Faye Dunaway vs. Jane Fonda‏

I prefer option 3.

Team Faye

I don’t think Jane’s a phony. I also prefer her as an actress.

What R3 said

That's a tough one OP. I like them both but I think Faye takes more chances. She had too, growing up dirt poor. Jane shows astonishing courage too but Hollywood royalty will always protect her. I mean, I so admire her for doing her workout video. No kidding.

Dunaway's the better actress.

And better stah!

Not that I'd want to be around when she's returning her videotapes or wants to know what the fish of the day is.

But Fonda can be prickly too.

[quote] Jane shows astonishing courage too

MARY!!!

I think Jane is a far better actress, so I prefer her.

I really don't care if Faye is a crazy drunken bitch, nor do I care if Jane is a self-important media whore. Notice how I changed OP's descriptions.

Careful where you tread, OP. I like Fonda, have occasionally loved her performances, and have grown to respect her more and more as she matures. I'd vastly prefer to hang with Jane than with crazy Faye.

But here was a Fonda thread within the past year, and some of her DL defenders are batshit insane. She is infallible and above scrutiny to them, personally, politically, and professionally.

Jane all the way, she's passionate about important causes and her work as an actress, she's beautiful, intelligent and can be kind of funny (I've met her more then once) Faye is a loon who's only interested in Faye, but I do appreciate her good work

R10 Jane Fonda changes her causes as she changes her underpants.

R11, you neglected to note that Faye changes her Depends.

Jane. forever and a day.

Faye’s a cunt, and yes, she knows it.

[quote]But here was a Fonda thread within the past year, and some of her DL defenders are batshit insane. She is infallible and above scrutiny to them, personally, politically, and professionally.

They're lesbians.

Faye has starred in three undeniable classics: Bonnie and Clyde, Chinatown, and Network.

Jane has done some fine work, but none of her films have attained the same classic level.

Why did Jane call Faye sad on Bravo? Usual reasons..?

Jessica!

- Meryl

I pick the one who almost hit my record of 4 marriages. The other one, I’d give the ax. Christina!

I think Jane has been honest in all of her causes, but she has also let herself be defined by the men she's been with. By contrast Faye has always been her own person, as much of a trainwreck as that has been.

Both have had horrible plastic surgery by the way which ruined their great features.

R15 is correct, and I say that as a Fonda fan.

I'm hard pressed to think of a truly great, classic Fonda film (as opposed to a great Jane performance in a merely good film). KLUTE and THEY SHOOT HORSES, DON'T THEY? rise to the top for me, and they've both got problems. Almost nothing else does.

"Faye has starred in three undeniable classics: Bonnie and Clyde, Chinatown, and Network."

That's true - and Faye gave great performances in all those movies. HOWEVER, she is the co-star or one of many co-stars them. Other actresses could have played the parts. In Fonda movies, she is the undeniable star without whom there would be no movie at all.

Jane is cool as a cucumber and a great human being, Faye is a batshit crazy diva goddess. How do I choose? They're both my favorites.

@r11, You can have more then one cause in your lifetime

@r19, I agree that she has always taken a submissive roll to the strong men in her life, but I don't think that diminishes her passion or dedication to the causes she champions even if those causes came from her men

@r15, "Coming Home", "Klute", "Julia" and "China Syndrome" were not exactly throw away parts, but my favorite Jane Fonda movie was made for TV, "The Dollmaker". She was great in that

[quote]I'm hard pressed to think of a truly great, classic Fonda film

Wash yr mouth out! Barbarella is a true classic.

Remember how fascist Time magazine and the rest of the rags simpered over that tedious turd of a film On Golden Pond when it came out? It seems utterly bizarre now.

Poll would have been perfect, OP.

Anyway:

As an Actress: Prefer Faye Dunaway. Melted into her roles better. Could act with just subtle facial expressions. Absolutely beautiful in Chinatown.

As a Person (My Perception): Prefer Jane Fonda. Jane seems like she has a better day-to-day life than Faye. Faye seems unhappy & grasping for youth. Sadly, reminds me of Brenda Dickson.

