American actor and musician Jared Leto climbs The Empire State Building on November 08, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for Empire State Realty Trust)

Actors recreate scenes on the streets of Digbeth during The Legitimate Peaky Blinders Festival 2019 at the Custard Factory on September 14, 2019 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Jacob King/PA Wire Press Association)

Actors Timothee Chalamet, Monica Barbaro and Elle Fanning attend a premiere of the film “A Complete Unknown” at Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California on December 11, 2024. (Photo by Mario Anzuoni/Reuters)

Swedish-born actor Dolph Lundgren shows off his muscles by sweeping two women off their feet at the same time, 1986. (Photo by Dave Hogan/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Actor Danny DeVito attends the “Dr. Seuss' The Lorax” (Der Lorax) Germany Photocall at Ritz Carlton on March 5, 2012 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)

Period-costumed actors participate in the 150th anniversary re-enactment of the surrender of General Robert E. Lee to General Ulysses S. Grant at the Museum of Confederacy in Appomattox, Virginia, April 9, 2015. (Photo by Jay Paul/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.