fists” London train for the upcoming 'Lingerie Fighting Championships 22: Costume Brawl I' at DXG Self Defense on October 25, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event is scheduled to feature eight bouts at 4 Bears Casino & Lodge on October 29, 2016 in New Town, North Dakota. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Marilyn Monroe drinking a Coke and Jane Russell fixing her make-up during a break while filming “Genlemen Prefer Blondes”.

A schoolgirl stands next to the Kenya-Uganda railway line during the partial reopening of schools, after the government scrapped plans to cancel the academic year due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, in Kibera slums of Nairobi, Kenya on October 12, 2020. (Photo by Thomas Mukoya/Reuters)