See 1970s icon Faye Dunaway now at 83

Faye Dunaway stands as one of the last true legends of Hollywood. Renowned for her captivating portrayals of strong, complex women, she ranks among the greatest performers in cinematic history. At 83, this iconic actress continues to inspire and captivate audiences, proving that her talent knows no bounds.

Faye Dunaway is famously remembered for her chilling line, “No more wire hangers!” in the cult favorite Mommie Dearest. Yet her legendary career extends far beyond that. She starred alongside Michael Caine in Hurry Sundown and landed the iconic role of Bonnie Parker in Bonnie and Clyde, beating out stars like Jane Fonda and Natalie Wood for the part.

Born in Bascom, Florida, Dunaway has amassed an impressive collection of awards, including three Golden Globes and an Emmy.

It’s impossible to discuss Dunaway’s career without highlighting Mommie Dearest (1981). Her uncanny transformation into Joan Crawford—who passed away just four years prior—left the crew speechless. The film, based on Christina Crawford’s memoir, explores her tumultuous relationship with her adopted mother, the legendary Joan Crawford. Dunaway’s portrayal in this sensationalized adaptation became one of the most unforgettable performances of her career.

In her haunting portrayal of Joan Crawford, Faye Dunaway blurred the lines of reality, bringing the legendary actress back to life both on and off the set. Her dedication was so intense that she confided to a Hollywood biographer, “I want to climb inside her skin.” Whether she was channeling Crawford’s spirit or honing her craft as a method actor, Dunaway’s performance left a lasting impact. In her autobiography, Looking for Gatsby, she noted, “One told me it was like seeing Joan herself come back from the dead.”

The media even reported that Dunaway was being haunted by Crawford. The Los Angeles Times remarked that it seemed she had “borrowed” Crawford’s voice for 12 weeks from beyond the grave.

Yet, despite the acclaim, Dunaway has expressed regrets about this iconic role. She admitted to Entertainment Tonight, “I think it turned my career in a direction where people would irretrievably have the wrong impression of me—and that’s an awful hard thing to beat. I should have known better, but sometimes you’re vulnerable and you don’t realize what you’re getting into.”

Throughout her illustrious career, Dunaway has worked alongside some of Hollywood’s biggest names, including Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Kirk Douglas, and Johnny Depp. Remarkably, she maintained platonic relationships with her co-stars, showcasing her professionalism and restraint in a notoriously tumultuous industry.

“There were certain attractions to a couple of people—not too many, but maybe Jack (Nicholson) and Warren (Beatty). At that time, Warren was fully embracing bachelorhood, but Steve (McQueen) was happily devoted to someone else, and I wouldn’t mess around with that, even if it were offered—but it wasn’t,” Faye Dunaway revealed in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar.

“I have a rule: You just don’t. You know it’s going to ruin the performance and ruin the movie, so you don’t do that.”

However, the classic beauty, with her delicate high cheekbones, found herself unable to resist the allure of the suave Marcello Mastroianni, the award-winning Italian actor. Their relationship mirrored the storyline of their film A Place for Lovers (1968)—dubbed by Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times as the “most godawful piece of pseudo-romantic slop I’ve ever seen!” In the movie, Dunaway plays a fashion designer embroiled in an affair with a race-car driver, portrayed by Mastroianni.

In real life, Dunaway and Mastroianni shared a passionate three-year affair, which ended when he refused to leave his wife. This romance perfectly encapsulated the blurred lines between life and art that often define Dunaway’s illustrious career.

In an interview with People, Faye Dunaway reflected on her passionate romance with Marcello Mastroianni, saying, “I was deeply in love with him. He was a man like no one I’d ever met before, and he made me feel deeply protected.”

In 1974, Dunaway married Peter Wolf, the lead singer of The J. Geils Band, but the marriage ended in divorce five years later. Her personal life took another turn when she started an affair with famed British photographer Terry O’Neill while still married to Wolf. O’Neill captured the iconic photograph of Dunaway lounging by the pool at The Beverly Hills Hotel with her Oscar for Network beside her, a moment forever etched in Hollywood history.

Dunaway and O’Neill married in 1983 and had a son, Liam, born in 1980. For many years, Dunaway claimed Liam was her biological child, though it was later revealed he had been adopted. The couple divorced in 1987.

Known for her formidable talent, Dunaway has also garnered a reputation for being difficult on set. She has been described as a “pandering diva” by co-stars, crew members, and even hotel staff. In 2019, she was fired from the off-Broadway production of Tea at Five for creating a “hostile” environment, and in 1994, Andrew Lloyd Webber dropped her from the Los Angeles production of Sunset Boulevard. Jack Nicholson, one of her frequent co-stars, famously dubbed her the “gossamer grenade,” and Bette Davis once declared on The Tonight Show that Dunaway was the worst person she had ever worked with.

Despite her tumultuous reputation, Dunaway’s immense talent has never been in question. She was named one of People magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful People in 1997, and in 1996, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Today, Dunaway remains single but hasn’t ruled out the possibility of finding love. In a 2016 interview with People, she admitted, “I’m very much a loner. I always think I would like to have a partner in life, and I would—if I could find the right person.”

Her latest film role was in the 2022 Italian movie L’uomo che disegnò Dio, where she starred alongside Kevin Spacey, proving that even after decades in the industry, Faye Dunaway continues to leave her mark.

We think that Hollywood would not be the same with Dunaway. Tell us what you think of her channeling Joan Crawford in Mommie Dearest, and how you feel about her reported outbursts!