Why Hollywood Gave Up On 1970s Icon Faye Dunaway

Faye Dunaway has never thought about retiring, but she has been somewhat ostracized by Hollywood in her later years. While not unusual for female actors to be pushed aside, Dunaway's case was aggravated by accusations of concerning behavior on her part. In July 2019, the "Bonnie and Clyde" star was fired from the Broadway production of "Tea at Five" after staff reported abusive behavior to producers.

According to the New York Post, staff members felt unsafe in her presence after she reportedly slapped and threw objects at them as they tried to put on her wig for the show. They also accused her of verbal abuse. Just a month later, Dunaway's former personal assistant on the play, Michael Rocha, filed a lawsuit against the actor in which he accused her of homophobic abuse. "[She] regularly and relentlessly subjected plaintiff to abusive demeaning tirades," the lawsuit contended, which included calling him "a little homosexual boy," Page Six reported.

While she was once one of the biggest stars of the '70s, the "Tea at Five" ordeal hit Dunaway's reputation hard. And it didn't help when, two years later, she signed up to star in "The Man Who Drew God," the Italian film that marked Kevin Spacey's surprising return to acting following the 2017 sexual misconduct allegations against him. Dunway joined the production when Vanessa Redgrave withdrew following backlash for her decision to costar alongside the disgraced actor. While these controversies have taken a toll, Dunaway has a long history of disturbing behavior in Hollywood.

Faye Dunaway may have found herself on the wrong side of Hollywood in the 2010s and 2020s, but accusations of concerning behavior were nothing new by then. From her early days, insiders have described the "Mommie Dearest" star as one of the most difficult actors in Hollywood. When Johnny Carson asked Bette Davis to name "one of the worst people" in Hollywood, she didn't hesitate. "One million dollars, Faye Dunaway. Everybody you can put in this chair will tell you exactly the same thing," she said on "The Tonight Show" in 1988. 

Dunaway knew she had this reputation. She didn't exactly mind it, either. In the 2024 HBO documentary "Faye," she laughed at the nickname her "Chinatown" costar, Jack Nicholson, came up with when they worked together in the 1974 Roman Polanski-directed classic. "Jack nicknamed me 'Dread'. ... 'The Dreaded Dunaway' was his name for me. He still, to this day, calls me 'Dread.' And I love it," she said (via People). On the other hand, the incident that caused her to explode and earn the nickname happened after Polanski reportedly ripped a strand of hair off her head because it kept falling on her face during filming.

Regardless of whether some of her behavior was justified or not, Dunaway agrees she wasn't always the easiest to work with. In the documentary, she attributed her history to a bipolar disorder diagnosis she received later in life, for which she was put on medication. "So I am quieter. But throughout my career, people know there were tough times," she said (via Page Six).

If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.