A woman wearing a wedding dress takes part in the so-called “brides' match” at the FIFA Fan Fest in Kazan, a host city for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Russia June 30, 2018. (Photo by Alexey Nasyrov/Reuters)

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.

A relative of murdered prisoner, lies on a chair next to his coffin during a wake after a prison riot in the city of Altamira, Para state, Brazil on July 30, 2019. At least 57 prisoners were killed by other inmates during clashes between organized crime groups in the Altamira prison in northern Brazil Monday with 16 of the victims being decapitated, according to prison officials. (Photo by Bruno Kelly/Reuters)

Kim Kardashian seen on the streets of Manhattan on September 10, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by James Devaney/GC Images)

Brazilian Marcelo Medeiros of Yamaha team in an accident during the fifith stage of the Rally Dakar 2016 between Jujuy, Argentina, and Uyuni, Bolivia, 07 January 2016. (Photo by Felipe Trueba/EPA)

A model wears a creation for Stephane Rolland's Spring-Summer 2016 Haute Couture fashion collection presented in Paris, Tuesday, January 26, 2016. (Photo by Francois Mori/AP Photo)

A dragon crew team performs at a shopping mall to welcome the Lunar new year in Taoyuan, Taiwan on February 1, 2022. (Photo by Ann Wang/Reuters)

Models wearing creations by Philippines designer Nicole Santos wait backstage during the Thailand Fashion Week 2022 in Bangkok, Thailand, 30 June 2022. The Thailand Fashion Week showcases men's and women's Autumn/Winter 2022-2023 collections from both established and emerging brands across Haute-Couture, Ready-To-Wear, Avant-Garde, Accessories and Footwear on 29 and 30 June 2022. (Photo by Diego Azubel/EPA/EFE/Rex Features/Shutterstock)