The Eternally Captivating Morning-After Portrayal of Faye Dunaway: A Legendary Hollywood Moment
Discover the captivating allure of Faye Dunaway in an honest and mesmerizing portrait Renowned photographer Terry O'Neill immortalizes this iconic Hollywood moment in just 10 minutes Unveiling additional images from the shoot, Fotografiska's exhibition Stars offers a glimpse into Dunaway's timeless beauty
American actor Faye Dunaway takes breakfast by the pool with the day's newspapers at the Beverly Hills Hotel on March 29, 1977.
Terry O'Neill/iconicimagesgallery.com
Editors Note: In Snap, we look at the power of a single photograph, chronicling stories about how both modern and historical images have been made.
Photographer Terry O'Neill captured one of the most iconic celebrity portraits of the 20th century in just 10 minutes. Faye Dunaway, poolside at the Beverly Hills Hotel, the morning after her Oscars win in 1977 for "Network." The image shows Dunaway with her Best Actress statuette, surrounded by morning papers, symbolizing the start of a new day and a new chapter in her life. It was taken around 6 a.m., after a night of little sleep and post-Oscars festivities. (Dunaway and O'Neill were later married in 1983, but later divorced.)
ONeill is quoted as saying in "Stars," a posthumous retrospective of his work at the photography museum Fotografiska in New York. "I wanted to capture that momentthe morning afterthe moment the actor wakes up and it dawns on them that, overnight, theyve not only just become a star, but also a millionaire," "This is that moment of realization."
Faye Dunaway and Terry O'Neill in 1980 at the 34th Tony Awards party in New York.
Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection/Getty Images
"Stars" spans five decades of Terry O'Neill's career, chronicling his journey from a British tabloid photographer to one of the most respected names in editorial photography. Some of his most iconic images include a windswept Brigitte Bardot smoking a cigarette, Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker with a protective arm around Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia, and The Beatles recording "Please Please Me" on the brink of their meteoric rise to fame.
Former Sunday Times Magazine editor Robin Morgan frequently commissioned O'Neill, citing that "his name opened doors," in a phone interview with CNN. The two developed a close friendship, and Morgan began the monumental task of organizing O'Neill's vast archive of hundreds of boxes of negatives towards the end of the photographer's career. (O'Neill passed away in 2019 at the age of 81).
Honest and alluring
Morgan contends that ONeills capture of Dunaway has stood the test of time due to the uncomplicated nature of the moment, something he feels has dwindled within the industry as photo sessions have evolved into meticulously orchestrated events, with top-tier celebrities meticulously shaping their public images.
"I love the photo because it captures a moment that feels so authentic and captivating, like it couldn't happen in today's world," he reflected.
Morgan revealed that ONeill had crossed paths with Dunaway on the set of the 1975 film "Three Days of the Condor" and they ran in similar social circles. During an interview with The Cut in 2015, ONeill shared that he had suggested the concept of the post-Oscars image to Dunaway during a photo shoot for People Magazine, anticipating her victory.
"I told her that I had previously attended the Oscars. If you win, they always take the same pictures of you receiving the statue in the press room," ONeill had remembered. She agreed and showed up, which Morgan said was a testament to his easy charm.
O'Neill's complete contact sheet for his shoot with Dunaway.
Terry O'Neill/iconicimagesgallery.com
The "Stars" exhibition features a mix of iconic and rarely seen photographs, along with new versions of familiar scenes. The publicly known photograph of Dunaway captures her deep in thought, her head cradled in her hand as if reflecting on the significance of her achievement. However, the exhibition goes beyond this single image to display the full roll of film, which includes 12 images on a contact sheet. These additional images depict Dunaway in various poses, from confidently posing with her Academy Award to displaying audacity with one leg raised on the table, to moments of exhaustion where she lays back with her arm over her face. In total, the show presents 170 of ONeill's images, the majority of which have never been seen before in an exhibition.
Morgan said that when he began working with Terry, only 10-15 photographs were shown in exhibitions. However, the collection has now grown to over 400 photographs in circulation worldwide, out of a million-plus negatives, creating a rich archive. He also mentioned that there will always be new and unseen Terry O'Neills to look forward to. "Stars" made its debut at Fotografiska in New York on June 2.
