Anyone who has followed Diane Lane’s remarkable career over the past few decades has their personal favorite roles: It could be the talented American girl who falls for a Parisian boy in George Roy Hill’s “A Little Romance,” the hard-rock singer in the dystopian world of “Streets of Fire,” the unfaithful suburban wife in “Unfaithful,” the heartbroken author who finds a new life in Italy in “Under the Tuscan Sun” or any of the dozens of other memorable heroines she has played.
Earlier this year, audiences were treated to Lane’s Emmy-nominated portrayal of struggling socialite Slim Keith on the FX series “Feud: Capote vs. the Swans.” She left a lasting impression as one of the beautiful “swans,” high-society women who were betrayed by Truman Capote when he exposed their secrets in his Esquire article “La Côte Basque 1965.” The actress, who was also nominated for an Emmy for her performance in 1989’s “Lonesome Dove,” recently spoke about her experience with The Envelope:
What sparked your interest in this project?
I loved the first season of “Feud,” so I kept an eye on the song to see when Ryan Murphy would follow it up. I thought the show was a radical departure in terms of creating drama based on notorious real-life characters whose disagreements were whispered about in the culture. I think [writer/showrunner] Jon Robin Baitz, Ryan and [director] Gus Van Sant were perfect collaborators and, to be honest, it was also a lot of fun. This is a medium I'm not really used to, in the sense that I'm still a film actor and I'm used to receiving all the scripts before signing on. But this current working model for streaming projects is different, so it involved a bit of a learning curve.
I know you read Slim's memoirs to prepare yourself. What did you find fascinating about this fashion icon and socialite?
I found the different ages and stages of her life interesting because of the perspective you get from looking back and remembering the state of mind you were in at each stage. Slim had a great sense of humor, not only about herself, but about the choices one makes about age-appropriate behavior at each stage. I loved the way she felt about her own life and how she conveyed it to the world. I think she used some of the lessons she learned from not putting everything in her memoirs, after Truman laid out so much in his article.
Diane Lane, right, with Naomi Watts, left, and Chloe Sevigny, portrayed fashion icon and socialite Slim Keith.
(effects)
Do you have a favorite scene from the show?
It's a rare joy to be able to say that every scene had its own sense of excellence. Witnessing the fashion show that was recreated was epic. It was interesting to learn that certain demographics of people were invited to these small, very intimate fashion shows. It was quite interesting to be transported to another era where people wore gloves and hats, and there was this sense of propriety and social hierarchy. That era was brilliantly captured by all the different departments on the project, who made it all come alive on screen. By the time we, the actors, sat down in our positions to do our jobs, the world was just there, waiting for us to inhabit it. That made our jobs delightful and fun.
Did you get any first-hand information about Slim from those who knew her?
She passed away in 1990, when she was 72, so I didn't get a chance to talk to many people who knew her. The only one who spoke to me directly about her was Jane Fonda, whose stepmother had been friends with Slim. She shared some funny stories about her, but I couldn't incorporate them into the show. That's the problem when you know too much and the extra information doesn't really help you with the role.
What was the most difficult part of the job?
Smoking all those cigarettes, which were not tobacco but made from other herbs, was difficult for me. As a former tobacco cigarette addict, I was a little frustrated because they burn at different rates and weird things can happen when you smoke them on set. Smoking real tobacco products is not allowed because of the harmful effects it has on the equipment, so even if you were a smoker, you wouldn't be allowed to smoke real cigarettes! I think it was amazing that Slim went that far, considering how many cigarettes he smoked every day!
“There is much more material available to unearth as to where [women have] “History has changed, as have current events, and they certainly project those possibilities into the future,” Diane Lane says of women’s roles.
(Evelyn Freja / For The Times/(Evelyn Freja / For The Times))
Why do you think that, decades after Capote’s experiences with the New York “swans,” audiences are still so intrigued by this story?
It's the timeless, human nature aspects of the narrative that are at play. It's about the punishing nature of jealousy and envy. We get to delve into Truman's relationship with his mother. The maternal wound is a cliché for a reason. When you're hurt at a young age, it can haunt you forever. Hurt people hurt people! I think Truman showed great restraint for a long time, so when he went off the rails, he went further, deeper and more prolonged in terms of self-destruction than most people.
Let's talk about your incredible and long career, which began when you were just 6 years old.. What is your opinion on the diversity of roles available to women in the industry today?
It's been a long road to get here in regards to the women who came before me. Each step has been an achievement in terms of how interested people are in telling these stories of women's experiences and their place in culture. It's an evolving experience – there's a lot more material available to unearth in terms of where we've been historically, as well as current events and certainly projecting those possibilities into the future.
What advice would you give to 14-year-old Diane, around the time your first film, “A Little Romance,” was released and you were featured on the cover of Time magazine?
I would say, “Try to find a balance between being grateful and being humble!” There’s an old joke that goes, “Don’t be so humble! You’re not that great!” I also think the important thing is to just enjoy every day. Try to find the good in everything, not just in terms of your career, but also in terms of being alive as a human being on the planet. I feel so grateful and lucky. It’s true that “it’s a good job if you can get it,” and it gets better with age. I was watching Jessica Lange’s incredible work as Truman’s mother, and she took it to a level that it needed to be taken to, and she was just the perfect woman for that. I also fondly remember my days with Treat Williams on the show. It was filled with such joyful, peaceful appreciation for our good fortune to be working on something so wonderful and delightful.
