- Title: Sarandon and Lange bring old Hollywood rivalry to life in new TV series 'Feud'
- Date: 2nd March 2017
- Summary: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (MARCH 1, 2017) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** ***WARNING CONTAINS PROFANITY*** SUSAN SARANDON POSING ON THE RED CARPET CAMERAS JESSICA LANGE POSING ON RED CARPET CATHERINE ZETA-JONES POSING FOR PICTURES ON RED CARPET CAMERAS FLASHING MORE OF SUSAN SARANDON POSING FOR PICTURES (SOUNDBITE) (English) SUSAN SARANDON, ACTRESS PLAYING THE PART OF BETTE DAVIS, SAYING: "I was really scared. I wasn't really sure I wanted to do it. Bette Davis has been chasing me for years. I've gotten offered a lot of different parts. And even originally when he (Ryan Murphy) brought me the film version of it Ryan, it just seemed like you had a lot of funny bitchy one liners and everything but so what? But then in expanding it and being able to bring in the context in which that happened, I thought maybe there was a shot." SARANDON TALKING TO REPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) SUSAN SARANDON, ACTRESS PLAYING THE PART OF BETTE DAVIS, ASKED ABOUT HER OPINION OF PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMPS CONGRESSIONAL SPEECH, SAYING: "I just think if you are talking about making the world safer for our children and you don't deal with fracking and climate change you are full of shit. You know, I mean, to say one thing... and the people that he brought into his cabinet, I don't see how he plans to do any of the things that he is talking about so I am not going to listen to what he says, I am going to watch (what) he does and respond to that." JESSICA LANGE POSING ON RED CARPET (SOUNDBITE) (English) JESSICA LANGE, ACTRESS PLAYING THE ROLE OF JOAN CRAWFORD, SAYING: "I think the pressure is still there because you have five actresses who would be right for one part but only obviously one person (gets it). So there is a natural kind of competitive atmosphere always in Hollywood." CATHERINE ZETA-JONES SPEAKING WITH REPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) CATHERINE ZETA JONES, ACTRESS, SAYING: "So, well you have to put aside the cat fight which was really generated by the studio and the gossip columnists and fueled by them. I think the strength of woman who had to survive this, through the knocks, through the aging process, having your face on a 20X20 foot screen and people critiquing you that is the same as today. I think it’s the strength, the strength of character of these women that is really important." WRITER AND DIRECTOR OF 'FEUD' RYAN MURPHY SPEAKING WITH REPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) RYAN MURPHY, WRITER AND DIRECTOR OF 'FEUD', SAYING: "It's a period piece but the themes in it are so modern. It deals with sexism and misogyny and the idea of woman fighting for very few opportunities in Hollywood, and I think not a lot has changed. So I think it is a way to shed a light on a very specific sort of injustice and ask 'why does that keep happening?' and 'why can't we do better?'' SUSAN SERANDON WITH REPORTERS
- Embargoed: 16th March 2017 06:32
- Keywords: Feud Bette Davis Joan Crawford Jessica Lange Susan Sarandon Ryan Murphy
- Location: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES / UNIDENTIFIED FILMING LOCATIONS
- City: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES / UNIDENTIFIED FILMING LOCATIONS
- Country: USA
- Topics: Arts/Culture/Entertainment,Television
- Reuters ID: LVA002669MJBH
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: ++ NOTE GRAPHIC LANGUAGE IN SHOT 10 ++
A new anthology series by writer and director Ryan Murphy tells the story of the legendary rivalry between iconic actresses Joan Crawford, played by Jessica Lange and Bette Davis played by Susan Sarandon, during their collaboration on the Oscar-nominated thriller 'What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?'. The series looks at how the two women dealt with ageism, sexism, and misogyny while struggling to hang on to success and fame towards the end of their careers.
Sarandon said she had been offered the part to play Bette Davis for years but the task of depicting the iconic Hollywood star had seemed daunting until now.
"I was really scared. I wasn't really sure I wanted to do it," said Sarandon at the red carpet premier of the series in Hollywood on Wednesday (March 1).
"Bette Davis has been chasing me for years. I've gotten offered a lot of different parts. And even originally when he (Ryan Murphy) brought me the film version of it Ryan, it just seemed like you had a lot of funny bitchy one liners and everything but so what? But then in expanding it and being able to bring in the context in which that happened, I thought maybe there was a shot," Sarandon added.
Sarandon, an outspoken climate change activist, also took the opportunity to weigh in on U.S. President Donald Trump's first congressional address the night before.
"I just think if you are talking about making the world safer for our children and you don't deal with fracking and climate change, you are full of shit," she said, adding, "To say one thing... and the people that he brought into his cabinet, I don't see how he plans to do any of the things that he is talking about so I am not going to listen to what he says I am going to watch he does and respond to that."
At the center of the series, which will be aired on FX, is the complicated and often bitter relationship between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, two Hollywood stars that shared a lot in common. Jessica Lange, who plays Crawford, said Hollywood was and continues to be a harsh environment for woman.
"I think the pressure is still there because you have five actresses who would be right for one part but only obviously one person (gets it). So there is a natural kind of competitive atmosphere always in Hollywood," she said.
Catherine Zeta-Jones who co-stars in 'Feud' as Olivia de Havilland, said she was surprised how hard it was for woman in the film industry in 'Old Hollywood' but added that her father-in-law Kirk Douglas helped her prepare for the role.
"You have to put aside the cat fight which was really generated by the studio and the gossip columnists and fueled by them. I think the strength of woman who had to survive this, through the knocks, through the aging process, having your face on a 20X20 foot screen and people critiquing you that is the same as today," she said.
Series director and co-writer Ryan Murphy said the show is a period piece but that its themes are "modern".
"It deals with sexism and misogyny and the idea of woman fighting for very few opportunities in Hollywood, and I think not a lot has changed. So I think it is a way to shed a light on a very specific sort of injustice and ask 'why does that keep happening?' and 'why can't we do better?'' said Murphy.
The series is produced by Fox 21 Television Studios rivalry. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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