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.

Artists perform during the Closing Ceremony of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 21 August 2016. (Photo by Sergei Ilnitsky/EPA)

Russia's President Vladimir Putin (L) reacts as he talks to Belarus' President Alexander Lukashenko before a meeting on resolving the Ukrainian crisis in Minsk, February 11, 2015. A document seen by Reuters at talks on the Ukraine crisis suggested the sides may agree to end fighting in eastern Ukraine with a ceasefire starting on February 14, the withdrawal of heavy weapons and the creation of a security zone. (Photo by Mykola Lazarenko/Reuters)

A woman looks out of the window of a house as saris, traditional clothing worn by women, are hanged out to dry in Lalitpur, Nepal on April 17, 2019. (Photo by Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters)

Icelandic stallions eat hay from a box at a stud farm in Wehrheim near Frankfurt, Germany, Wednesday, March 2, 2022. (Photo by Michael Probst/AP Photo)

Members of Les Gonfles dance company Didier Theron begin their performance in the district of La Paillade, Montpellier, France on July 28, 2020. (Photo by Guillaume Bonnefont/ZUMA Press/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

French aircrafts of the Patrouille de France spray colored smoke during a performance on the opening day of the Dubai Airshow in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, November 17, 2019. (Photo by Kamran Jebreili/AP Photo)

Rita Ora leaving her hotel to go to BBC Children in need on November 07, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Mark R. Milan/GC Images)