Faye Dunaway facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Faye Dunaway
Dunaway in 2024
Born	Dorothy Faye Dunaway (1941-01-14) January 14, 1941 (age 84) Bascom, Florida, U.S.
Education	Boston University (BFA)
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1962–present
Works	Full list
Spouse(s)	Peter Wolf (m. 1974; div. 1979) Terry O'Neill (m. 1982; div. 1987)
Children	1
Awards	Full list
Signature

Dorothy Faye Dunaway (born January 14, 1941) is an American actress. She has won many important awards, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and three Golden Globe Awards. In 2011, France honored her for her contributions to art.

Faye Dunaway started her acting journey on Broadway in the early 1960s. She first appeared in movies in 1967. That same year, she became very famous for playing the outlaw Bonnie Parker in the movie Bonnie and Clyde. This role earned her her first Academy Award nomination.

Some of her most well-known films include The Thomas Crown Affair (1968), Little Big Man (1970), and The Three Musketeers (1973). She also starred in the mystery film Chinatown (1974), which brought her a second Oscar nomination. In 1976, she won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in Network.

Later in her career, she took on more mature roles, often in independent films. One of her most talked-about roles was playing Joan Crawford in the 1981 movie Mommie Dearest. She also appeared in Supergirl (1984) and The Handmaid's Tale (1990). Dunaway has also performed in many plays on stage, showing her talent in different ways.

Early Life and Education
Her Acting Career
Her Impact and Reputation
Personal Life
Acting Credits and Awards
Images for kids
See also

Early Life and Education

Faye Dunaway was born in Bascom, Florida. Her mother, Grace April, was a housewife, and her father, John MacDowell Dunaway Jr., was in the United States Army. Because of her father's job, Faye traveled a lot during her childhood, living in different parts of the U.S. and Europe.

As a child, she took lessons in ballet, tap dancing, piano, and singing. She graduated from Leon High School in Tallahassee, Florida. She then studied at Florida State University and the University of Florida. Later, she earned a degree in theatre from Boston University.

After college, Dunaway started acting on Broadway. She appeared in plays like A Man for All Seasons and After the Fall. She also studied acting at HB Studio in New York City.

Her Acting Career

Becoming a Star in the 1960s

Dunaway as Bonnie Parker in Bonnie and Clyde (1967)

Faye Dunaway's first movie role was in the comedy The Happening in 1967. Critics noticed her performance. That same year, she was in Hurry Sundown.

She then got the role of Bonnie Parker in Bonnie and Clyde (1967). Many actresses wanted this part, but director Arthur Penn and actor Warren Beatty chose Dunaway. The movie was a big hit and made her a star. Critics praised her acting, and she was nominated for an Academy Award. She also won a BAFTA Award.

After Bonnie and Clyde, Dunaway starred in The Thomas Crown Affair (1968). She played Vicki Anderson, an insurance investigator. She worked with Steve McQueen in this film. The movie was very popular and showed off Dunaway's elegant style.

Challenges in the Early 1970s

After her early successes, Dunaway made some films that were not as popular. She appeared in A Place for Lovers (1968) and The Arrangement (1969). These movies did not do well at the box office, even though critics often praised her acting.

In 1969, she took a supporting role in the Western Little Big Man, which was well-received. She also starred in Puzzle of a Downfall Child (1970), an experimental film that earned her another Golden Globe nomination. She then appeared in the Western Doc (1971) and the French thriller The Deadly Trap (1971).

In 1973, Dunaway returned to film in Oklahoma Crude. She played a tough woman who slowly opens up. Critics noted her strong performance. That same year, she played Milady de Winter in The Three Musketeers. This film was split into two parts, with The Four Musketeers released in 1974. These films were successful and marked a turning point for her career.

Major Success in the Mid-1970s

In 1974, director Roman Polanski cast Dunaway as Evelyn Mulwray in the mystery film Chinatown. She played a complex and mysterious character alongside Jack Nicholson. Despite some challenges during filming, the movie became a classic. It was nominated for 11 Academy Awards, and Dunaway received her second Best Actress nomination.

That same year, she starred in the disaster film The Towering Inferno (1974) with Paul Newman. This movie was a huge hit and made her one of Hollywood's top actresses. In 1975, she appeared in the political thriller Three Days of the Condor with Robert Redford. This film was also a success, and her performance earned her another Golden Globe nomination.

In 1976, Dunaway starred in the movie Network. She played Diana Christensen, a tough TV executive. She loved the script and felt it was a very important female role. Her performance was highly praised by critics. She won many awards for this role, including the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1977.

After winning her Oscar, Dunaway took a break. In 1978, she returned in the thriller Eyes of Laura Mars. She also played supporting roles in The Champ (1979) and The First Deadly Sin (1980). In 1981, she played Eva Perón in a TV miniseries.

Playing Joan Crawford

Dunaway received rave reviews for her portrayal as Joan Crawford in Mommie Dearest but later blamed the film for hurting her career.

When Dunaway walked on the set of Mommie Dearest for the first time as the character, some people who had worked with Joan Crawford (pictured here in 1937) told her "it was like seeing Joan herself back from the dead."

