In the past, Faye Dunaway has been famously tight-lipped about her feelings on 1981’s flop (and subsequent gay cult gem) Mommie Dearest, regularly telling interviewers the subject was off-limits, and even canceling interviews if the topic of the film was broached. (You can hear her in this voicemail rant say she doesn’t want any “dilly-dallying” over the film: “I don’t want to even discuss it in my interview,” she barks.)
Related: Hollywood Shocker! Faye Dunaway Reportedly Writing Book About Mommie Dearest
But for whatever reason, she was finally willing to open up to People about her suspicions that the film derailed her career.
“I think it turned my career in a direction where people would irretrievably have the wrong impression of me,” she says, “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.”
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
“It’s unfortunate they felt they had to make that kind of movie,” she continues. “But you can’t be ashamed of the work you’ve done. You make a decision, and then you have to live with the consequence.”
Related: “Beyoncé! Bring Me The Ax!” Jay-Z Samples “Mommie Dearest” On New Track
The rumors about her behavior on set probably haven’t helped her reputation, either.
“People despised Faye,” co-star Rutanya Ald told Bay Area Reporter in 2013. “Faye was despised because she was so rude to people. Everyone was on pins and needles when she worked, and everyone relaxed when she didn’t.”
Listen to the voicemail below:
Baba Booey Fafa Fooey
I loved her in this. I don’t get people. She was transformative. She should have been nominated for an Academy Award. It’s a classic.
Greg
My friends and I love it too. It’s one of our favorites.
Tobi
Dunaway wrecked her own career, being almost impossible to work with.
https://youtu.be/QfS-zyst1VA?t=10m20s
mastik8
I’m getting tired of excusing away bad behavior because someone makes bank or did a good job. It veers far too close to thanking Hitler for building great highways or thanking Mussolini for making the trains runs on time.
Greg
Well stop doing it then.
inbama
@mastik8:
Unless you want to live in a world that worships mediocrity, you have to accept that the very best a musician can do is in a concert hall or recording studio, the reason a great painter lives is hanging on a museum wall, and the best of an actor is up on the screen.
Billy Budd
The movie unexpectedly turned into a masterpiece. I watch it frequently. TINA BRING ME THE AXE!
Ari Gold
So because she played a “crazy” person, people wanted nothing to do with her? Umm… she’s an actress. Lol. She was doing her job. As for the rumors of her being unbearable on set, #nocomment
Bauhaus
@Billy Budd:
“I should have known you’d know where to find the boys and the booze!”
scotshot
@Baba Booey Fafa Fooey: She was nominated for a Razzie and won, Mommie Dearest was nominated for best picture and also won a Razzie.
Both awards were well deserved.
scotshot
@inbama:
Anywhere a musician plays they can deliver their best work, hopefully though they have an audience to enjoy with them. A great painter could do a sketch on a bathroom wall, prop a painting against a wall, sculpt a small toy for a sick child. A great actor’s best performance? Comforting a friend when the actor knows they’re dying.
Beauty is everywhere, you have to be lucky to stumble into it.
dean089
@Tobi: Exactly. No one has ever had anything nice to say about her and it goes way beyond “Mommie Dearest.”
In her defense, though, she DID do the unspeakable crime of getting older, and Hollywood has never had much use for older actresses — or, rather, not much use for more than three or four older actresses at any given time.
mikespurts
Bette Davis played despicable women for years and it didn’t ruin her career. I think the trouble with Faye Dunaway’s career is Faye Dunaway.
skcord
…because I’m not one of your FAAAAAAAAANNNS!!
Rob91316
I think Dunaway tanked her own career with her off-screen diva antics, but having said that, she remains one of my favorite actresses of all time, and I think she got a bad rap for “Mommie Dearest.” She is actually quite good in it — so good, in fact, that when I watch a real Joan Crawford film, I’m always a little jarred to be reminded of what she actually looked like, because Dunaway is just so uncanny playing her.
Billy Budd
– But Who Said Life was fair, Tina? I am bigger and I am faster and I will ALWAYS beat you.
– No Wire Hangers EVER!
– Box Office Poison!!! Hollywood Royalty!!!!
– Better to go to school like this than looking like a tramp.
Bauhaus
– Don’t you ever use that tone of voice again with me, Missy. Who do you think you’re talking to?
OzJosh
@mikespurts: And Bette Davis – no walkover herself – nominated Faye as the one person she’d never work with again. She must have been unspeakable.
lacrosse72
Joan Crawford once said, “Of all the actresses today, to me, only Faye Dunaway has the talent, and the class, and the courage to make a real star.”
Greg
That’s probably why Bette Davis didn’t like her.
Jack Meoff
I don’t know what she is so hung up about Mommie Dearest for, it’s the only movie of hers I could name without having to look her up on IMDb first. She can’t have been that great an actress if she has no other stand out movies besides this one.
