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 singer-songwriter Debbie Gibson is seen at the “Debbie Gibson's Love Song” show at 54 Below on February 08, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)

A young woman employee of North American Aviation Incorporated, working over the landing gear mechanism of a P-51 fighter plane, Inglewood, California, 1942. (Photo by Alfred T. Palmer/Buyenlarge/Getty Images)

Fire photographer Tod Sudmeier gets hit with flying embers from strong winds at the Solimar brush fire that started early Saturday morning in Ventura County, California December 26, 2015. (Photo by Gene Blevins/Reuters)

Tank crew standing in front of M-4 tank, Ft. Knox, Kentucky, June, 1942. (Alfred Palmer/OWI/LOC)

Monsoon thunderstorm in Sierra Vista, Arizona. 9 Sept, 2011. (Photo by Steven Maguire)

Gloria Grahame in state of undress in a scene from the film “Naked Alibi”, 1954. (Photo by Universal/Getty Images)

Capturing this picture of lightning striking near Blackpool Tower has earned Stephen Cheatley the UK Weather Photographer of the Year award 2018. (Photo by Stephen Cheatley/Bav Media)