A resident looks into a newly-built giant trash can, partially buried underground, next to a street in Taiyuan, Shanxi province November 6, 2014. The trash can, which has a diameter of 1.9 meters and a depth of 2.8 meters, could contain approximately 10 cubic metres of garbage. It was built to replace an open-air garbage dump site, local media reported. (Photo by Reuters/Stringer)

A Cambodian man rides his motor-cart loaded with goods along a street on the outskirts Phnom Penh, Cambodia on October 30, 2017. (Photo by Tang Chhin Sothy/AFP Photo)

A mural depicting Prime Minister Scott Morrison wearing an unbuttoned Hawaiian shirt, orange lei and Santa Claus hat while holding a cocktail by artist Scott Marsh is seen on a wall in Sydney, Wednesday, December 25, 2019. Morrison was under pressure since taking a much criticized family vacation to Hawaii during the wildfire crisis.(Photo by Steven Saphore/AAP Images via AP Photo)

A goat hops from student to student during a goat yoga class at the University of Tennessee on August 25, 2022 as part of welcome back week. The session was organised by Goat Yoga Nashville. (Photo by Matt Hamilton/Chattanooga Times Free Press via AP Photo)

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.

Enigmatic Italian forward Mario Balotelli is always good for drama, so Fanny Neguesha is perfect for him. With her racy Instagram shots and wild ways, she might be the one to tame Super Mario’s heart. The couple was engaged to marry this week. (Photo by Splash News/Getty Images/Instagram.com)

A child holds an Irish flag during the St Patrick's Day Parade in Manchester, on March 16, 2025. (Photo by Temilade Adelaja/Reuters)

A group of men play Myanmar's traditional sport of chinlone in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Friday, November 18, 2016. (Photo by Aung Shine Oo/AP Photo)