@r24, "Wash yr mouth out! Barbarella is a true classic. "

Least we forget "Monster-in-Law" where Jane-shade on uppity J-Lo is movie legend

Faye sucks. She’s scary. Jane has some talent.

R26, uppity?

Oh my god, on what planet is this even a debate? Jane is an icon, Faye is a punchline. No contest.

Dunaway is a better personality that knew how to make her quirks seem like a performance, at the time her insanity wasn't in complete control.

Fonda is a black hole that keeps going no matter how age, personal setbacks and the opinions of others go at her. She gives the same performances now that she gave in the 1960s, leavened slightly by a more mature mindset and less of a need to please. But she still tends to be dull and whiney when she "acts."

R1 is correct.

R29, attempting to be clever, does not understand what the word "icon" means.

Ultimately, actors are best remembered for their films and what they brought to the productions. Fonda made some very good movies, but no great ones. Not really. Go ahead and quibble.

Dunaway made three great movies that are among the best ever made, and she was central to their achievement. Fonda will be acknowledged but people will be watching Dunaway movies forever with more of a lasting appreciation.

Piss off, R31!

Nobody’s going to be watching Faye’s shit ok?! Give it up. They will laugh at her losing her shit in Mommie Deasest only.

What is Crazy Faye going on about in this clip?

"In her 1971 book, My Way of Life, Joan Crawford had written, "Of all the actresses, to me, only Faye Dunaway has the talent and the class and the courage it takes to make a real star.""

[quote] Joan Crawford had written, "Of all the actresses, to me, only Faye Dunaway has the talent and the class and the courage it takes to make a real star.""

How badly do I want to hear Faye as Joan utter those words out loud!!!

I enjoy it when posters think they know shit but write things like “a submissive roll”.

^^ I enjoy it when posters make condescending remarks about other comments that are vague and need explanation, but we never get one. Just hit and run onto the next thread

Jane is rich. Faye is skint. Faye was better but now Jane rules.

The queen claiming Dunaway's films will be cherished by future generations is laughable. She's only known for Mommie Dearest to anyone under 40.

[quote]I enjoy it when posters think they know shit but write things like “a submissive roll”.

[quote]^^ I enjoy it when posters make condescending remarks about other comments that are vague and need explanation, but we never get one. Just hit and run onto the next thread

R37 wasn't vague and doesn't need an explanation if you can spell, and know the difference between "role" and "roll."

Are submissive rolls sweet or savory, R38?

They are both the top female stars of their generation and general age group IMO. Both were stunningly gorgeous and both turned out great performances. I think that Faye might have the edge when it comes to turning out the most impressive characters in films that will always be considered greats (I disagree with the poster who said that no one under 40 knows her work - many fans appreciate great films and will both admire and respect iconic films from all decades - the 40's, 50's, 60's, 70's, etc.). Jane was more prolific IMO and has a greater body of work to assess. She was the more "successful" actress. When she was excellent, she knocked it out of the park as well. She never made a Chinatown however...

Only Miss Dunaway can give us Planet of the Apes realness!

At her peak, Dunaway was stunning. Acting wise both were great. Nowadays, and for some time now, there is no comparison.

I prefer Jane Fonda hands down.

There is no comparison between the two.

[quote]"Faye has starred in three undeniable classics: Bonnie and Clyde, Chinatown, and Network."

[quote]That's true - and Faye gave great performances in all those movies. HOWEVER, she is the co-star or one of many co-stars them. Other actresses could have played the parts. In Fonda movies, she is the undeniable star without whom there would be no movie at all.

Um, other actresses could have played the parts played by Jane, as well. *knocks on your skull* Hello! ? Anybody home?

My initial answer was Fonda because she has been in good movies, is a good actress and I like her so much more. After reading the posts, I really think Dunaway the superior actress, if you can put aside her personal wackiness and attitude. I can’t think of a really memorable Fonda performance other than many where she just played herself like China Syndrome as an activist or On Golden Pond as Henry Fonda’s daughter?

Jane's plastic surgery is better. At least she still looks vaguely human.

Faye was a more impressive actress (Network, Chinatown!), but I respect Jane.

