Faye Dunaway: A Living Legend of Cinema
Faye Dunaway, 83, remains one of the last true legends of Hollywood. Known for playing fierce, complex women, her performances—especially in Bonnie and Clyde and Mommie Dearest—are etched in film history.
She famously portrayed Joan Crawford in Mommie Dearest (1981), a role so intense it blurred reality. Dunaway captured Crawford’s essence so convincingly that some claimed she was “haunted” by the star. Though iconic, the role affected her career negatively, with Dunaway later expressing regret over the impression it left.
Her career includes films with Hollywood heavyweights like Paul Newman, Robert Redford, and Johnny Depp. Despite rumored chemistry with actors like Jack Nicholson and Warren Beatty, Dunaway mostly avoided on-set romances—except for a passionate relationship with Italian actor Marcello Mastroianni.
Dunaway has been married twice and has one son, Liam. Her second husband, photographer Terry O’Neill, captured the famous image of her by the pool with her Oscar for Network.
Notoriously difficult on set, Dunaway has been labeled a diva by colleagues and was fired from stage productions in both 1994 and 2019 for her behavior. Yet, her talent remains undeniable—she’s won an Oscar, three Golden Globes, an Emmy, and earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Now single, Dunaway remains open to love, describing herself as a loner who still hopes for the right partner. Her latest role was in the 2022 Italian film L’uomo che disegnò Dio alongside Kevin Spacey.