Billy Budd
Im not mad at you. Im mad at the dirt.
Alistair Wiseman
@Jack Meoff:
Ever heard of ‘Bonnie and Clyde’, ‘Chinatown’ or ‘Network’? She was nominated for an Academy Award for these three films as a lead actress and won for ‘Network’.
Snapper59
Little know fact: The New York Film Critics Circle almost awarded her “Best Actress” for the film, she missed out by two votes. And I’ll always remember Andy Warhol in his “Diaries”: “Just saw Mommie Dearest! Now if THAT isn’t acting!”
lelandjr
God, she’s wonderful.
Billy Budd
@Alistair Wiseman: yes those are her best films. She was truly great.
Greg
What about The Towering Inferno, Eyes of Laura Mars, The Champ, Oklahoma Crude, Barfly, Supergirl?
Bauhaus
[Smacking Christina hard across the face twice] You love it, don’t you? YOU LOVE TO MAKE ME HIT YOU.
Bromancer7
Well I’m sure Supergirl didn’t help her career.
lacrosse72
She received many rave reviews for the film by major critics at the time. Her performance was on Entertainment Weelky’s list of top 100 film performances of all time. People still talk about film and watch it 35 years later. I think she should be proud of this film. Besides her performance, the customers, sets, etc. we’re all first rate.
glennr
Faye Dunaway should celebrate her role in Mommie Dearest. It is like a fine wine, it just gets better with time as it ages. It was over the top but then Joan Crawford was over the top in her time. I have always liked Faye as an actress so I really wished she wouldn’t look too much back on regrets and celebrate the path she has taken!
rand503
Instead of running away from the film, she should embrace it. Her biggest fans are her gay fans, and if she were smart, she would attend screenings of it, do Q&A, tell stories about the film and Hollywood in general. she could have a second career living off her first.
robho3
@Jack Meoff: ummmm Boomie & Clyde, Chinatown , Network- for which she won an academy award for—— so hey guys don’t be so quick to diss her….
“Don’t fuck with me fellas- this ain’t my first time at the rodeo!
Jack Meoff
@Alistair Wiseman: @robho3: Clearly my post indicating that I was unfamiliar with her work prior to Mummy Dearest before researching her would indicate that I have neither heard of nor seen these films. I must be to young and not in the target demographic for her older work.
Greg
Right. It’s like he’s saying how great could she be if I haven’t heard of her?
yodi
Never let your youth or ignorance be an excuse not to become informed, or to be catty.
They have computers in high school these days don’t they??
lacrosse72
Faye starred in a string of modern film classics. Besides those mentioned there was Little Big Man, The Thomas Crown Affair, Hurry Sundown, Three Days of the Condor, The Towering Inferno, Bar Fly. Classics are classics. It’s not about “target demographics”. That would mean being young equals being stupid.
BigWill
Yes, I believe Bonnie & Clyde is considered a classic; I’m surprised that people don’t know it and think of that movie first when considering Faye Dunaway. But to each his own. I think Network may be considered a classic too, and I’ve never seen it, so it doesn’t leap to mind as a Dunaway vehicle.
The thing that’s obno about that voice message is how she says, “I was brilliant…,” “I was wonderful…,” but I guess that’s what Hollywood does to a person, or rather, used to.
Greg
Watch Network. It’s great. It sort of predicts what has happened to television.
Jack Meoff
@yodi: Again if you had read my comments you would know that I did use a computer to look her up after seeing this article. She has just previously never been on my radar aside from Mommie Dearest due to it’s obvious reputation within the gay community. As for being catty I believe that honour falls with the other two commenters who felt the need to call me out for not knowing more of her movies and to you for feeling the need to imply that I am ignorant and ill-natured when really I was only expressing an opinion.
Ander
@Jack Meoff: Oh come on.
“She can’t have been that great an actress if she has no other stand out movies besides this one,” is equal parts catty and unaware.
Dorian Prince
This voicemail is epic. I almost spilled my coffee laughing so hard. It really made my morning. However, I’m confused about the career stuff. She happens to have two other Iconic movies…Bonnie & Clyde and Chinatown. So ok, the rest of her movies may not have been as big as those 3, but she has had a long career with three iconic movies. I wonder if this is all about Hollywood politics…something that most of us cannot relate to. Also, I can imagine that at the time Mommie Dearest was released, audiences and pop culture was different. Therefore they didn’t have the appreciation for MD that we have now. I wouldn’t take is so seriously. Give the Diva what she wants. She knows what she wants because this is not her first time at the rodeo. LOL! She has given us joy through her characters so give her the RESPECT THAT SHE DESERVES! LOL. Thank you again Faye for the laughs this morning. LOL!
Joplin67
Barfly is an awesome movie starring Faye Dunaway and Mickey Rourke!