HBO's new Faye Dunaway documentary premieres on TV tonight

The HBO original documentary Faye premieres tonight, July 13
(Image credit: HBO)

You know her from her Academy Award-nominated turns in classics like 1968's Bonnie & Clyde, 1975's Chinatown and 1977's Network, for which she took home the Oscar for her role as Diana Christensen. And now you can get to know the woman behind the icon that is Faye Dunaway with Faye, a new HBO documentary on the Hollywood legend. 

Directed by Laurent Bouzereau (Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind, Mama’s Boy), the 95-minute intimate portrait features retrospection from the movie star herself, as Dunaway "recounts the triumphs and challenges of her illustrious career with frank candor," per HBO. "Through honest reflection, complemented by insight from colleagues and friends, Dunaway contextualizes her life and filmography, laying bare her struggles with mental health while confronting the double standards she was subjected to as a woman in Hollywood."

The HBO original, which premiered earlier this year at the Cannes Film Festival, chronicles the acclaimed actress from her childhood as Dorothy Faye Dunaway—"the army child of a father who struggled with alcoholism and raised predominantly by her single mother—and later her escape into the world of acting, finding mentors in director Elia Kazan and playwright William Alfred, whose play Hogan’s Goat helped launch the performer's multi-decade career back in 1965. 

As well as a deep dive into her professional life, Faye also probes the star's personal relationships, including her notable romances with Peter Wolf, Terry O’Neill, and Marcello Mastroianni. Joining those insights from Dunaway herself are interviews with son Liam Dunaway O’Neill, as well as colleagues and friends including author Mark Harris, journalist Robin Morgan, film professor Annette Insdorf, photographer and director Jerry Schatzberg, author David Itzkoff, actors Sharon Stone and Mickey Rourke, and filmmaker James Gray.

Faye makes its television premiere tonight, July 13, at 8pm Eastern Time on HBO. The channel is available with most cable TV subscriptions. However, if you've cut the cord, you have watch live simulcasts of HBO channels via several live TV streaming service options, including Hulu with Live TVYouTube TV and DirecTV Stream. You also have access to HBO programming, including the Faye Dunaway documentary, through the network's streaming platform, Max

Check out the official trailer for the new HBO original doc before tuning in to Faye tonight. 

Christina Izzo

Christina Izzo is the Deputy Editor of My Imperfect Life. More generally, she is a writer-editor covering food and drink, travel, lifestyle and culture in New York City. She was previously the Features Editor at Rachael Ray In Season and Reveal, as well as the Food & Drink Editor and chief restaurant critic at Time Out New York. 

When she’s not doing all that, she can probably be found eating cheese somewhere.