Faye Dunaway Talks “Cathartic” Experience Of Sharing Bipolar Disorder In Documentary
After revealing some of her most intimate struggles in her HBO documentary, Faye Dunaway feels a weight lifted.
The Academy Award winner said she “dug deep” to discuss her experiences with bipolar disorder and alcoholism in Faye, the Laurent Bouzereau-helmed portrait of her life and career that premiered last month on HBO and Max.
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“Cathartic is a good word. It was,” Dunaway told The Independent. “To look at it all and see what it added up to. It was difficult sometimes, because it is very private to me. I was a bit wary at seeing it all out there, but that’s the process — it’s the whole point of the film, the sharing of who I am. I dug deep!”
The documentary explores how Dunaway’s bipolar disorder contributed to her reputation as a difficult actress, as well as how the condition influenced her craft.
“The mania we tap into, and the sadness, of course… I don’t know how all that works exactly but I understand that I need all of that to use in my craft,” she said. “It has been a difficulty, of course, as a person sometimes. It’s something I’ve had to deal with and overcome and understand. It is something that is part of who I am, and that now I can understand and deal with much more.”
Faye made its world premiere at Cannes Film Festival back in May, after Bouzereau and Dunaway’s son Liam O’Neill convinced the star to tell her story.
“We wanted to tell a story that wasn’t a fluff piece, that wasn’t just all the good stuff. It had to encompass everything,” said O’Neill. “My mom agreed because unless we talk about everything, it’s not the true story.”
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