Bonnie and Clyde, Chinatown, Network
Advertisements:
$40 Million
"My mother's passion for something more, to write a different destiny for a dirt-poor farmer's daughter, was to shape my entire life." Faye Dunaway is one of the most accomplished actors to ever grace the industry. Since making her debut in 1962, Faye has collected an Emmy Award, a trio of Golden globes, a Bafta, and an Academy Award. To cap it all off, Dunaways was the first person to ever grab a hold of the Leopard Club Award which honors artists who leave an imprint on the 'collective imagination' of the world.
Faye Dunaway's career began on Broadway in the 60s, and she hasn't slowed down ever since. Dunaway has experienced several 'renaissance' moments throughout her career as she has deftly switched from genre to genre. While Dunaway is one of the most accomplished performers of all time, she is also one of the most fiercely private individuals, as well. Learning about Faye Dunaway is all about knowing where to look. Right now, you need to just keep on scrolling down.
Born With a Dream
Faye Dunaway was born in Bascom, Florida to parents Grace April (1992 – 2004) and John MacDowell Dunaway Jr (1920 – 1984) on January 14, 1941. Dunaway's father was an NCO in the United States Army while her mother was a stay-at-home housewife. Due to her father's military status, Faye and her family would spend the majority of her childhood traveling throughout the country. As a result of her relatively transient childhood, Dunaway was always looking for ways to pass the time. As a result, she turned to entertainment in order to fill her hours. Dunaway took classes in singing, piano, tap dancing, and regular dancing. It was clear from pretty early on that she was dead-set on becoming some type of entertainer.
After growing up all over the map, Dunaway would end up attending high school in Tallahassee, Florida. Before long, Dunaway was looking to further her education at both the University of Florida and Florida State University. Eventually, Faye would end up graduating from Boston University with her prized theater degree. While in route to her degree, Dunaway would spend a summer at the Loeb Drama Center at Harvard. It was there that Dunaway would work with the future head of the National Endowment for the Arts, Jane Alexander. Later on, Dunaway was discovered by Lloyd Richards during a performance at the American National Theater and Academy.
With a wealth of training behind her, Dunaway would hit the ground running. Before long, her name would be considered among the all-time greats in the world of theater.
Queen of the Silver Screen
By the time that Faye Dunaway had graduated from Boston University, she was already making her way through Broadway. Dunaway worked as a replacement player in the drama, A Man for All Seasons. She would go on to appear in After the Fall as well as Hogan's Goat by William Alfred, a professor at Harvard. Alfred and Dunaway would strike up an important relationship that would stand the test of time. Regarding Alfred, Dunaway said, "Bill Alfred has been, without question, the most important single figure in my lifetime." Dunaway would go on to call Alfred the 'father figure that I never had'.
After establishing herself on Broadway, Dunaway would quickly ingratiate herself with work on the silver screen. Oddly enough, Dunaway's first performance, in the comedy film The Happening (1967), would garner a scathing review by legendary film critic, Robert Ebert. Still, Dunaway plunged forward, and she would go on to land her breakout role in the 1967 film, Hurry Sundown alongside Michael Caine and Jane Fonda. While Dunaway struggled with direction on set, the film would establish her as a legitimate force in the acting world. Next, Dunaway would star in Bonnie and Clyde as the notorious outlaw, Bonnie Parker. Dunaway was chosen over Natalie Wood, Carol Lynley, Jane Fonda, and Tuesday Weld for the part. The film quickly turned Dunaway into a star, and she would play an integral part in the evolution of Hollywood as a result. Bonnie and Clyde was incredibly controversial at the time for its graphic violence and suggested glorification of two murderous outlaws. Still, the film scored ten Academy Award nominations, including a Best Actress nod for Dunaway.
Dunaway's early success would help to legitimize her as a powerhouse in the entertainment industry. Dunaway would follow up her work in Bonnie and Clyde with another fantastic performance in The Thomas Crown Affair (1968). From there, Dunaway would run into a string of commercially panned films before once again finding her stride. In 1974, Dunaway was brought on to play the lead role in the film, Chinatown (1974). The project was directed by controversial figure Roman Polanski. Dunaway once again beat out Jane Fonda for the role and it would go on to become one of the most celebrated projects of Dunaway's career. Dunaway would land another Best Actress nomination despite her high-profile struggles with Polanski on set. Dunaway famously lashed out at Polanski after completion of the film, calling him sadistic and 'incessantly cruel'.
Her success with Chinatown would lead to a string of high-profile hits, including Three Days of the Condor (1975), and Network (1976). The film Network revolved around a cynical TV network and a former anchor. The film would lead to Dunaway's first and only Oscar win. Dunaway would also score a Golden Globe win for her work on the film. Dunaway would go on to win another Golden Globe in 1984 for Ellis Island and then again for the 1999 made-for-TV movie, Gia. Outside of her legendary run on the big screen, Dunaway has appeared on several major television shows. Dunaway has had roles in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Grey's Anatomy, and Alias.
In 2010, Dunaway would begin her hiatus from the acting world. She would not return until 2017 in the horror film, The Bye Bye Man. Since then, Dunaway has filled her schedule up with a host of new projects including The Case for Christ (2017), The American Connection (2017), and the upcoming film, Visceral.
Outside of her work in the entertainment world, Dunaway is famously closed off from the public. She is open about her disdain for publicity and rarely ever gives interviews. Dunaway has been married twice, to Peter Wolf and Terry O'Neill, and she has one child, Liam Dunaway O'Neill. It was eventually revealed by Terry O'Neill that Liam was adopted. Dunaway is currently single and has said that she is too much of a loner to really care about forcing herself into a relationship.
->