In 1981, Dunaway played the famous actress Joan Crawford in the movie Mommie Dearest. To prepare for the role, she researched Crawford's films and met people who knew her. She stayed in character almost all the time during filming.

The movie was a commercial success, but critics had mixed feelings. However, Dunaway's performance was widely praised. Some critics called her acting "a small miracle." Even though the film became a cult classic, Dunaway later said she regretted playing the role and felt it hurt her career.

Films and TV in the 1980s and 1990s

In the 1980s, Dunaway appeared in a TV movie called The Country Girl (1982). She also moved to England for a time. In 1983, she starred in The Wicked Lady, which was not very successful.

In 1984, she played the main villain in the superhero movie Supergirl. She also appeared in the TV miniseries Ellis Island, which earned her another Golden Globe Award. She continued to work in TV miniseries and Agatha Christie adaptations.

After returning to the United States, Dunaway starred in Barfly (1987). She played a character who struggled with alcohol. This role was very important to her, and she received another Golden Globe nomination. In 1989, she produced and starred in the TV movie Cold Sassy Tree, which was a favorite experience for her.

In 1990, she reunited with Robert Duvall in The Handmaid's Tale. In 1993, she had a supporting role in the thriller The Temp. She also starred with Johnny Depp in the unique film Arizona Dream (1993), which was praised in Europe.

Dunaway also appeared in a Columbo TV movie in 1993, which earned her a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series. In 1995, she worked with Johnny Depp again in Don Juan DeMarco, a successful romantic comedy. That same year, she published her memoir, Looking for Gatsby.

In 1996, Faye Dunaway received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She starred in several films, including Dunston Checks In and The Chamber with her Bonnie and Clyde co-star Gene Hackman. She also returned to the stage, playing the opera singer Maria Callas in the play Master Class. This role was one of her favorites and earned her great reviews.

In 1998, she starred with Angelina Jolie in Gia, a film about supermodel Gia Carangi. Dunaway played Carangi's agent and won her third Golden Globe Award for this role. In 1999, she appeared in the remake of The Thomas Crown Affair and in the historical drama The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc.

Recent Work

Dunaway at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival

In the 2000s, Dunaway continued to act in independent films and TV shows. In 2000, she was in the crime film The Yards. In 2002, she appeared in The Rules of Attraction. She also guest-starred in TV shows like CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Alias, and Grey's Anatomy.

In 2008, she starred in a low-budget horror film called Flick. She also spoke out about how Hollywood treats older actresses. In 2011, a photo of Dunaway was chosen for the poster of the 2011 Cannes Film Festival. In 2013, she received the first Leopard Club Award.

In 2016, Dunaway attended the TCM Classic Film Festival and said she had no plans to retire. In 2017, she had cameo roles in the horror film The Bye Bye Man and the drama The Case for Christ. She also had a supporting role in Inconceivable with Nicolas Cage.

Dunaway at the 89th Academy Awards in 2017

Also in 2017, Dunaway reunited with Warren Beatty at the 89th Academy Awards to celebrate 50 years of Bonnie and Clyde. They were given the wrong envelope and mistakenly announced La La Land as Best Picture instead of Moonlight. This moment became very famous online. They returned to present the award again in 2018, making jokes about the mistake.

In 2019, Dunaway planned to return to Broadway in a play about Katharine Hepburn called Tea at Five. She was praised for her performance during the try-out shows. More recently, a documentary about her, called Faye, premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival and is available on HBO and Max.

Her Impact and Reputation

Faye Dunaway is seen as one of the greatest actresses of her time. She is also considered an important symbol of the "New Hollywood" era. Many directors and actors she worked with have praised her talent. Director John Huston called her "extraordinary," and producer Robert Evans said "no one could've played her part as well."

Dunaway in 1994

The artistic director of the Cannes Film Festival, Thierry Fremaux, said she has "one of the most wonderful filmographies of any actress." Throughout her career, Dunaway worked with many famous directors. Several of her films, like Bonnie and Clyde, Chinatown, and Network, became classics. In 1998, the American Film Institute listed these three films among the 100 best American movies ever made. Her roles as Bonnie Parker and Joan Crawford were also named among the greatest screen characters.

Dunaway is known for being very dedicated to her work and paying close attention to details. This sometimes led to her being seen as difficult to work with. However, many people who worked with her, like director Sidney Lumet, said this was "totally untrue." Lumet called her a "selfless, devoted, and wonderful actress." Director Elia Kazan described her as "a brilliant actress and a shy, highly-strung woman." He believed her perfectionism was a sign of a true artist. Actor Johnny Depp called her a "misunderstood artist" who is "uncompromising as an actress." Dunaway herself has said she is a "perfectionist."

Personal Life

Faye Dunaway has been married twice. Her first marriage was to Peter Wolf, the lead singer of The J. Geils Band, from 1974 to 1979. She then married British photographer Terry O'Neill in 1982. They had a son named Liam Dunaway O'Neill, born in 1980. They divorced in 1987. In 2003, Terry O'Neill revealed that Liam was adopted.

Dunaway is a Catholic. She converted to the faith in 1996 and has said she attends morning Mass regularly.