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.

Model Joanna Krupa seen out and about leaving Craigs restaurant on April 21, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Splash News and Pictures)

Carolaine Reis and her son Miguel Alves, residents of the Aglomerado da Serra favela, wear a protective mask against the spread of the new Coronavirus (COVID-19) made by the seamstresses of the Remexe Favelinha studio, in the Aglomerado da Serra favela, on April 13, 2020 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Facial masks follow the protocol and guidelines defined by the Ministry of Health. Around 6,000 masks have already been produced. The masks are being distributed to a part of the population and sold throughout the country, in the amount of 5 reais per unit. (Photo by Pedro Vilela/Getty Images)

American rapper Saweetie uses some sheels to keep herself covered in the second decade of November 2024. (Photo by saweetie/Instagram)

Lukas Evins wades through flood waters to help his brother move belongings to the second floor of his house on April 6, 2025 in Frankfort, Kentucky. Frankfort is expected to experience record flooding as the Kentucky River continues to rise. (Photo by Michael Swensen/Getty Images)

“The White Lotus” co-stars Parker Posey (left) and Leslie Bibb reunite at the Gotham TV Awards near Wall Street in NYC on June 2, 2025. (Photo by Zach Hilty/BFA.com/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

Emily Ratajkowski sizzled in a plunging black swimsuit. The model is holidaying in the Adriatic near the Mediterranean Sea in the second decade of July 2025. (Photo by Instagram)

Melanie Chisholm, Emma Bunton, Melanie Brown and Geri Horner of the Spice Girls in concert at Wembley Stadium in London on Sunday, June 16, 2019. (Photo by Andrew Timms/PA Wire)