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).
Adopted a son, Liam Dunaway O'Neill, with her ex-husband, renowned British photographer Terry O'Neill.
Attended Boston University. Gave up a Fulbright Scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London to join the original training program at the Lincoln Center Repertory Theater in New York. She got her first starring role in "A Man For All Seasons" just days after graduating from college. She was the daughter of a career army man which resulted in her traveling constantly in her early life.
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 mid 1960s.
Cohabited with Marcello Mastroianni for two years after they met on the set of A Place for Lovers (1968). [1968-1970].
Competing for beauty titles was considered de rigueur for Southern girls in the 1950s, and Dunaway remembers in her autobiography that she was somehow convinced that she could NOT leave Florida until she won one. She missed being crowned May Queen at Leon High School in Tallahassee by a mere six votes, and had another near-miss at a title when she was voted runner up for Miss University of Florida in 1959. Dunaway finally scored her beauty crown when she was named Sweetheart of Sigma Chi, and promptly transferred to Boston University.
Converted to Catholicism while in Boston. [27 December 1996]
Drives a 2007 Toyota Corolla.
Got the lead role in Bonnie and Clyde (1967) after Natalie Wood turned it down.
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).
Her adopted son with ex-husband Terry O'Neill, Liam Walker Dunaway O'Neill, was born in the summer of 1980.
Her ex-husband, Peter Wolf, was with the J. Geils Band.
Her performance as Bonnie Parker in Bonnie and Clyde (1967) is ranked #34 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.
Her performance as Evelyn Cross Mulwray in Chinatown (1974) is ranked #36 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Performances of All Time (2006).
Her portrayal of Bonnie Parker in Bonnie and Clyde (1967) was ranked #32 on the villains list of the 100 years of "The Greatest Screen Heroes and Villains." She shared this honor with Warren Beatty, who played Clyde Barrow.
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."
Her small production company, Port Bascom, is named for her hometown.
In August, 2011, her New York City landlord was seeking to evict Dunaway from a rent-stabilized one-bedroom apartment, alleging she was not entitled to it since her primary residence is a house in West Hollywood.
In order to be taken seriously as an actress, she turned down a regular role on "Guiding Light" (1952) in 1965.
Is of Irish, Scottish and German descent.