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.

Peter Stringfellow, 1994. He was an English businessman and nightclub owner. Stringfellow started in the nighttime trade in the early 1960s and recalled booking acts including The Beatles, The Kinks and Jimi Hendrix to play at his clubs. Peter Stringfellow has died aged 77 on June 7, 2018. (Photo by Rex Features/Shutterstock)

Tim Macpherson is a UK based advertising photographer who started his career shooting Editorial for magazines. His works are published in best advertising photographers book Lurzers. He works for The sunday times, Nikon, phillips etc. Photoset is short, but very creative.

“Artist Paula Swisher has come up with a quirky way of lessening the stress of household bills - by doodling highly intricate birds on each one. Swisher, 37, has drawn hundreds of birds in her lifetime and puts her love of ornithology down to the nature walks she went on as a youngster. Looking for work during the recession, she began sketching birds on the inside of books, seeing the practice as a creative way to mutate the pages into something fresh. But now she's made the transition from books to bills – while admittedly making a playful commentary on the predatory banking businesses”. – Caters News. (Photo by Paula Swisher/Caters News)

Some creations from the new “Funny Food Made Easy” book by Bill and Claire Wurtzel. “Inspiring kids to eat healthy foods with creative works of plate art and easy-to-follow instructions and illustrations. Through finished plate art, detailed step-by-step illustrations, recipes, and tips, Funny Food Made Easy provides all you and your kids need to make, eat, and enjoy healthy breakfasts, lunches, and snacks” – roughly speaking so. Here: Egg, cucumber, olive. (Photo by Bill and Claire Wurtzel/Welcome Books)

An artist has given classic paintings new hope – by adding Star Wars elements into the famous works. David Hamilton, 50, put his unique twist on paintings by the likes of Monet, Munch, Rembrandt and Van Gogh. The creative artist, from Livingston, Scotland, came up with the idea while flicking through a book of classic paintings. As a Star Wars fanatic he thought to himself how funny it would be funny to see a Stormtrooper incorporated into one of the works. Here: Rembrandt, The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp. (Photo by Dave Hamilton/Caters News)

“I was born in Zimbabwe, Africa in 1981 and grew up in Las Cruces, New Mexico. I graduated with a degree in Acting, and after college, worked as an actor and musician for the Santa Fe Shakespeare Festival, the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, and the California Shakespeare Theater. I have had a lifelong passion for drawing, painting, and sculpture since I first saw Michelangelo's “Head of Leda” in a book in the library”.