I never got the impression Fonda is a phony. She seems fairly down to earth and decent to me.

R47 Dunaway was superior as an actress IMO, but I was really charmed by Fonda in Barefoot in the Park. I usually feel like Fonda is rigid and hard edged--I think it's because of the way she speaks--but in this little trifle she has a Samantha Stephens charm.

Jane ruined her features by going the obligatory "I want to look like I'm thirty" route that every actress takes. There's more plastic in that face than in a Barbie doll.

Faye had bad mouth work done, but kept her other features intact. With the right makeup, she can still pull it together, like she did at the oscars.

Whoever commented about Jane changing causes all the time is plain wrong. She’s consistently been advocating for women’s rights, gay rights, worker’s rights, the environment, and less warfare since the late 1960s. Those are her core causes and always have been.

Here’s Jane at a 1979 event for gay rights. Very few, if any, stars of her caliber were publicly speaking out about this at that time.

That person confused her with Susan Sarandon. She and Tim Robbins used to protest anything that they could think up an argument against. I'm not sure if Robbins still does, but Sarandon is a professional contrarian and she deserves the ire and disdain many people have for Jane Fonda.

@r41, That's it? A spelling error? What ever happened to, "Oh dear"?

Little Miss Spelling Bee wins one for her team

"At her peak, Dunaway was stunning..."

That was over 50 YEARS AGO. And her "stunningness" only lasted three years, then drink took over.

Faye's cool as a cucumber doesn't work in many roles because she's too constipated. Anyone see her and Robert Redford as the romantic couple in Three Days of the Condor? Redford is too cool to work with another cool actress, and Dunaway could not alter her basic one-note nature and acting ability. Fonda, on the other hand, who can be brittle, was flexible enough to act successfully opposite Mr sitck-up-ass Redford in Barefoot in the Park and The Electric Horseman.

Young Faye had an odd Ivanka-like head. I wonder what she looked like under the makeup and four hours of raccoon makeup and plastic lashes.

Faye has a better filmography.

But Jane is a legend in every way.

Jane is one of the most overrated actresses of our time. She's mediocre at best. She was praised because of who her father was. The way that Dolly outshone her in 9 to 5(her first film role) says a lot.

I get the feeling from her that she knows and accepts she's a serviceable actress and that there are more important things in life. I saw a video of her saying Katharine Hepburn didn't like or respect her as an actress but that she respected Hepburn. Someone with a delicate ego and an inability to accept her own flaws would not have told that story publicly, and someone like Crawford or Bette Davis would have told it with seething vitriol. Fonda seemed kind of like, "well, she didn't think I was any good, and that's disappointing because I admire her, but I gave it my best."

God, what a bitter old twat Hepburn was.

And yet she has four Best Actress oscars.

Hepburn was right about Jane, but wrong about Meryl.

Hepburn: Jane, I'll be blunt. You're a lousy actress. Let's just get through our scenes the best we can and then move on, shall we?

R63, she said that!? Wow.

Also, I don't know how Dunaway and Fonda can be compared, Faye is a much better actress. Mommie Dearest is more well known than any of Jane's movies. Ditto with Chinatown, Network, Bonnie and Clyde.

No, R64, she did not.

Fonda on Hepburn on Fonda.

Damn, Katharine spent a lot of time in bushes!!

Faye never gave as great a performance as Jane’s in The Dollmaker.

Faye never gave as great a performance as Jane’s in The Dollmaker.

Jane only got her biggest roles because Barbra Streisand turned them down first--Klute, Julia and Shoot Horses.

Jane owes her career to Barbra.

"I saw a video of her saying Katharine Hepburn didn't like or respect her as an actress but that she respected Hepburn"

Hepburn not respecting her, isn't that a badge of honor?

Btw, Barbara Stanwyck lobbied for the role in On Golden Pond, but Jane wanted Hepburn!

@r70, Yes, I was just a kid when I saw "The Dollmaker" and really didn't know who Jane Fonda was, but I was mesmerized by it and her performance

Hepburn was a closeted mess.

It's not just Jane, La Dunaway has a better CV than "Our Lady of Accents" Ms. Streep.

