Gold medalist Luiza Gega of Albania celebrates after the Athletics - Women's 3000m Steeplechase Final on day 10 of the European Championships Munich 2022 at Olympiapark on August 20, 2022 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Wolfgang Rattay/Reuters)

Cute giant pandas enjoy life in China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Panda in Wenchuan County, Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Sichuan Province, 8 February, 2023. (Photo by Rex Features/Shutterstock)

Performer and artist Aoi Yamada and film director Makoto Nagahisa perfom on stage during a conference at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in Cannes, France on June 21, 2023. (Photo by Eric Gaillard/Reuters)

Uzbekistan's Javokhir Sindarov in action against Hans Niemann of the U.S. during the Diving Chess Competition in Cape Town, South Africa, on December 4, 2025. (Photo by Esa Alexander/Reuters)

8 May 2001: Ronnie O'Sullivan of England poses for pictures at the Hilton Hotel with the trophy and his girlfriend Bianca Westwood after winning Embassy World Championship Snooker Final in Sheffield.

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.

Australian professional boxer Ebanie Bridges after her fight against Shannon Courtenay during the WBA World Bantamweight Title match at Copperbox Arena in London, Britain on April 10, 2021. (Photo by Andrew Couldridge/Action Images via Reuters)

Jean Pierre Augustin falls out of the ring after being hit by Chris Arreola during a Premier Boxing Champions Heavyweight Bout at AT&T Stadium on March 16, 2019 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)