This photo provided by Joan Marcus on August 28, 2015 shows ballerina Misty Copeland in the musical “On the Town” at the Lyric Theatre in New York. Until September 6, 2015 Copeland will play Miss Turnstiles, a love interest for one of three sailors enjoying a few hours of shore leave in 1940s New York. (Photo by Joan Marcus via AP Photo)

Queen Elizabeth II (as Princess Elizabeth) writing at her desk in Windsor Castle, Berkshire. (Photo by Lisa Sheridan/Studio Lisa/Getty Images). 30th May 1944

Cast member Shu Qi poses during a photocall for the film “The Assassin” (Nie yin niang) in competition at the 68th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, May 21, 2015. (Photo by Eric Gaillard/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.

Young man making the O.K. sign. (Photo by George Marks/Retrofile/Getty Images). Circa 1950s

Myanmar's military parade to mark the 72nd Armed Forces Day in the capital Naypyitaw, Myanmar March 27, 2017. (Photo by Soe Zeya Tun/Reuters)

Indonesian students wearing paper masks take part in the East Java Mask Parade in Surabaya, Indonesia, 13 December 2015. Thousands of people participate in the traditional parade to preserve the mask custom among the younger generation. (Photo by Fully Handoko/EPA)

UK “Ex On The Beach” star Chloe Goodman had a huge fashion disaster at a London Fashion Week event in Chelsea last night September 21, 2016, when her Christian Louboutin heel got caught in a metal grate. The former Celebrity Big Brother housemate looked embarrassed whilst trying to get her heel back after the disaster as well as cupping her top to avoid a second wardrobe malfunction. (Photo by XposurePhotos.com)