She was one of the hottest actresses in the 1970s playing neurotic, highly driven women with sex appeal. Life in the 1990s has not been as good. In a much-publicized incident, she was dropped as the lead in the Broadway musical "Sunset Boulevard," and her attempt at starring in a television comedy was an unmitigated bomb.



The Extraordinary Seaman (1969): $300,000
Bonnie and Clyde (1967): $30,000

She auditioned for the role of Daisy that went to Mia Farrow in The Great Gatsby (1974). Her 1995 autobiography was titled "Looking for Gatsby: My Life." Her son with ex-husband Terry O'Neill, Liam Walker Dunaway O'Neill, was born in the summer of 1980. Ranked #65 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list. [October 1997] Has a connection with the James Bond - 007 franchise: was considered for the role of Domino Derval in Thunderball (1965), and Octopussy (1983) as the female lead (Maud Adams ended up with the part). Faye had a chance to co-star with Pierce Brosnan (the fifth 007) in the remake of The Thomas Crown Affair (1999). Other actresses considered for Dunaway's breakthrough role of Bonnie Parker in Bonnie and Clyde (1967) included Natalie Wood, Sue Lyon, Carol Lynley, Leslie Caron, and even Warren Beatty's big sister Shirley MacLaine. Tuesday Weld actually turned down the role due to pregnancy. By her own admission in a New York Times interview many years back, she and late comedian Lenny Bruce were briefly lovers and lived together for a week, circa 1963. She was also engaged to director Jerry Schatzberg in the late 1960s. Her real-life portrayal of actress Joan Crawford in the critically panned film Mommie Dearest (1981) was ranked #41 on the villains list of the 100 years of "The Greatest Screen Heroes and Legends." Member of Pi Beta Phi sorority. Is only 14 years older than Diana Scarwid, who played her daughter in Mommie Dearest (1981). Her performance as Evelyn Cross Mulwray in Chinatown (1974) is ranked #36 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Performances of All Time (2006). According to the commentary by John Waters on the Mommie Dearest (1981) DVD, Dunaway feels the film's reception ruined her career, to an extent, and she refuses to discuss the film (hence her lack of participation in its release). Mother of Liam Dunaway O'Neill from her marriage to renowned British photographer Terry O'Neill. Got the lead role in Bonnie and Clyde (1967) after Natalie Wood turned it down.