R75, that's true actually. It's weird that for such an acclaimed actress, Meryl has been in a few truly classic movies.

R21, those of us who watch movies not to crap ourselves over stardom but to enjoy the pleasure of film art do not confuse "name above the title" with a win in a X vs. Y match. You can reject my criteria, but replacing it with star power leaves Shirley Temple the greatest actress in history. So much for your logic.

The fact that Fonda "starred" does not make her often excellent movies better, nor does it leave her performances better. She's fine. I watch her in many things. I appreciate her. But her letting snot run in "Klute" is not the same as Dunaway's naked despair and hysteria in "Chinatown."

My favorite Fonda movie is "Cat Ballou," partly because it IS a group-acting movie.

R76, it’s not that strange. The best films she was in were at the beginning of her career, when talented directors wanted to work with the hot new actress. As she developed more power, she selected projects based on what her performance would be, not on what the quality of the overall film would be. Her narcissism far outweighs her interest in creating art.

R62, Two were awarded for pure sentimentality and a third was shared.

R53, that was lovely, i had no idea.

R56, strangely, i find Dunaway more attractive in her more mature Network/Laura Mars period.

Both ladies catalogue win over Streep’s. The above comment on vanity is spot on.

Neither Jane, Faye nor Meryl will ever reach the iconic superstardom of Miss Barbra Joan Streisand. She was THE superstar of the 1970s.

And the crowd said, "Amen."

And none of them ever reached the icon status that Miss Connie Francis achieved in movies and music.

Faye Dunaway—at her best, she’s the stronger actress, and was also more beautiful during her prime. Unlike Fonda, she was not born into Hollywood royalty and had to work her way into the film industry.

Jane Fonda - ungracious, self-righteous, snippy personality, no sense of humor. Pretty in a generic way, with no truly outstanding futures. Her second Oscar win for Coming Home is one of the least deserved in that category’s history, and she has terrible taste in film/young actresses (she’s a big Jennifer Lawrence fan).

I have a higher tolerance for bitches who don’t hide it than I do for bitches who cover it with a veneer of respectability. Dunaway wins for me.

R52 Just the mouth, hah? What about her horror nostrils?

Faye is a trainwreck. So, Faye.

"(neither) will ever reach the iconic superstardom of Miss Barbra Joan Streisand. She was THE superstar of the 1970s."

You Streisand fans are ridiculous, assuming you're serious. That kind of logic would be like saying Burt Reynolds was the star of the 1970s, better than Pacino and De Niro. With one exception, Streisand's film work in the 1970s was pulp, her albums, with one exception, were commercial pop dreck.

Cheers!

I love Jane. I devour anything I can about her, movies, books, anything. I think Faye was great in Bonnie and Clyde and in Chinatown. But, it's La Fonda for me. She seems like the kind of woman you could hang out with and chat over cocktails. Can't imagine Dunaway doing that. She'd want to be waited on and adored. Acting-wise, Dunaway's a real scenery-chewer. Neither of them can do (intentional) comedy but Jane has a wider range and she's more subtle. And still gorgeous. Meryl gives her the ultimate compliment in her AFI tribute. "She had an almost feral alertness, like this bright blue."

Has Faye ever done comedy? Jane can be very funny.

Fay IS THE JOKE!

Bette Davis asked Jane Fonda to present her with the AFI Life Achievement Award. And we all know what Davis said about Faye Dunaway!

In the AFI tribute Meryl says that Jane taught her so much: "Look down. Over there. That green tape on the floor. That's you. That's your mark. And if you land on it you will be in the light and you will be in the movie."

This is Meryl's big moment in the movie (with the green tape . . . "Julia"), and Jane lets her have the scene all to herself.

Jane never got even a nod from her father regarding her amazing abilities as an actress. Yet she produced the movie "On Golden Pond" that won him the Oscar. She really does have a generous heart, like Meryl says.

Faye Dunaway was funny in "Twilight of the Golds," though maybe unintentionally, as the Jewish mother.

Jane Fonda also has an ugly speaking voice—I think it’s one of her greatest weaknesses as an actress. Faye’s is much more attractive.

