An activist with a painted face symbolizing the count of days spent in captivity attends the Free Azov rally in support of the captured defenders of Mariupol on April 21, 2024 in Kyiv, Ukraine. The participants came out to remind about the Ukrainian soldiers who have been held in Russian captivity for more than two years. (Photo by Yan Dobronosov/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)

Jade Cargill takes out Alba Fyre and Zoey Stark during WWE's Clash at the Castle, Premium Live Event at The OVO Hydro on June 15, 2024 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by WWE/Getty Images)

Chloe Goodman attending the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them European Premiere at Leicester Square, London. (Photo by Ian West/PA Images via Getty Images)

Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the U.S. compete during the ice dance short dance program at the ISU World Team Trophy in Figure Skating in Tokyo April 16, 2015. (Photo by Yuya Shino/Reuters)

Teachers carry children away from Briarwood Elementary school after the tornado destroyed the school in south Oklahoma City. (Photo by Paul Hellstern/The Oklahoman)

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.

Tourist take pictures at Mai Khao Beach, as a plane approaches the Phuket International Airport in Phuket, Thailand March 17, 2016. With its palm-fringed beaches, Buddhist culture and racy nightlife, Thailand has been the poster child for Asian tourism for decades, attracting a range of visitors from backpackers and adventure-seekers, to families and culture vultures. But dark clouds could be forming even as a record of 32 million tourists are expected this year. (Photo by Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters)

Jessica Chastain arrives at the 72nd annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Sunday, January 11, 2015, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP Photo)