Roger Moore fights with Richard Kiel, as Jaws, who bites through a board in a scene from the film “The Spy Who Loved Me”, 1977. (Photo by United Artist/Getty Images)

A pitch invader attempts to evade a security official during the 2019 Cricket World Cup group stage match between England and New Zealand at the Riverside Ground, in Chester-le-Street, northeast England, on July 3, 2019. (Photo by Lee Smith/Action Images via Reuters)

Argentina's Francisco Cerundolo falls as he plays against Germany's Alexander Zverev during a Davis Cup quarterfinal singles tennis match between Germany and Argentina, in Bologna, Italy, Thursday, November 20, 2025. (Photo by Luca Bruno/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.

American model Hailey Bieber attends the 2025 GQ Men Of The Year at Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles, California, U.S., November 13, 2025. (Photo by Aude Guerrucci/Reuters)

A man carries floats as he walks on an algae covered beach as a truck collecting algae passes by, along the coastline in Qingdao, Shandong province, July 6, 2015. (Photo by Reuters/China Daily)

A member of the “Sibspas” Siberian search and rescue group dressed as Santa Claus (R), waits for his team mate, dressed as Father Frost, the Russian equivalent of Santa Claus, as he climbs the rock named “The Fourth Stolb” (the Fourth Pillar) at the Stolby national nature reserve during a training session of the Russian Emergencies Ministry, outside the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia December 15, 2015. (Photo by Ilya Naymushin/Reuters)

Competitors Hope Garcia (L) and Francesca Esker during the newly reintroduced Muscle Beach Vintage Swimsuit competition at Venice Beach, California on May 30, 2016. Venice is one of two historic bodybuilding locations and took over as the most famous spot when the nearby Santa Monica Muscle beach was shutdown due to overcrowding. California Governor and actor Arnold Schwarzenegger used to be a regular amongst the many famous bodybuilders and actors who have trained there and still makes an occasional appearance. (Photo by Mark Ralston/AFP Photo)