or
Sign in with lockrMail
BREAKING NEWS
OK LogoNEWS

Faye Dunaway Reveals Her Past Bad Behavior Was Due to Undiagnosed Bipolar Disorder, Says Taking 'Medication Is Crucial'

Photo of Faye Dunaway
Source: mega

July 9 2024, Published 5:31 p.m. ET

Link to FacebookShare to XShare to FlipboardShare to Email

Actress Faye Dunaway will open up about her struggle with bipolar disorder in the upcoming HBO documentary Faye.

The star was infamous for her poor behavior and acting out on movie sets, something she attributed to her mental health condition, which she wasn't aware of during the height of her days in Hollywood.

Article continues below advertisement
faye dunaway past bad behavior undiagnosed bipolar disorder medication crucial
Source: mega

Faye Dunaway revealed she has bipolar disorder.

Article continues below advertisement

"Throughout my career, people know there were tough times. I don’t mean to make an excuse about it. I’m responsible for my actions but this is what I came to understand, was the reason for them," the Oscar winner, 83, explained of the diagnosis. "It’s something you need to be aware of, you need to try and do the right thing to take care of it."

Article continues below advertisement
faye dunaway past bad behavior undiagnosed bipolar disorder medication crucial
Source: mega

The actress' son helped her get treatment.

Article continues below advertisement

Dunaway said the condition is "part of my makeup" and noted that "the medication is crucial" to living a normal life.

Her son Liam — whom she shares with late ex-husband Terry O’Neill — revealed that the movie icon finally went to get help when she "hit rock bottom" a few years ago.

Article continues below advertisement
faye dunaway past bad behavior undiagnosed bipolar disorder medication crucial
Source: mega

Dunaway in 1967.

Article continues below advertisement

"So I kind of got to the point where I said, 'Hey listen, let’s get you to this clinic in Boston,'" he recalled. "She went to lectures and classes and they got her on the right stuff and she came out like a whole new person."

One of her most notable spats was with Chinatown director Roman Polanski, 90, who told a reporter years ago that she was a "gigantic pain in the a-- ... I tell you, she is a maniac."

MORE ON:
Mental Health

Want OK! each day? Sign up here!

Article continues below advertisement

Never miss a story — sign up for the OK! newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what OK! has to offer. It’s gossip too good to wait for!

Article continues below advertisement

She also had a tiff with Bette Davis, as on an episode of Johnny Carson's talk show, Davis called Dunaway one of the worst people she's ever worked with.

"Everybody will tell you exactly the same thing. She's just totally impossible," she insisted. "I don't think we have the time to go into all the reasons."

"She's just uncooperative," Davis added. "Very unprofessional."

Article continues below advertisement
faye dunaway past bad behavior undiagnosed bipolar disorder medication crucial
Source: mega

'Faye' debuts on HBO on Saturday, July 13.

Article continues below advertisement

In Dunaway's memoir, she responded to Davis' harsh words.

"Watching her, all I could think of was that she seemed like someone caught in a death throe, a final scream against a fate over which no one has control," the star wrote. "I was just the target of her blind rage at the one sin Hollywood never forgives in its leading ladies: growing old."

Article continues below advertisement

Page Six reported on the documentary, which debuts on Saturday, July 13.

More From OK! Magazine

    Opt-out of personalized ads

    © Copyright 2024 OK!™️. A DIVISION OF MYSTIFY ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK INC. OK! is a registered trademark. All rights reserved. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service, Privacy Policy and Cookies Policy. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services. Offers may be subject to change without notice.