“In Character: Actors Acting”

In his book, -“In Character: Actors Acting“- (Bulfinch Press/April 2006), acclaimed photographer Howard Schatz captures actors who are doing what they do best: acting. Schatz takes portraiture of actors into another realm altogether, by directing them in the development of specific characters.

Schatz has put himself in the director’s chair to invent the scenarios that project the emotions and display the talents of 100 of our finest stage, screen and television performers. His subjects reveled in the idea of being given “something to play” (i.e., F. Murray Abraham: “You are a teenage girl chosen to go backstage at a Justin Timberlake concert”) instead of simply posing to look attractive, provocative or distinguished.

Schatz recorded interviews with the actors during his session and the book contains their fresh insights about the creative processes of acting and character development, as well as anecdotes from working in different entertainment forms.

In the aftermath of the publication of the book, Schatz was asked by Vanity Fair to  carry on with his project by doing a monthly feature with new actors for the magazine.  John Malkovich is one of the two dozen actors who have been photographed “In Character” for Vanity Fair.  Others actors in the Vanity Fair series include: Amy Poehler, Brooke Shields, Chloe Sevigny, Colin Firth, David Schwimmer, David Strathairn, Elisabeth Moss, Fred Armisen, Geoffrey Rush, Greg Kinnear, Hope Davis, Hugh Laurie, Ian McShane, Jane Krakowski, Jane Lynch, Jason Schwartzman, Jeff Goldblum, Joan Allen, John Goodman, John Leguizamo, John Malkovich, Ken Jeong, Laurence Fishburne, Mariska Hargitay, Michael Douglas, Michael Imperioli, Nathan Lane, Sam Waterston, Terrence Howard, Thomas Hayden Church and Whoopi Goldberg. — Excerpt from “In Character: Actors Acting” book description