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.

Riot police use a water cannon to disperse LGBT rights activist before a Gay Pride Parade in central Istanbul, Turkey, June 28, 2015. Turkish police fired water cannon and rubber pellets to disperse a crowd gathered in central Istanbul for the city's annual gay pride parade, a Reuters cameraman at the scene said. The police appeared intent on stopping the crowd gathering near Taksim Square, the cameraman said. Taksim is a traditional rallying ground for demonstrators and saw weeks of unrest in 2013. (Photo by Kemal Aslan/Reuters)

American actress Jayne Mansfield (1933 - 1967), a model before she became an actress, she won several beauty contests including the title of "Miss Magnesium Lamp".

A visitor to ''The Cult of Beauty: The Aesthetic Movement 1860-1900'' exhibition at The V&A Museum looks at sculptures by Thornycroft (L) and Watts on March 30, 2011 in London, England. This exhibition brings together for the first time many masterpieces in painting, sculpture, design and furniture as well as fashion and literature and runs from April 2nd to July 17th 2011.

A kingfisher ignores the “no fishing” sign after catching food at Teddesley Park in Staffordshire, England, on Saturday, April 5, 2025. (Photo by Stuart Brock/Anadolu/Getty Images)

British actress Jess Impiazzi on Sunday, February 5, 2023 has found reasons to smile again as she opens up about her strengthened relationship with footie ace Jermaine Pennant. (Photo by Olivia West/The Sun)

American TikTok star Charli D'Amelio attends CELSIUS Cosmic Desert Event at Coachella on April 12, 2024 in Indio, California. (Photo by Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for CELSIUS Energy)

English-Albanian singer Dua Lipa poses with a pup in the first decade of March 2025. (Photo by dualipa/Instagram)