Faye Dunaway, now 83 and somewhat reclusive, revisits her exceptional rise to fame and subsequent decline in a new documentary — which also confronts her complicated reputation and reveals previously unknown details about her private life off camera.
Dunaway was one of the busiest and most celebrated actresses of the late 1960s and 1970s, with classic performances in films like Bonnie and Clyde, Chinatown, Three Days of the Condor and Network, which won her a Best Actress Oscar. But her reputation and fortunes shifted thanks to a much-parodied turn as Joan Crawford in 1981’s Mommie Dearest and persistent rumors of her being “difficult” and demanding on sets. As she grew older, Dunaway continued to work, but she didn’t get the same substantial roles and acclaim as peers such as Meryl Streep or Jane Fonda nor has she seen a later-in-life renaissance like Jessica Lange.
Faye, premiering Saturday, July 13 on HBO at 8 p.m. ET, features rare, emotional sitdowns with Dunaway. Filmmaker Laurent Bouzerau‘s movie features extensive interviews with the actress, her son Liam O’Neill (one of the documentary producers), Sharon Stone, her Mommie Dearest costar Mara Hobel, Barfly costar Mickey Rourke, ex-boyfriend Jerry Schatzberg and others. For the first time ever, a vulnerable Dunaway shares the circumstances of Liam’s birth and her diagnosis of bipolar disorder.
Us Weekly spoke with Bouzereau about collaborating with the Hollywood legend, and getting her to open up in a way she never has before.
You’ve devoted your career to making behind-the-scenes docs about classic films. How did this documentary come to be?
I’ve grown up on these movies, that whole era of the ‘70s, where the greatest movies were being made and the greatest filmmakers were born. And in parallel to that, I had a friendship with [Faye Dunaway’s] son. And at one point we had discussed doing a documentary on his dad, [photographer] Terry O’Neill, who sadly passed away. And then one day, during a casual conversation, Liam asked, “What do you think about doing a documentary on my mom?” And I said, she’ll never say yes. [laughs]
She and I started talking, and slowly, she started getting comfortable. Faye is curious, extremely smart and extremely aware. She was intrigued by the possibility. It also coincides with her acceptance of her condition and being medicated for it. She was researching the medical aspect of things and reading books. She wanted to share her story. It was very cathartic for her.
Yes, her bipolar disorder was a huge revelation. Was there any hesitation on her end to share that?
No, she is the one who pushed that forward as something to talk about. But she also said she didn’t want to be the poster child for it, because she feels very privileged. She’s had great doctors.
This was the first time she really spoke about Liam’s adoption, right?
Yes. That’s something she didn’t even talk about in her autobiography, she never talked about the circumstances of it. There was something really touching about her relationship with her son. The first day of filming we got onto the subject of motherhood. I said, “Tell me about your experience of being a mom.” And she said, “That’s nobody’s business.”
And the next day we’re filming, and suddenly she stops and she says, “I guess I have to talk about Liam’s adoption.” I said, “Faye, this is entirely up to you.” And she started crying. We all started crying. And she delivered a beautiful speech about what was happening in her life at the time, and why they adopted Liam and how it happened. She’s very protective of him, and I think that was part of the reason why she didn’t want to talk about it. That was the hardest thing for her to talk about, and one that she had absolutely never talked to anybody about.
What were your own assumptions about Faye going into this? She’s been plagued with the “difficult woman” label but remains hugely respected among actors.
From a movie standpoint, she’s one of the last great, pure actors. She was like clay and literally built herself. The roles she embodied were so challenging that they had to affect her, you know? There is definitely a difference between her and whomever she played, but there’s a little bit of those characters in her — or else how could she conjure that type of performance? But a lot of actresses of her generation became the victims of sexism: once they passed a certain age, it was over in terms of the kind of roles they could get.
Do you have a vision for her comeback? Is there a director or project you see for her in 2024?
That’s a fun question. I could see her in a Ryan Murphy series. He has created some fantastic roles [for older women]. I could see her doing a character in a great British series or a great French series. She could also work with Luca Guadagnino [Challengers, Call Me By Your Name].
Besides Liam’s adoption, were there any other topics you tried to discuss, and you got some resistance from Faye?
I was a little apprehensive about Mommie Dearest.
Why?
When you achieve the level of perfection in a role like in Network or Chinatown and Bonnie and Clyde or Laura Mars, and you are constantly reminded of a film that plagued your career … That was not a good experience and, in my eyes, not a good film. I think it’s a great performance. I blame the director, who was not in control of the film or in control of the performance. For someone like her, she does not want to ever be reminded of this. Because it’s a PTSD experience, a scar. And she wants to be remembered for roles that she feels were great cinema. Who could you blame? I was sitting with her at Cannes, and several journalists came in and said, “My favorite film was Mommie Dearest.” That’s annoying. So she gets a bad rap for rejecting the film and for not wanting to celebrate the cheesiness of it. We’re talking about someone who did Tennessee Williams on stage.
You got Mara Hobel, who played young Christina Crawford in Mommie Dearest, to speak for the film. She became emotional — for her, that was a magical, positive experience, making a film with Faye Dunaway, and she was upset that Faye has disavowed it. Did Faye have a reaction to Mara’s interview?
I told Faye immediately, and she was so pleased. And she said, “I was so afraid of hurting her during those really tough scenes of child abuse, I was just so afraid that that it would scar her. I’m so pleased that she doesn’t hold it against me.”
Faye has worked with so many famous actors and directors. Was there anyone you wanted to interview that you couldn’t get?
There were people we couldn’t get, but no one because they didn’t want to. Documentary filmmaking is super tough. Strict budgets. Tight deadlines. You’re trying to get talent and they’re not available, and they keep canceling.
Who were a few of the big ones that got away?
Yeah, Jack Nicholson. [Gia costar] Angelina Jolie. Charlize Theron, who starred with her in The Yards.
There’s a great detail about her fixation of applying lip balm between every take. Were there other interesting little quirks or ticks that you discovered by being in her physical presence for all those hours of making the film?
I did experience the Blistex. Everything was fascinating when you’re in the presence of someone like her. There were hills and valleys in those very long interview sessions, but [she] was extremely gracious at the end. She would arrive and it would be tough and tense.
Anything that distracts her is a problem. If my DP is wearing a white T-shirt, if she could see a pair of shoes behind a curtain. I’m the same way. If I hear when I’m filming, somebody drinking and gulping, I lose my mind. I’m exaggerating. But you are trying to give yourself the best environment, and you’re gonna be talking about yourself, and you don’t wanna be reminded that there is a crew there. So if someone is wearing a white T-shirt and neon-colored shoes, you are gonna be reminded constantly that there is a presence there and, and it may influence the way you talk about yourself. I was completely understanding of wanting to control the environment, to get into the zone.
I was very surprised to see Sharon Stone as an interview subject. I didn’t know about her friendship with Faye. What else did you learn about their connection and their kinship?
We had a bodyguard in Cannes, who also works with Sharon. And he said, “Oh my God, they’re so similar.” They’re the same person — and in the best way. Sharon Stone is someone who has also been mislabeled, underappreciated in many ways, who’s had also not such great publicity. And she’s extraordinary. She revamps herself. She’s an incredible artist and painter. She’s generous in spirit, and she really looked up to Faye as someone who is the ultimate consummate actor. And she’s also had her ups and downs. Uh, yeah. So it’s not the same as if you are talking to, let’s say, Jane Fonda. Sharon Stone is also very courageous and very emblematic of the ’80s cinema, whereas Faye is very emblematic of the ’70s cinema. I felt privileged to talk to her because I have also admired her quite a bit.