OP you ask the wrong question. Should be, "Who has the better eating disorder".

I like Jane's speaking voice. Very non-regional American, smooth and sexy. Interestingly, Jane considers Faye a friend. She was having jitters about playing the hooker in Klute and suggested that maybe Pakula should hire Dunaway. Hmmm. Maybe not much of a compliment though I'm sure she meant it that way.

Jane

Jayne

I saw Chinatown for the first time within the last 2 years. So, no nostalgia involved (like "Caddyshack," etc.). IMO, an absolute classic and maybe even a masterpiece. John Huston was crazy good as well, perfect villain. Faye Dunaway, more than Nicholson (for me), was the star, though.

Jane Fonda just doesn't have that kind of movie that she was a part of. She doesn't have the same subtlety that FD had.

Also loved the chess scene (Faye) in Thomas Crown Affair.

Jane > Faye.

Jane is the real deal, and not a cunt. AND she has two Oscars. So suck on that, Faye.

R101 = The type of "critic" who says "Because I say so."

Now she can tell herself she's pretty, she's thin and that her opinions matter to anyone.

per IMDB:

Jane Fonda appeared on the December 6, 2012 episode of Bravo's Watch What Happens: Live (2009), and confessed that she auditioned for Bonnie, a role she wanted desperately, and was still angry for losing it to Faye Dunaway, ending decades-long rumors that Fonda had turned down the role.

It would have been interesting to see Jane as Bonnie in BONNIE & CLYDE. I agree that it's some of Faye's best film work, and I think Fonda took a very long time to develop as an actor. OTOH, Jane's bad-girl character, Kitty Twist, is one of the highlights of camp-fest WALK ON THE WILD SIDE.

Fun fact: Warren Beatty's first choice for Bonnie? Natalie Wood.

How would you have liked to have been Sue Mengers managing both Faye and Barbra at the same time in the 1970s? Do you think you could have handled it? You can add in Ryan O'Neal to the mix just in case it wasn't challenging enough for you.

I don't know how she didn't win the Nobel Peace Prize for that amazing feat.

And people wondered why I stress-ate, R104.

More Bonnies:

[quote]Ann-Margret was approached to play Bonnie Parker, but negotiations broke down over salary. Tuesday Weld was also offered the role, but had to turn it down because she was pregnant. Natalie Wood turned it down because she didn't want to be separated from her psychoanalyst, with whom she met daily. Other actresses considered included Jean Hale, Carol Lynley, and Sue Lyon.

Can't imagine Faye as Bree Daniels in Klute, but can definitely imagine Jane as Bonnie in B&C.

Not because I said so, but because it's the truth, R102. The Academy did in fact award her twice (and nominated her four times, to Dunaway's three), and while she has her detractors like anyone else, she has one of the most positive reputations of anyone in Hollywood of the last sixty years.

She's not the entitled repugnant harridan that Dunaway is. Everyone is aware of Dunaway's antics, and she has been called out for it for decades. I do like Dunaway in a few films, but I much prefer Fonda as an actress, and (while I've never met her), as a person.

R93, Faye was in that "Three Musketeers" movie in the 1970s with Raquel winning a Golden Globe Award in the Comedy/Musical category.

R107, Warren Beatty's first choice for Bonnie was former lover Natalie Wood, but she didn't feel she could be away from her Los Angeles analyst for the length of the Texas location shooting.

R104, Sue Mengers didn't manage Streisand or Dunaway or anyone else. She was an AGENT, it's a different job, dear.

[quote]She and Tim Robbins used to protest anything that they could think up an argument against. I'm not sure if Robbins still does, but Sarandon is a professional contrarian and she deserves the ire and disdain many people have for Jane Fonda.

Yes she has protested homelessness, hunger, poverty, human trafficking, rape/sexual abuse, human rights violations, LGBTQ+ abuse, environmental abuses, etc.

She was on the Board Of Directors, Amazon Conservation team. Worked/donated 15 years, traveled to the rain forest, narrated 2 films.

She's an Ambassador for UNICEF.

