Turkish Kurds watch the Syrian town of Kobani from near the Mursitpinar border crossing, on the Turkish-Syrian border in the southeastern town of Suruc, October 19, 2014. (Photo by Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters)

A female Syrian soldier from the Republican Guard commando battalion drives a tank during clashes with rebels in the restive Jobar area, in eastern Damascus, on March 25, 2015. The female battalion, which was created nearly a year ago, consists of 800 female soldiers who are positioned in the suburbs of the Syrian capital where they monitor and secure the frontlines with snipers, rockets and machine guns. (Photo by Joseph Eid/AFP Photo)

A 210-kilogram-weight Epinephelussp was showed at China Fisheries & Seafood Expo in Fuzhou, Fujian, China on 24th October, 2014. (Photo by Top Photo/Sipa Press USA)

Nigel Lamb from Great Britain, left, leading Juan Velarde of Spain, centre, and Martin Šonka of Czech Republic in the FAI Red Bull air race, Isle of Wight, UK on August 9, 2016. (Photo by Joerg Mitter/Red Bull/Global New/PA Wire)

Flames and smoke rising after a fire that broke out in Izmir province of Aegean Turkey on August 19, 2019. Fire brigade crew continue their works. Forest fires have consumed some 500 hectares (over 1,200 acres) of land in Izmir, Turkeys Aegean coast. On Sunday, the fires broke out in four different regions – including two in the southwestern Mugla province and others in Izmir province, according to Agriculture and Forest Ministry. (Photo by Emin Menguarslan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

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 man stands near bodies of his young relatives after an airstrike in the rebel held Douma neighbourhood of Damascus, Syria August 22, 2016. (Photo by Bassam Khabieh/Reuters)

A child runs towards Mohamed Maarouf, 28, as he walks with a sack of gifts while dressed in Saint Nicholas (Santa Claus) costume in a slum near the centre of Iraq's southern city of Basra on December 24, 2021. (Photo by Hussein Faleh/AFP Photo)