She has done substantial work for/supported AIDS & HIV, pediatric AIDS, Oxfam, UNEP, the Red Cross, Save The Children, The Trevor Project, Heifer International, Alzheimer's - Heart - Stroke foundations, Children's Aid Society, St. Francis Food Pantries/Shelters...and much more

Jane all the way! And, yes, I liked 9 to 5, On Golden Pond, Agnes of God, Barefoot in the Park, Cat Ballou, and Steelyard Blues.

That's unfair, R112. Faye was physically and mentally impaired most of the time.

R114 Sorry, what's unfair?

Whaddabout Jill Clayburgh vs. Marsha Mason?

I've read Fonda's memoir and she sure has had an interesting life. The stories she could tell if she wrote about the whole thing. She said herself she had to leave a lot out. The threesomes with Vadim and the girls from Madam Claude, etc. Owning half of the United States with Ted Turner. Allusions to dark sexual fantasies as a child but never telling. Even though I respect her activism, I tended to skip over those parts. It was her rich emotional life and fabulous career that fascinated me. Sons and daughters of stars who go into showbiz usually squander the leg up they're given, but Jane led a charmed life. She says she's tried every drug that doesn't pierce the skin but prefers to be "present," a word she tends to overuse. She sees herself as kind of victim of men in her own need to please them unconditionally. Yet she not only surpassed her father in terms of career, she literally gave him "On Golden Pond"which resulted in his only Oscar win, five months before he died.

I honestly don't know much about Dunaway's life. I know her reputation as a diva bitch. I know she was with that hottie Peter Wolf back in the 80s. Did she ever do a memoir? I'd definitely read it.

Jane has always given off bisexual vibes to me. She has a masculine energy about her.

R118, Jane revealed in her autobiography that she swam naked with Garbo.

Poor Faye isn't getting much love in this thread. Poor thing.

Jane has -7- Oscar nominations. How do we know her dad never told her she was any good? Did she confess that? Faye must be seriously mentally ill in addition to just being a bitch. I’ve never liked her in any movie... maybe Barfly, that was funny.

Faye was phenomenal in Network. I first watched it maybe five years ago and I remember thinking I couldn't imagine anyone else in the role. Not the way she pulled it off.

Still, Jane is a cool chick. I really respect her.

They're kind of an odd pair to compare. Why are we comparing them?

Faye Dunaway vs. Brendad Ickson would make more sense.

Faye has done comedy, btw.

Both actresses have done sitcoms. Jane, of course, is in Grace and Frankie. Faye did a short-lived sitcom with Robert Urich called It Had to Be You (1993ish). Thank you.

[quote]I honestly don't know much about Dunaway's life. I know her reputation as a diva bitch. I know she was with that hottie Peter Wolf back in the 80s. Did she ever do a memoir? I'd definitely read it.

"Looking for Gatsby" was written in 1995 before she went round the bend. It's well written and interesting, but she holds a lot back, especially regarding her marriages and drug use.

Wasn't it the drug use plus booe that aged her? Anyways, Faye did a good job of playing herself in Dunstin Checks In. Too bad she became Dunstin in real life.

Does Faye still insist she gave birth to her hunky son Liam even though his father says she didn't?

"Wasn't it the drug use plus booe that aged her?"

Don't count out the six, count em, SIX nose jobs.

Faye and her glamorous "The Thomas Crown Affair" wardrobe confirmed my being gay in 1968.

R128, "In a recent interview, Faye Dunaway's ex-husband has spoken out about how she is not the biological mother of her son, Liam, despite her attempts to convince the public otherwise. Faye Dunaway's ex-husband, Terry O'Neill has revealed that her son, Liam, was actually adopted."

Ex-husband Terry is such an ass. Poor Faye.

Late ex-husband Terry. He died last year.

R131, that's terrible.

Jane is more varied, subtle, moving, and simply better; not to mention, she’s an infinitely more interesting person.

My favorite Faye performance is in “Bonnie and Clyde”. The rest of her work is fun in that “Oh look, a riot of a drag queen!” type of way.

I do like them both, though, but Jane is beyond.

Jane still has something very special.

I prefer Fonda as an actress and Dunaway as a star.